(Jackson County Sheriff’s Office)
A mushroom hunter found what appeared to be human hair and tissue in the Jackson County woods of Oregon on Monday, May 1.
The sheriff’s office responded to the scene and sent the hair and tissue to the Oregon State Police Forensics Laboratory in hopes of confirming a positive identification.
The hair and tissue were found about two miles away from Stephanie Anne Warner’s home. The 43-year-old vanished after leaving a Fourth of July parade in 2013.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said she left the parade around 4:30 p.m. with her boyfriend Lennie Ames. The two allegedly were heading back to her home in the community of Ruch. Warner was driving her green 2003 Nissan Xterra. Somehow, she disappeared.
(Jackson County Sheriff’s Office)
Detectives believe she was the victim of a homicide, but her body has never been found. Due to the recent discovery of the hair and tissue, they’ve reopened her missing persons case. Deputies are actively reviewing police reports, re-listening to recorded interviews and re-examining evidence.
“We’re never going to give up until we find her,” Sergeant Jesse Ainsworth said in a video press release. “This case is solvable.
Police suggest Ames and his son, Jared Fournier, know something about Warner’s disappearance but the two have been uncooperative with the investigation. The Southern Oregon High Tech Crime Task Force is using advanced technology to examine digital evidence including computers and cell phones.
Anyone with information about Warner’s disappearance is asked to contact Sgt. Ainsworth at (541) 774-6816.
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