Ear: Patsy

In mid-April, Linda Benthin-Weirup and her family received some unexpected news: The body of her aunt, Patricia “Patsy” Skiple (pictured), missing since 1992, had finally been identified.

“She vanished from Molalla/Colton, summer of 1992, in the wee hours, to take a walk,” Linda explained. “For 29, almost 30 years, we now know she went as ‘unidentified remains,’ found in Gilroy, California.”

“… A few years ago, my brother was contacted to please upload his DNA to GEDmatch so DNA Doe Project could have access to it … Fast forward to April 14, when my mom got a visit from California detectives to tell her they had positive identification that her sister, Patsy, had been identified as the fifth victim of Happy Face serial killer, Keith Jesperson.

“Pretty sure our mouths all hit the floor … They called her the ‘Blue Pacheco’ woman, because of the color of her clothes and the road her remains were discovered on. From the first day she was found, the Santa Clara county sheriff went to work trying to find the Blue Pacheco family.

“… Then in 2005, Keith Jesperson confessed to picking her up at a truck stop, raping her and strangling her to death, then driving a few hundred miles and dumping her off. He knew facts about the scene where (she) was found June 3, 1993, details nobody knew.” The authorities only recently got DNA confirmation it was Patsy. Jesperson is in the Oregon State Penitentiary, convicted of murdering eight victims.

“Even though her death was brutal, we knew her as our sweet gentle auntie, good mom to Michelle and Denny. She was a huge part of our lives growing up, and we cherish memories made back then … We can now mourn.”

Linda’s sister, Marty Benthin-Evans (inset) is still missing. She drove off in a 1984 brown truck after a wedding in Knappa on Feb. 10, 1990, and vanished. Linda is still asking questions, and actively searching. “We must speak for those who can no longer speak for themselves,” she said.

Do you know what happened to Marty? Call Detective Matt Beeson at 503-861-0781, ext. 34006. Linda is resolute. “Our family needs confirmed answers.”