It should be noted that during the present time of this Janice Ott missing and this incident at the beach, I at that time was working in an undercover capacity for the Drug Enforcement Administration and brought this to the attention of the King County Police Officer for obvious reasons that they would not circumvent any investigation that I was involved in at that time. In addition, that same week that I gave information to King County Police Officers regarding the identification of this subject, I was taken to the Seattle Police Department Laboratory where I gave a composite description of the white male that I previously described to an illustrator employed by Seattle Police Department. Since the original date that I spoke with the King County Police Officers, on several occasions since that time during the remaining year of 1974 and all the way into 1975 to date, I have been shown a series of photographs estimated somewhere in the vicinity of 1500 to 2500 photographs of various individuals which King County have been sent and are investigating.
I have also spoken to a psychiatrist which was an interview basically on what I felt the man’s characteristics on the beach that day represented and was questioned or interviewed regarding his composure and the type of person I felt personally he would be. In addition to that, sometime in the early part of 1975 I was taken to a doctor’s office in Seattle and placed under hypnosis to try to bring back to my mind basic facts that took place on July 14, 1974. During this hypnosis I related to the doctor, and to Detective Dunn what my memory was pertaining to this instance on that date.
On October 8, 1975, I was contacted by King County Police Department and requested to once again come to their office to try to identify photographs of various individuals and after carefully looking over the montage I extracted or pointed out a photograph I believe to be the individual who I saw on the beach on July 14, 1974. As far as the gentleman I picked out in the montage in relation of his photograph to the others, his photograph is located in the middle of the montage. The reason I picked him was the basic physical description I described earlier and from my memory as best as I can recall, the man fits the description as the one I saw on the beach July 14. The only characteristic in this photo, well, two characteristics is that the man’s face looks a little bit fatter and his hair is not combed in the manner of what I saw on that date. The relative length is, I would say, the same. The only difference, of course, would be the curliness, whereas in this photograph it appears to be somewhat of a receding hairline; it seems like there’s a light over or above the man as he was being photographed, almost representing his hair to be blond whereas as far as I can remember it was brown or light brown and the hair looks a lot straighter and it was definitely curly or wavy the day I saw him on the 14. The first time I was … that I had seen a photograph of the individual that I pointed out in the montage was today and he has been identified to me this date as Theodore Bundy.
I have heard of the circumstances surrounding his arrest in Utah in the news, however, because of job-related activities, I have not seen a lot of the press but I’ve heard news cast and radio communication relating to this individual and the basic coincidences that arise from his arrest in Utah and the circumstances surrounding the incidents that happened in the Washington area. The evening, I believe the same date he was arrested in Utah, this Bundy, I waited up for the 10:00 o’clock, I believe it was the 10:00 o’clock, or the 11:00 o’ clock, news to see what this individual looked like for my own personal reasons and the time that they were having the photographs shown on television I had a telephone call work-related concerning the airport in a case which was developing out there, and was unable to see a photograph of the individual at that time.
On today’s date, subsequent to being shown the montage of photographs and after tentatively identifying the photograph of Bundy, I was shown an additional photograph of Bundy and it was a color photograph and this particular photograph I was shown, to me is a more exact representation of what the man on the beach on July 14 looked like. The facial structure is very exact, the hair is exactly the same, total … the same, the color is the same. The one thing I recall earlier that I didn’t mention on the beach was that as the man was walking down the beach I noticed that he was very slender and what appeared to be athletically built and this man in the color photograph brings to mind or makes my recollection seem to be that he is exactly the same as the one I saw on July 14, 1974. I have subsequently initialed the photographs I have identified on October 8, 1975.
DETECTIVE DUNN: This is Detective Dunn again, and the taped interview with Special Agent Jerry Snyder is terminated. It is 1231 hrs. on October 8, 1975.
What follows are reports of interviews of those who knew Janice Ott – her family, her husband, and others.
ISSAQUAH POLICE DEPARTMENT
STATEMENT OF RAY JACKSON
DATE: July 17, 1974, 12:30 p.m.
I first met Janice Ott approximately one month ago at the tennis courts directly behind Issaquah High School. Lester Gray, a friend of mine from the Freemont area, had come out to visit and he had called Betty Stover and told her to meet us at the courts. Jan had come along with her. We all then had supper together.
During the next few weeks, Jan came over to my house several times for dinner and on July 7, 1974, we went to a drive-in movie together.
July 9, she and I had a telephone conversation in which she said she might drop over later in the week. I have not seen or heard from her since.
On July 15, 1974, at about 11:00 a.m. or noon, Betty Stover called and asked me if I had seen Jan. I told her I had not. I then went over to her house, where Chief Prosise was already there. Betty and I spent most of the rest of the day searching all the area around Lake Sammamish State Park on foot.
The following report from the Issaquah Police Department includes interviews with Janice Ott’s parents, Don E. Blackburn and Ferol L. Blackburn, and Janice Ott’s husband, James Ott:
ISSAQUAH POLICE DEPARTMENT
STATEMENT of FEROL L. BLACKBURN (mother) and DON E. BLACKBURN (father)
DATE: July 18, 1974, 11:50 a.m.
Janice is a bright, honor student girl, orderly, precise, considerate, outgoing, and sunny. She had a great desire to help others – always has seen good in everyone.
We last saw Janice on Sunday July 7. She had been home for a one-week visit. She visited all our family – everyone had a wonderful time. Our relationship was and always has been just great – beautiful.
Our last letter from her was written July 13 – postmarked the same date.
There was no evidence of depression – only happiness and a zest for the future in our visit, or recent correspondence. She was looking forward to visiting us again in late August and moving to California to be with her husband in September.
SPOKANE DENTIST: Dr. Harold Thomas (Northtown Office Building)
SPOKANE M.D. Dr. Horlacker (County Homes Medical Center) and Dr. Copsey (Rockwood Clinic)
JANICE (B/D 2/14/51) – McMinnville, Oregon, attended elementary and secondary school in Spokane. H.S. graduate (Shadle Park High School). Graduate of E.W.S.C. (Cheney), B.A. (Soc. Work) in 1972. Married to JAMES OTT in December 1972 – moved to Seattle at that time. Present employer: KING COUNTY JUVENILE COURT (caseworker) – (Probation Officer).
DENTIST: (Seattle) – Dr. George Kennaugh, University Way (U District)
DOCTOR: Groupe Health Cooperative – Dr. Weaver, Northgate Office; sometimes went to the Central Office on Capitol Hill, walk in clinic.
BANK ACCT: Both checking and savings at Seattle First National, University Branch. I have since closed the account on 7/18/74, 10:00 A.M. The accounts were both joint accounts.
STATEMENT OF JAMES OTT:
I met Jan at Eastern Washington State College in the spring of ’72. We were married the 28th of December, ’72, after which time we moved to Seattle where I was a student at the U of W and Jan started working at a daycare center on Alaskan Way, Seattle.
Jan, after about three to four months, started working at the Juvenile Court, Seattle, Detention Unit. She found it a little difficult working in a position that offered no chance of advancement, as she was always wanting to improve herself intellectually, so that she could help others. She got the opportunity of moving up to the Probation Unit and was very elated to have such a chance to stimulate her growth as a person. Other than minor problems with some of the secretaries there in the unit, she was very satisfied with her job and herself. The problems encountered with the secretaries were personality conflicts. They seemed to gossip about everyone there, including her. This bothered her quite a lot, because she thought it was unfair that anyone would talk about another person behind their backs. She always wanted to be open with people, whether what she had to say was of appraisal or negative in nature, and if it was negative, she wanted to talk about it so as to resolve it. She wanted everyone to be happy. If she could do it, she would make the whole world happy.
Jan was a compulsive individual. She needed order in her life or she didn’t feel satisfied with herself. Everything was to be planned and in order. If she went into something without some semblance of order she wouldn’t feel like it would go over too successfully. She always wrote down appointments for everything from social engagements to doctor’s appointments, etc.
Jan was very neat and conscious of her appearance. It was important for her to look attractive to others, as well as to herself. Without actually thinking about it, due to her naivety of others, she could be very sexually attractive, most of which was due to the fact that she was a very pretty woman without actually trying to be. She had a very attractive figure which adds to her attractiveness and sexuality.
Legally, I was Jan’s husband. However, we liked to keep our marriage out of its traditional role. That is, being devoted only to each other, such that either of us could not expand ourselves in our work and with other people. We both felt a need to have an independence of our own, so that we could expand and in turn, enhance our relationship.
An important part of our relationship, so Jan felt, I too for that matter, was a need to communicate. This was an important facet of Jan’s philosophy besides. She liked talking to people, helping them in any way shew could, just by being an honest person with whomever she dealt.
I last saw Jan on the 16th of June. She drove down to Corvallis, Oregon, where my parents live, as I was moving to California. She spent that weekend there and returned to Seattle that Sunday.
The last time I talked to Jan was Saturday night at 10:00 p.m., on the 13th of July. She was to call me again the following Wednesday evening until this terrible thing happened.
KING COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
Taken by: CHIEF PROSISE
Statement of: DAVID ALLISON MCKIBBEN
July 17, 1974
Occupation & Employer: Owner – Laundromat
I arrived at the Suds Shop at 32 E. Sunset approximately 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 14, 1974, to clean up. As I entered, a young woman entered carrying a basket of laundry who later identified herself as Jan Ott. She was wearing cut-off blue jeans, a white open collar button-up blouse, tucked in, no bra, and tennis shoes. I don’t recall any jewelry. Her hair was about two to three inches longer than shoulder length, worn loose.
As I cleaned around the laundromat, we talked about whatever came up. Nothing in particular. She was going to the beach on her bike – she was a probation officer in Seattle. Lived with a friend who worked there too, but different hours. She finished about the time I did and I asked her if she wanted a cup of coffee since I was going too, and she said, sure, as soon as she took her laundry across the street to her house. I walked to the corner of Sunset and Front with her and she took her laundry in and came out about five minutes later, looking the same as before.
We walked down to Fasona’s Restaurant, and sat at a small booth and talked over coffee. She said she was separated from her husband, a “liberated woman”. Used to live in Seattle but moved because she was ripped off and lost most of her things. All she had now was her Volkswagen, bike, and clothes. She said she was planning to go to the beach but preferred to have nothing more to do with it. I talked a little about myself, that I had two girls, lived in North Bend, what I did for a living and how I got involved with my business. She was a very friendly person, very outgoing and easy to talk to. Mentioned that she had had breakfast, a week or two earlier, at the Snoqualmie Falls Lodge. Mentioned that her parents lived in Spokane, Washington. I believe we left the restaurant about 11:15 a.m. and walked back down to the house. She went inside after saying good-bye and I left for North Bend. That was the last I saw of her until hearing about her being missing on Tuesday evening.
Taken by DETECTIVE ROLF T. GRUNDEN
Statement by SUSAN JANE KINSINGER
July 17, 1974, 11:25 a.m. I have known Jan Ott since 1969. We went to Eastern Washington State College. We have been in pretty close contact since she has been in Seattle. The last time I saw her was June 27, 1974, we had lunch together.
I spoke to her two or three times prior to her being reported missing. We had set up an appointment to have lunch today, July 17, 1974.
She is the type of individual who is always very punctual. Normally she does not carry large sums of cash. She would have about $3.00 or $4.00. It would bother her very much to be in dirty clothing. I know she would contact her parents, roommate, or Jim, her husband.
Her strongest bond is toward her mother and father. They have always had high expectations of her.
Jim, her husband, is a calm type of individual. He is in medical school in California. I am sure that he would not harm Jan in any way.
Her past boyfriends were Greg Kinsinger, my brother, who lives in Walla Walla; Mike Casey, he also lives in Walla Walla. Those are the only boys I know she dated other than Jim, her husband.
This statement is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
I have always found personal communications that are provided to police by witnesses and friends of the victims to be of utmost importance. For the police, it’s an opportunity to obtain what they hope to be valid information that could lead them to the one responsible for the abductions and murders. And at the time, that was the primary focus, as these reports were for in-house use by the investigators only. But as the years rolled on and Ted Bundy was captured and ultimately executed, the files were opened up for all to see. It is from this perspective that the poignant aspect of this material comes forth. And this is especially true of communication that comes directly from the families, where the ever-present pain is always just below the surface of their words.
CHAPTER SIX
The Lake Sammamish Reports
Denise Naslund
As a true crime writer, it is impossible for me to read stories of victims and the circumstances of their deaths, and not wonder about the “what-ifs” of each situation which led to an abrupt and untimely end to their lives. Such is the case of young and pretty Denise Naslund. In my book, The Bundy Murders, I mention that Denise wasn’t even supposed to be at Lake Sammamish State Park on that beautiful and sunny Sunday of July 14, 1974, and that’s correct. Had she and her boyfriend, Kenneth Little, not received a phone call that morning from another couple with an offer to go with them to the park, you wouldn’t even be reading this story now, and we wouldn’t even be aware of her name. Had Ted Bundy not been the lethal entity he was, or if he’d skipped hunting that day, Denise Naslund would no doubt be alive today, and may have become a mother and grandmother by now. But her inability to see into the future was something Bundy counted upon and would use to his advantage. He was a planner of murder, and from the moment he encountered Denise on that Sunday late afternoon, he already knew what her future would be, if only he could convince her to go with him …
Taken by DETECTIVE ROLF T. GRUNDEN
Statement of PATRICIA ANN TURNER
July 19
, 1974
July 14, 1974, I went to Lake Sammamish State Park with another couple, Donna Ray, Kim Prior and my boyfriend Nick Bennett. We got to the park around 3:00 p.m. We first sat down in front of the concession stand, we sat there for about fifteen minutes, then moved to where the Rainier picnic was. Nick and I stayed at the Rainier picnic. Donna and Kim sort of wandered off – we met them about quarter to four at the Rainier picnic site. The four of us returned to the area in front of the concession stand and sat down on the beach – this was about 4:15 p.m.
I didn’t feel good so I got up and walked toward the concession stand. As I was walking up the sidewalk, a man came walking toward me. He had a sling on his left arm. The sling was bleached white, clean. He had on white shorts, a white T-shirt, and white tennis shoes. He was about 5’8”, 160 – 165, he was well built. His hair was dishwater blond, it was about neck length, cut in a shag; as far as I know he didn’t have sideburns; it was parted in the middle more or less – his hair was messy. He was a very good-looking man. He was about twenty-four or twenty-five.
As I walked to the concession stand, he followed me. We talked to each other on the sidewalk and he said, “I need to ask a really big favor of you.” He then said, “You can see I’m not very useful of my hand, would you please help me launch my sailboat?” I looked at him as if I didn’t understand. He said: “I normally wouldn’t ask this favor but my brother is busy and is unable to help.” He sort of pointed in the direction of the parking lot. I said: “Well, I am sort of in a hurry to go.” He said: “That’s okay.” He just stood there for a few seconds; that’s when I walked on to the concession stand. I glanced off into the crowd and saw him walk away.
Ted Bundy's Murderous Mysteries Page 11
