On January 9, 2002,
Ashley Pond, age 12, disappeared on her way to the school bus in
Oregon City, Oregon. On March 8, 2002, Miranda Gaddis, age
13 disappeared on her way to the same school bus stop in Oregon
City. Both girls lived in the same apartment complex and
belonged to the same dance team.
On March 20, the FBI
offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest
of the girls' kidnappers. On August 13, 2002, Ward Weaver
was arrested on a charge of raping the girlfriend of his 19 year
old son. Weaver's son called 911 to report the rape and
also told authorities his dad was responsible for the
disappearance of the two missing girls. Ward Weaver knew
both girls, and lived near the school bus stop.
On August 23, 2002 the
FBI conducted an extended search of the Weaver property. On
August 24th the remains of an unidentified person was found in a
shed on the property. On August 25th the remains of a
second unidentified person was discovered in a barrel which was
buried under a slab of concrete on the Weaver property.
The body remains have since been identified as those of Ashley Pond
and Miranda Gaddis.
On October
2, 2002,
Weaver was indicted and charged with: six counts of aggravated
murder; two counts of abuse of a corpse in the second
degree; one count of sexual
abuse in the first degree; one count of attempted rape in
the second degree; one count of attempted aggravated
murder; one count of first degree attempted rape; one count
of sexual abuse in the first degree; one count of sexual abuse
in the second degree; and two counts of sexual abuse in the
third degree.
In September 2004, Weaver
pleaded guilty to two charges and no-contest to the rest. A plea
bargain allowed him to avoid the death
penalty. He was sentenced to two life
sentences without parole.
