Ep 10. Ring Him Up

In season 11 episode 10 of Forensic Files titled "Ring Him Up," viewers are introduced to the mysterious disappearance of 19-year-old college student, Brooke Wilberger. The episode takes place in Corvallis, Oregon in May 2004 where Brooke had been working for a summer job as part of a church program which included traveling around to different college campuses.

The episode starts with the discovery of Wilberger's abandoned car in an apartment complex parking lot. Police began searching the area, canvassing residents, and posting flyers all over the campus. However, the search was fruitless until three weeks after the disappearance, when a curious passersby discovered a "lost" flyer up in the woods along a gravel road. The flyer had a photo of Brooke Wilberger on it and also a map of the area surrounding her disappearance.

The woman contacted the authorities and led them to the site where they found a large area of disturbed soil. After digging for hours, they finally uncovered a gruesome discovery - Brooke's body. The autopsy revealed that Brooke had been sexually assaulted and bludgeoned to death with a heavy object.

From that point, investigators began piecing together the events leading up to Brooke's disappearance. They learned that on the day of her abduction, Brooke had been working alone at an apartment complex when her attacker had approached her. He had asked for directions to a nearby building, but when Brooke began to walk away, he attacked her from behind, dragged her to his car, and drove away.

While the investigators had little to go on, they continued to collect and examine evidence. This included surveillance footage of the suspect's car, a blue van with a distinctive white stripe on the side. The police interviewed dozens of witnesses who had seen the van in the area at the time of Brooke's disappearance, but no one had been able to identify the perpetrator.

However, things began to change when a forensic analyst discovered a small amount of DNA on one of Brooke's hair ties that had been found at the crime scene. The DNA profile was uploaded to a national database, and while it didn't immediately lead to a match, it did allow investigators to begin narrowing their search.

Ultimately, it was a detailed description of the van with the white stripe that led to a lead. An anonymous caller had contacted the police and told them that they had seen the van parked behind a fast-food restaurant in the early hours of the morning of the abduction. When the police investigate, they find the van abandoned in a wooded area outside of Oregon.

After scouring the crime scene, they finally found forensic evidence that identified the prime suspect as Joel Courtney, who had a long record of sexual assault and other violent crimes. Investigators created a timeline of Courtney's movements before and after Brooke's kidnapping, and they were able to place him in the area at the time based on witness statements.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, it took the police nearly two years to locate Courtney, who had been living in Texas under an assumed name. After being arrested, Courtney confessed to his involvement in Brooke's abduction, rape, and murder.

The episode concludes with the Wilberger family and the community coming together to honor Brooke's memory and celebrate the day that Joel Courtney finally received justice. In a touching memorial service, hundreds of people assembled to plant a tree for Brooke and remember the life that was taken far too soon.