Let us not forget 13
year old Miranda Gaddis, every year on November 18 and March 8. We made her one
of The 82 murdered children of Unit 1012
where we will not forget her. Let us remember how she lived on this earth.
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Miranda Gaddis
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INTERNET
SOURCE: http://crime.about.com/od/current/p/mirandagaddis.htm
Miranda
Gaddis
She Dreamed
of Being a Model:
Miranda was born November 18, 1988, in
Oregon City. She attended Gardner Middle School, and dreamed of becoming a
model one day. Miranda belonged to a dance team and was described by friends as
being outgoing, funny, and very loving.
A Troubled
Past:
In 1995, Miranda’s natural father was
found guilty of abuse and sent to prison. A boyfriend of her mother later
abused Miranda and was convicted and sent to prison. She spent a short time in
a foster home because of the abuse. Despite her troubles, Miranda seemed well
balanced and enjoyed her family, which included her older sister Maryssa,
younger sister Miriah, and younger brother Jason.
Miranda and
Ashley Walked Similar Paths:
It is not surprising that Ashley Hope
and Miranda Gaddis were friends. They were on the same dance team at school,
lived in the same apartment building, and even resembled each other. They also
shared similar pasts of having been sexually abused as young children.
The Apartment
Complex:
The apartment complex that Ashley and
Miranda lived in was built in the late 1990s. It provided affordable housing
for single mothers and lower-income working families, as well as the mentally
ill. It had a high occupancy rate and was filled with children. Families would
come and go, and children learned to make friends quickly with the new residents
that moved in. It was near the edge of the complex, where Ward Weaver and his
family, decided to rent a home.
The Weavers
Move Into the Neighborhood:
The Weavers had a young daughter close
to Ashley and Miranda’s age, and it was not long before the three became
friends. Ashley and Miranda spent time at their new friend's house, sometimes
staying overnight at slumber parties. Miranda, unlike Ashley, did not stay at
the Weaver house for extended periods of time. She had other interest and
friends that kept her busy in other activities.
Ashley Pond
Disappears:
In Jan. 9, 2002, Ashley disappeared on
her way to school. The police interviewed Miranda, and other friends of
Ashley’s. As information filtered in, the authorities began to suspect that
Ward Weaver was involved in her disappearance, but no arrest was made. Miranda
was very involved in her friend's investigation, offering the police personal
information that Ashley had shared with her.
Miranda Warns
Friends:
Miranda knew the trouble that Ashley
had experienced during her exteneded stays at the Weaver home. Ashley confided
in her that Ward Weaver was violent and raped her while on a vacation in
California. Miranda, who was not timid with her opinions, warned friends to
stay away from the Weaver’s home because she felt Ward Weaver was dangerous.
Some theorize that Weaver blamed Miranda for his daughter being ostracized at
school, and in the neighborhood where they lived.
Life Returns
to Normal for Miranda:
Two months went by, and Ashley Pond
was still missing. Life for Miranda was beginning to return to normal. On March
8, 2002, the day started out like most school days at Miranda’s house. Her
mother, Michelle, left at around 7:30 a.m., for work. It is assumed that
Miranda left to go to her bus stop at her normal time, around 8 a.m. She walked
the same path that Ashley did on the day she disappeared – right near the door
of Will Weaver’s house.
Miranda
Gaddis Disappears:
Around 1:20 p.m., Michelle Gaddis
received a call from her oldest daughter, informing her that Miranda was not at
school and that none of her friends had seen her all day. The school confirmed
her fears, reporting that she was absent in all her classes. Michelle
immediately went to the police to report that her daughter was missing. Now haunted
by two disappearances, the police and the FBI went on a round-the-clock
investigation in hopes of locating Miranda Gaddis.
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Miranda Gaddis
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Residents
Fear for Their Children:
The residents of Oregon City feared
that a child abductor was busy deciding who his next victim would be. The
missing girls mothers were convinced that the person responsible, knew both
girls. The police focused on this theory as well, and returned to question many
of the same people they interviewed just two months before, when Ashley
disappeared. Some of the information they received, pointed to Ward Weaver,
just as in the case with Ashley Pond, but still no arrest was made.
A Break in the Case: A cry of rape by
Ward Weaver's son's girfriend, brought an end to the police search of Ashley
Pond and Miranda Gaddis. The woman, half nude, ran from the Weaver home,
screaming that Ward Weaver had tried to rape her. Weavers's son followed up
with calls to the police, saying his father admitted that he killed Ashley
Pond. These accusations allowed the police to search Ward Weaver's property.
The Girls' Bodies Are Found: On the
weekend of August 24-25, the bodies of Ashley Pond and Miranda Gaddas, were
found on the property of Ward Weavers rental home. Ashley's body was discovered
inside a barrel, in a hole, under a concrete slab that had been poured soon
after she was reported missing. Miranda's remains were found in a shed on the
same property. An autopsy confirmed the identity of both girls.
Ward Weaver Is Arrested: On October 4,
2002, Ward Weaver was indicted for the murder of Ashley Pond, 12, and Miranda
Gaddis, 13, as well as other counts in an unrelated case, which including sex
abuse, attempted rape, aggravated murder and abuse of a corpse, all of which he
plead not guilty.
On September 22, 2004 Ward Weaver
plead guilty to killing two of his daughter's friends then hiding their bodies
on his property. He received two life sentences for the deaths of Ashley Pond
and Miranda Gaddis.
Ward Weaver lll: A Life of Brutality
Profile of Ashley Pond
The Ward Weaver Case
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