Oldest Cold Case FINALLY Solved | Candy Rogers Case | Mysterious Hook

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The Case of Candy Rogers: A Cold Case Solved After 60 Years

Chapter 1: The Disappearance

The city of Spokane, Washington, was known for its rich cultural heritage, with the Spokane River winding its way through the center of the city and an abundant natural beauty surrounding the area. But in March 1959, Spokane was also known for the heartbreak that befell one particular family—the Rogers family. On the afternoon of March 6, 1959, 9-year-old Candy Rogers left her home in West Central Spokane to sell campfire mints in her neighborhood, just as she had done many times before. Little did anyone know that this seemingly ordinary afternoon would mark the beginning of a mystery that would baffle the city and the police for decades to come.

Candy Rogers, a sweet and energetic young girl, was known for her friendly demeanor and bright smile. She lived with her mother, Elaine, and her father, Carl Rogers, in a modest home in the city. Candy’s parents, though separated, had remained amicable, and Elaine did everything she could to provide for her daughter. With her sparkling personality, Candy was well-loved in her community. Her small business venture of selling campfire mints was just one of the many ways she took part in her community. But after leaving the house that day, Candy was never seen again.

As hours passed and no word came from Candy, her mother, Elaine, began to grow anxious. It wasn’t like her daughter to disappear for such long periods. By evening, Elaine had contacted Candy’s father, Carl, and together they began searching the neighborhood. The police were notified, and a frantic search effort ensued. Flyers were posted, volunteers rallied, and police scoured the area in the hopes of finding the missing girl. But despite their efforts, there was no sign of Candy.

The next day, March 7, the search continued. More search parties were dispatched, and the police expanded their search area. Yet, no clues were found. The town’s atmosphere grew heavier with each passing hour, and it wasn’t long before Elaine realized the reality: Candy had not simply gotten lost. She had disappeared, and the fear that something terrible had happened to her began to set in. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. No trace of Candy was found.

Chapter 2: The Tragic Discovery

The search for Candy had seemed futile for weeks, but on March 22, 1959, 16 days after her disappearance, the worst fear was realized. Candy’s body was discovered by two Airmen, Howard Lawrence and Richard Bergen, who were hunting woodchucks in a wooded area about seven miles from the Rogers home. The discovery took place in a small clearing deep in the forest, far from the city’s familiar streets.

It was a discovery that would shake the entire community to its core. As the men looked around the clearing, they noticed something that immediately caught their attention: a small pair of blue suede shoes, carefully placed on the ground. The craftsmanship was delicate, and the shoes appeared to belong to a young child. The men hesitated for a moment, but their curiosity got the better of them, and they decided to investigate further. As they moved closer to the area, they uncovered the horrifying truth.

Beneath the brush and pine needles, the decomposing body of a young child was revealed. It didn’t take long for the searchers to recognize her as Candy Rogers. The small blue suede shoes, a perfect match for what Candy had been wearing when she disappeared, confirmed the tragic discovery.

The scene was gruesome. The child’s body was not just abandoned but bound. Torn strips of cloth were found around her ankles and neck, a chilling sign of the brutality she had suffered. The authorities were immediately called, and the body was taken for autopsy.

Chapter 3: The Investigation Begins

Detectives were stunned by the discovery. Candy had been missing for over two weeks, and to find her in such a condition was heartbreaking. The autopsy revealed that Candy had been strangled to death, and there were signs of abuse. The police immediately began an investigation into her death, hoping to find the person responsible for the heinous act. But the case quickly became more complicated than anyone could have expected.

The authorities initially focused on several suspects, with one of the prime suspects being an imprisoned serial killer named Hugh Bayern Morse. He had been known to use grape-flavored gum, and traces of the same gum had been found on Candy’s clothing. However, when Morse was questioned, he denied any involvement with the crime, and further investigation revealed no concrete evidence linking him to Candy’s murder.

While Morse remained a suspect, another lead emerged in the investigation. Candy’s close family friend, Glenn St. Hilaire, was questioned by the police after it was revealed that he had been having an affair with Candy’s mother, Elaine. Glenn, a handyman hired by the Rogers family, had been in close contact with Elaine in the weeks leading up to Candy’s disappearance. He seemed genuinely concerned for Candy and even presented the police with Marlene’s diary, hoping it might provide some insight into what had happened. However, the police found the diary to be somewhat vague, and without any concrete evidence, they couldn’t use it to move the case forward.

Chapter 4: The Long Wait and the DNA Breakthrough

As the years passed, the case of Candy Rogers’ disappearance grew colder. Despite several tips and potential leads, the investigation seemed to stall. For nearly six decades, the murder of Candy Rogers remained unsolved, with little hope of finding the truth. Her mother, Elaine, lived with the grief of losing her daughter and never gave up hope that one day, justice would be served.

In 2001, forensic technology had advanced significantly, allowing the police to reexamine the case with a new set of tools. The clothes from the scene were carefully stored as evidence, and the authorities decided to submit them to a lab for DNA analysis. Forensic scientists worked tirelessly to extract any usable DNA from Candy’s clothes, hoping to find a match that could lead them to the killer. When the results came back, the police were excited to discover that they had successfully created a DNA profile from the evidence. However, the initial tests yielded no matches in the existing databases.

Despite the setback, detectives continued their investigation, and in 2006, the case took a more hopeful turn. A breakthrough came in the form of a new technology known as forensic genetic genealogy, which combined traditional genealogical research with DNA analysis to solve cold cases. This method gained popularity, and in 2017, the Spokane Police Department decided to give it a try in Candy’s case.

Brittany Wright, a forensic scientist with the Washington State Patrol, took the lead on the case and sent the DNA sample to a private lab that specialized in working with degraded DNA samples. Six months later, the results came back with a stunning revelation: three brothers were identified as potential suspects.

Chapter 5: The Long-Awaited Confession

After further investigation into the background of the three men, it was revealed that one of them, John, had a troubling history. He had lived just a mile from Candy’s home at the time of her disappearance, and his criminal past revealed a pattern of violence. In 1961, two years after Candy’s murder, John had been arrested for attempting to assault a woman. He had tried to strangle her and was later sentenced to prison. John’s troubling history was further compounded by his connection to Candy. His stepsister had been a member of the same campfire girls group as Candy and had taken on the role of her “big sister.” This connection provided a potential link between John and the young girl.

But the biggest breakthrough came when the police exhumed John’s remains. After obtaining a search warrant, the authorities took a DNA sample from his body, and the results were conclusive: John had been the killer. The case that had haunted Spokane for nearly six decades was finally solved.

Chapter 6: Justice for Candy

The revelation that John was the killer brought bittersweet closure to Candy’s family. After all these years, they finally had answers, but the fact that John had been allowed to live a full life while Candy’s family had been left to grieve was a source of deep sorrow. John, who had evaded justice for so long, died at the age of 31, and his death left his family and the community to grapple with the painful reality that a child’s life had been taken by someone so close.

The discovery of John’s identity and the subsequent trial were not only a moment of justice for Candy Rogers, but they also set a precedent for how technology could be used to crack open cold cases that had remained unsolved for decades. The determination of law enforcement and the advances in forensic science brought a sense of justice that had been long overdue.

Conclusion: The Legacy of Candy Rogers

Candy Rogers’ case remains one of the most high-profile cold cases in Spokane’s history, and its resolution was a testament to the power of persistence, technology, and the will to find the truth. While justice was served, it came too late for Candy’s family and for the community that had been left wondering for so long.

The case also served as a reminder that sometimes, the answers we seek are buried in the past, waiting for the right tools, the right moment, and the right people to uncover them. Candy Rogers’ name, once lost to time, will now be remembered for the courage of those who sought the truth, and for the legacy of a young girl whose life was taken too soon but whose memory will live on forever.