Father's Day and the Cold Case Of Susan Ann Wickersham
Saturn In Aries 2025
Broadcasting with gratitude, sorrow, and love from the rightful lands of Cowlitz, Multnomah, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Tumwater, Tualatin Kalapuya, Wasco, Molalla, Ita'xluit, Watlala, and other original peoples of the big river This is Kay Bee Oh Oh 90.7FM Portland's community radio.
We are one of the last non commercial, non corporate, non denominational radio stations left in the country and one of the oldest, too It's been through your support and that of your parents before you that KBOO is able to bring through a whole slew Of interviews, poetry, music and news As your daily rendezvous With the universe To all of our members: thank you
To join them and us just visit KBOO dot FM forward slash give.
Well this particular show you're listening to is called Oh Gee, PeeOhGee, I'm your neighbor, Jeremy, and I'm glad to be here with you for the next two hours as we consider this moment from a variety of perspectives amidst a variety of music. Like the track beneath my voice, that's Alexander Borodin’s masterpiece In The Steppes of Central Asia, performed by the Ukraine National Radio Symphony Orchestra Theodore Kuchar conducted
And like the song we just heard at the top of the hour, that was a new one called Bye and Bye from local legends JOSEPH If lately you can relate to needing momentary refuge in a public restroom it may interest you to know that Saturn is skimming through Aries right now giving us a balanced moment of channeled dynamism. So if you've been feeling frustrated or stymied the key to your success may be to reevaluate personal goals to better balance these against the collective needs of your family and community. Now is the time to move things around and choose your focus.
If you don't know where to start just take some fruits and vegetables from wherever you store them and try stacking them on a flat stable surface. The fruits are your personal desires and the vegetables are your social duties. Tomatoes are both. Play with your food until you find the sweet spot where it all balances out. Then go ahead and compost whatever’s turned rotten. From now until September is a good time for starting a new project or launching a business. Proceed with confidence that despite recent setbacks a window of favorable opportunity is now open to you. Don't give up!
Did your dad ever tell you that?
Don't give up!
Try again.
You can do it
Just keep at it
I believe in you and your capacity to change the world by developing and applying your own inherent gifts.
You are loved regardless of your results
For better or worse your father is usually your first coach, and sometimes your hardest So in this first set We'll be wishing a happy Father's Day to all you protectors out there As well as offering sympathy and comfort to the far too many who are missing a departed parent today. Beginning with one of our northerly Cascadian neighbors, Taeryn Berg, who hails from Mission British Columbia outside Vancouver and who performs as Taeryn Haley. From her comes a song that is both simple and sincere. Titled Dear Dad I Miss U Because sadly In 2010, just three days after Christmas Taeryn's father, Myron Berg was killed in a car accident. By all accounts he was a good man, a faithful neighbor, and a great dad. And from researching this episode I also know that today, June 15th is not just Father's day but also Myron’s Berg’s birthday. He would be 63 years old today. Happy birthday to Myron and our deepest condolences to Taeryn, her family and all those who loved him.
The poet Khalil Gibran tells us:
When you are sorrowful,
look again in your heart,
and you shall see that in truth
you are weeping for that
which has been your delight.
So for all those who are mourning as well as celebrating a father this day here is a song from someone who really knows how you feel, Taeryn Berg who spells her name tee ay ee ar why en and performs as Taeryn Haley It's Dear Dad… I Miss U Right now on Cascadian community radio Kay Be Oh Oh
Taeryn Haley to Hyun Mi
[FIRST SET] You're tuned to member supported Kaybeeohoh We are a non commercial non corporate non profit radio station and we rely on our members for 80 percent of our funding So if you're ready to promote from listener to member just visit K B O O dot F M forward slash give or text the word “KBOO” to 4-4-3-2-1 Thank you
Well in that last set we were honoring all you fathers out there Ending with a 1969 track titled Goodbye, Dad by Hyun Mi the stage name of Kim Myeong-Seon who was a child refugee of the Korean War. At the age of twenty she became an entertainer, primarily for US soldiers She started out doing a sword dance routine but one night she filled in for a singer who didn't make the curtain call and her vocal talent was so apparent that she just kept the gig going
Prior to Hyun Mi we heard Laura Mvula with an apt track titled Father, Father. That's off her 2014 Abby Roads release with Metropole Orkest, one of my desert island albums. well worth a spin
Father, Father followed a long lost 1971 Nina Simone outtake in which she begins to sing a cover of Judy Collins’ hit song My Father but stops singing partway through because she couldn't connect her own experience to the material. In her brief dialogue Nina relates how her father promised her freedom in America, but never privilege in France. Nina’s father would die one year later in 1972 She did go on to record a full version cover of the song for her 1977 album Baltimore That outtake would be discovered in an RCA vault twenty years later
Prior to Nina Simone we heard The Winstons with a great song celebrating those who step into the role of fatherhood for children they did not sire. The title of that song: Color Him Father
Which followed Daddy Frank The Guitar Man by Merle Haggard and The Strangers off his 1971 album Let Me Tell You About A Song
Before Merle we heard Portland’s very own Shook Twins with a track inspired by their own father that was Potter’s Daughter
And again we began that fatherly set with gifted singer songwriter Taeryn Berg, who performs as Taeryn Haley with a beautiful tribute to her late father Myron Berg, whose birthday it is today. That track is titled Dear Dad I Miss U
This can be a hard day for those mourning the loss of a parent. So if you know someone who is, please go easy on em. And if you're a parent yourself maybe give em a call or invite them over for a family meal.
Well we’ll keep Father's day rolling in this next set beginning with Rick Nelson A Pigeon Holed Genius and the First reality television star. His parents were nationally syndicated TV couple Ozzy and Harriet Nelson
In 1968 Rick was experimenting with different genres and production techniques He begins this next track by demonstrating his prowess at perfectly placing sound across the mix. Then he makes the obviously intentional decision to migrate everything to one channel except for the piano, which he splits down the middle. The sound of the jet moves from left to right and nothing is left in its path except the tinkle of keys.
The album cover is a simple but impactful work of minimal forms made mostly of shadow. Upon a black background In the upper left is the small Decca brand inside a white arrow pointing to the right. Beneath this in a medium, All Caps font is the word perspective Under that in pink is his name, Rick Nelson, the name that came as part of the package of being born the son of celebrity band leader Ozzy Nelson but it's also symbolic of becoming his own adult self because as a child celebrity the whole nation knew him as Ricky Nelson. By dropping the y from his name it's as if he is saying “you only thought you knew me.”
In the upper right is the dim glow from the leftmost edge of a stained glass Tiffany lamp, whose panels are primarily pale orange with a bit of green. Kitty corner from this in the high middle of the cover is the left side of Rick Nelson’s clean shaven face. His left eye stares straight at yours out of the darkness that obscures the right side of his face and practically all of his body.
Perspective
It’s not just an album of covers, it's a still evolving artist finding a new way forward Here's the tenth track, a cover of Randy Newman's song So Long Dad Right now on Member Supported K B O O
Rick Nelson to Ian Dury
[SECOND SET]
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We just finished up a second helping of father’s day ending their with My Old Man, a Stiff Records classic from Ian Dury.
Which followed another Stiff records alum, Wreckless Eric with a track titled Father to the Man
Prior to Wreckless Eric we heard Mother Father from Florida artist His Hem Which was preceded by a Jackson Browne song titled Daddy's Tune
And before that was Daddy's Song by pioneering songwriter and John Lennon’s favorite artist Harry Nilsson whose birthday it is today. He was born June 15th 1941 We'll wish a few more happy birthdays in this next set but in addition to a day of arrivals this is also a day of departure
For it was on this day ten years ago that our neighbor Ladis Kristof passed away. He lived quite a life. Kris was born into a wealthy eastern European family but he lost everything in WW2, he was imprisoned multiple times by the Nazis and forced to work in an Asbestos mine. He survived, but his family estate was seized by the Soviets so he went west instead. He eventually enrolled at Reed College at the age of 37 and would later teach at Portland State. As well as help to found the Portland chapter of Amnesty International. A memorial grant is bestowed in his name every year and the Ladis Kristof Memorial Grant Recipient for 2025 is Renaissance Zhang, chair of the Berkeley chapter of Amnesty
So before we get to the birthdays here's a Brief look at the life and legacy of Portlander Ladis Kristof, excerpted from a film by Amnesty International Right now on member supported K BOO
Ladis Kristof to Edward Grieg
[THIRD SET]
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In that last set we were wishing some happy birthdays to a few of the artists enjoying two scoops and a slice today Ending there with Morning Mood by Edward Grieg from the Peer Gynt Suites, Opus 46 played in 1983 by Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert Von Karajan conducted That's because Renowned Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg was born this day 1843
Prior to Edward Grieg we were with Terri Gibbs living both sides of that Florida Georgia line with a track titled My Last Song Terri was born this day 1954
Born this day in 1940 was Portland’s own Nancy King who we heard there scatting on a sweet track titled Waltz For Debby, from her 2007 collaboration with Steve Kristofferson and Metropole Orkest
Prior to Nancy King we heard a short clip from an interview with another Portlander, Sarah C. Andersen, Champion for Human Artistry, AI Skeptic and the relatable mind behind Doodle Time, Sarah's Scribbles, Cheshire Crossing and probably at least one top twenty meme even your gran has seen Sarah Andersen was born this day 1992
So happy birthday Sarah Andersen, Nancy King, Terri Gibbs, Edvard Grieg, Harry Nilsson, Myron Berg, and you too. If it is your birthday I pray it's been a good’n
It's also two days prior to Michael Showalter’s birthday, who Millennials and Young Gen Xers may recall from MTV’s The State. He did that disaffected teen character Doug With a pack of smokes rolled a little too tight in his T-shirt sleeve and rebelling at anything that wasn't of his peers he was always on his way out announcing “My Name's Doug and I'm out of heeeeeere”
So uhh happy early birthday Michael Showalter Well next up take some deep breaths and prepare to listen close, Maybe even take some notes Bloodhounds because here comes
TODAY'S COLD CASE
Today's Cold Case is the 1973 abduction of Susan Ann Wickersham from Bend Oregon
It was July 1973. Just months before the door would close upon the long summer of America's golden age. Beginning with the postwar years of the 1950s, the dawn of consumerism and through the spiritual and social revolutions of the 1960s on many graphs the quality of life for most Americans on the homefront, at least, stayed steadily on the rise for two decades.
In October of 1973 the first OPEC crisis would hit home for every American that a corner was being turned and by 1980 the Long Summer would officially be over for America's working class. But in July of 1973 Susan Ann Wickersham, her family, friends and her community were unaware of what lay ahead for the country, for their town, and for themselves. They were still living the American dream in Bend Oregon, which at that time was barely a medium sized rural town, let alone Oregon’s sixth most populous city.
Back then in Bend most of the kids went to school together twelve years or more. It was still a small enough place that residents would know your family even if they didn't know your name. Bend lies at the same latitude as Eugene and in the minds of many is the place where Oregon splits between East and West.
The elevation of Bend is around 3,600 ft which is the same elevation as Mt Hood’s Trillium Lake. Bend is also the intersection of US Route 97 and Route 20, so there are more than a few out of towners passing through at any given time. This is where Susie Wickersham was born November 21st 1955, (incidentally the same day as Australian guitar artist Peter Koppes) it's where she grew up during America's golden age, and where she had just completed her junior year of high school.
Standing a petite five foot 3, 110 pounds with blond hair she had an outgoing personality, being described by those who loved her as likable, bubbly, and free spirited. Prior to her disappearance on July 11th 1973 Susie Wickersham had spent the day behind the wheel of the family car, cruising around town with friends, no doubt relishing the bittersweet freedom of that last summer vacation between Junior and Senior year. Susan had made an agreement to drop the car off to her mother, Sharon Wickersham at the restaurant where she worked. A spot called the Sage Room which no longer exists but was at that time located near the corner of Wall Street and Minnesota Ave, right next to Drake Park. Susan kept her agreement and delivered the car at 11:30pm on Wednesday July 11th. Her mother asked her if she'd like to sit and wait until the restaurant closed then they could drive home together. Susan declined, saying she would hitch a ride with some friends nearby. She said goodbye to her mother, and to her friend Denise Blake who also worked at the restaurant. Then Susan walked across the street. Denise saw her through the window, standing in front of a pharmacy wearing white pants, white shoes, and a brown car coat over a blue and white checkered shirt. When she looked up again a few minutes later, Susie was gone.
Susan Wickersham never made it home and she was never seen alive again. At first the police considered her a runaway, despite every person who knew her well telling them that was a ridiculous proposal. Susie was happy and content with her life, she had nothing to run from and nothing to run to.
Her family crisscrossed the state looking for her but she had vanished. When the initial investigation finally got underway the police did explore all the leads they had but then found themselves still standing at square one. They needed a break. One would come two and a half years later, on January 20th, 1976 when an unidentified logger cutting firewood found some skeletal remains in the woods beside a cinder pit near a route 97 weigh station.
Many on the force suspected these were the remains of Susie Wickersham but they needed confirmation. Unfortunately there wasn't much to work with. The remains were so thoroughly decomposed that any clues they may have yielded were already lost to the nutrient cycle. Most of the indicators came from the skull. There was a .22 caliber bullet hole behind the right ear and most of the upper teeth were intact, holding their original positions.
No dental records for Susie could be located but her former dentist, Dr David Mason was tracked down to a remote area of northern British Columbia near Stewart, where he had relocated. The skull was mailed to him and he recognized the teeth as those of Susie and so her fate was confirmed. She had been abducted and murdered. Marc Mills was part of the same class of ‘74 cohort as Susie Wickersham, they would sometimes eat lunch together. When he became the youngest detective on the force he requested the honor and duty of investigating the disappearance of his friend. They gave him the file and he dug in.
Along with District Attorney Mike Dugan and with the later aid of a highly experienced Cold Case Unit every possible shred of evidence has been collected and witnesses interviewed and reinterviewed, those close to the case believe it will be solved. But with little new evidence to go on the investigation is largely a process of elimination. For instance Susie’s skeletal remains were found near the current location of the high desert museum, just off Route 97. Serial Killer John Ackroyd was active along US Route 20 which connects with Route 97, just north of where Susie disappeared. He is known to have raped and killed a number of victims, often during the course of his workday as a highway department employee. The condition of her remains matches with Ackroyd’s MO but according to his military records he was stationed overseas in 1973, and while those same records show that Ackroyd had a habit of going AWOL it's still unlikely that he hopped a flight from Asia to Oregon and then back again without anyone noticing. However John Ackroyd didn't always kill alone.
For example when he killed Kaye Turner on Christmas, 1978 he did so with the help of Roger Beck who was married to John’s high school sweetheart. Beck’s whereabouts at the time of Susie’s murder remain uncertain.
Ted Bundy was also active in Oregon at this time and according to files provided by the FBI Bundy was in Olympia the day before Susie's disappearance and he was back in Olympia the day after but they don't know where he was on the day of. So while it is possible that he drove from Washington to Bend and back again it's highly improbable. Ted Bundy also didn't tend to use a firearm, preferring to strangle his victims instead. it's unlikely that Susie was a victim of either Ted Bundy or John Ackroyd.
Process of elimination.
While no name has ever been printed there is a person of interest who is known to law enforcement and suspected by at least one family member of being Susie's abductor but there is not yet sufficient evidence to make an arrest. They are still waiting for witnesses to find courage enough to step forward and testify in the meantime the Deschutes county sheriff's office continues to put focus and resources toward this case and have by no means given up on making justice for Susie & the Wickersham family.
Mysteries abound, as I always say But the dead still speak from beyond the grave If you sit with them long enough and just listen
We don't know what happened between the fulfillment of her promise to return the family car and the day the unidentified woodcutter found her remains.
Maybe she got into the modified cab of someone who seemed at first trustworthy
Maybe she'd known them all her life or maybe they had the trappings of authority
Maybe she fought free and ran for the safety of the trees only to be gunned down
Maybe you have the investigative instincts and spiritual talent necessary to solve this case.
To all you Bloodhounds who travel the trail I say: good hunting
Here's a song released near the time of Susan Ann Wickersham’s disappearance. The title track from Jim Croce’s 1973 album I Got A Name
Right now on Member supported community radio, K B O O
Jim Croce to Annahstasia
[FOURTH SET] You're on 90.7FM Kay bee oh oh, Where we are in the midst of a membership pledge, so if you're ready to promote from listener to member just visit KBOO dot FM, click the red donate button and join the mission Thank you this show's called Oh Gee PeeOhGee, my name's Jeremy and we just heard A track titled Midas by a very human multimodal artist named Annahstasia. If you liked that one it may interest you to know that Annahstasia has a brand new album out and will be sharing her transportive vocal talents from the beautiful and intimate stage of The Old Church Concert Hall one week from tonight, June 22nd 2025 Let's recap: On tonight's show we heard wise words from singer songwriter Tearyn Berg And celebrated all you rad dads out there we learned that our preferred English word for Father derives from the reconstructed Proto Indo European word, Peh’ter, which means protector We wished some happy birthdays, honored the lives of Cascadians Ladis Kristof and Myron Berg and we heard a lot of good music along the way well I've enjoyed spending this time with you and as it draws again to a momentary close I want you to know that you are an important part of this community and I'm glad we're neighbors. If you'd like to learn more about what we heard or you just wanna have another listen you can go to kay bee oh oh dot org, select audio & media from the hamburger button then list of shows and scroll down to OhGeePeeOhGee which is written phonetically Papa Echo Echo Oscar Hotel Golf Echo Echo That's how ya spell PeeOhGee Going to see us out now with tracks by Portland's own Rose Gerber and Tutu Puoane but first, remember friends: Father's leave you just a little bit wild For within them too is a small feral child They show you the traps and also their scars And how to fight back And how to fix cars And where they strove And where they fell So listen close and listen well, my friend When to your ears they also lend The true story of guts and glory when they got up and tried again Until next time be well, do good
Tutu Puoane to Rose Gerber
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