Missing McCleary girl’s remains found near Ellensburg

By Colleen West, KIRO 7 Digital Producer

Police confirm that Lindsey Baum’s remains were found about 20 miles west of Ellensburg in a remote area.

The remains were found in September 2017 by hunters, and Baum, who disappeared in 2009, was identified through a DNA match in the follow-up investigation.

Baum was 10 years old when she disappeared while walking home from a friend’s house in the small town of McCleary on the night of June 26, 2009. Her disappearance sparked a nationwide investigation.

Background of the case

Videos released in investigation

In May 2010, the Sheriff’s Office released surveillance video from a Shell gas station in McCleary showing a white truck as well as one of a man who went into the convenience store. It was recorded on the night of Baum’s disappearance. According to the Sky Valley Chronicle.

Police said the man was not a suspect, but they wanted to talk to him as well as the people in the truck, a white Honda Ridgeline, to find out if they saw anything that could help with the investigation.

In October 2011, several search warrants were served at the business, storage unit and home of a man who police said was a person of interest in the case. The man’s business was on the route Baum would have taken to get home the night she vanished.

In 2012, authorities released surveillance video from a McCleary minimart, also recorded on the night Baum disappeared. Sheriff Scott said they had the video since the start of the investigation, but didn’t want to release it until they could investigate further.

In the video, two women are seen in the market talking to the person of interest who had told police he was not in McCleary the night Baum disappeared, though the video showed otherwise. Police identified and interviewed the women, who turned out to be sisters from the McCleary area.

No arrests were made.

Age-progressed photo released in 2013

On June 26, 2013, four years to the day when Baum disappeared, an age-progressed photo done by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was released showing what Baum would look like at age 13. Baum’s mother, Melissa Baum, helped by contributing photos of herself and Lindsey’s father when they were roughly the same age.

Baum would now be 19.

In February 2014, the age-progressed photo was added to Gordon Trucking trailers as part of the Washington State Patrol’s Homeward Bound Program.

At that time, posters of Baum at age 10 had been traveling around the country on 10 Gordon Trucking trailers since 2010.

Police investigate connection to brothers in child porn investigation

Last summer, the sheriff’s office said it was investigating whether three Seattle brothers who police say collected child pornography for decades had any connection to the southwest Washington girl’s disappearance.

Police have not described any connection between Baum and the Seattle brothers.

The search extended to Shelton, about 30 minutes from McCleary, where the brothers also owned a property. The Emerys’ now-deceased brother remained in the Shelton home until 2016.

Shelton property owned by brothers searched last year

Sheriff Rick Scott confirmed to KIRO 7 News that a flier about Baum was found in the Shelton home. The property was searched with cadaver dogs and help from the Department of Homeland Security.

“When we heard of the link to the Shelton property, and its proximity to McCleary, and the nature of the paper work they found at the [Seattle home] … We immediately began to see if there’s anything that would link to our investigation,” Scott told KIRO 7 News last August.

So far, no known connection between the brothers and the disappearance of Baum has been found.

There was a $35,000 reward to find Baum.

KIRO 7 Executive Producer Casey McNerthney contributed to this report.

Police confirm location of Lindsey Baum’s remains

On May 12, the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Lindsey Baum’s body was found in Kittitas County.

Kittitas County Under Sheriff Clay Myers said a multi-agency area search was inducted Saturday in a “steep, heavily timbered with large cliffs and deep ravines,” location about 20 miles west of Ellensburg.

22 K9 teams from across the state assisted in the search, Myers said.

The Gray’s Harbor S.O. and the FBI continue to lead the investigation into Baum’s disappearance.

“It’s humbling to see the level of support for this case. These search teams and investigators are among the best there are and they understand the relevance to the investigation, the family and the community. To watch the work, you would never guess the come from over 10 different agencies,” Myers said.