Have you heard about the 16 year old unsolved death of a then 16 year old girl Olivia Jane Ward ? She was fondly known as Janie by those that love and misss her.

Her death occured September 9th, 1989 in Marshall Arkansas, in Searcy County, population 7,841.

A major cover-up began that night and has continued since that time.

Thank you for the welcome. This is my first time on a board like this. So, bear with me.

I will share the information with you.

Miz G

Hi, Miz G No I have never heard of this unsolved death. Welcome!

QCL

 annarocket - thank you for your concern and prayers for this family. They have suffered so much, for so long. Not only because of the loss of their precious Daughter, but having to fight  the "deep pockets" of the State of Arkansas. A Major "cover-up" began the night of Janie's brutal death, in a County of 7,841 people. It continued to Faulker County where the office of the Prosecuting Attorney [H.G. Foster] was based. Then on to [Little Rock] Pulaski County and the Arkansas Crime Lab. This story is almost like a fictional murder mystery. Unfortunately it is a True Story and this Family have been living it for 16 years, and 33 days.

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Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Saturday, September 17, 2005

Mike Masterson

Ron and Mona Ward of Marshall,  whose 16-year-old daughter Janie died at a teen-age party outside that mountain community in 1989, say they are reaching the end of their rope financially and emotionally. "We have tried all we know to do," Ward said. "And we keep fighting to gain justice for our daughter. But we also are hurting in so many ways, including financially. The burdens on us are becoming crushing." Ward is a licensed bail bondsman in Searcy County. Lately, the court there hasn’t been giving him enough business to support a family. Since January, Ward has earned less than $2,000. The Wards placed their hopes in Special Prosecutor Tim Williamson of Mena, but they say that for weeks he has not responded to their inquiries about his supposed investigation into Janie’s death. Nor, they say, has he responded to their attorney’s questions about the case. He hasn’t responded to my questions, e-mailed to him over the past two months, either.

Meanwhile, the family’s expenses have continued to mount, including the thousands of dollars it has cost them to retain any voice whatsoever within the state’s legal system. I find myself wondering if this is how the Arkansas system of justice is supposed to operate for parents of slain children.

These parents of a girl who a boardcertified pathologist has determined was killed by blunt-force trauma to her head had to turn to a private lawyer for justice when the state refused for 16 years to act aggressively in determining the circumstances of Janie’s death. Makes me wonder how those responsible for this "justice" system would feel had this vibrant young girl been their child.

At any rate, valued readers, the Wards now have reached out through the national organization called Parents of Murdered Children in a desperate attempt to stay afloat in hopes of attracting the attention and support of John Gillis, who heads the U.S. Office of Victims of Crime in Washington.

Here, in part, is what Ward wrote in an appeal to Gillis that alleges a crime, a resulting cover-up and a sustained "wall of silence." "Mr. Gillis, we are asking for your help. We live here in Searcy County, Ark. Sixteen year ago this Sept. 9, our 16-year-old daughter, Olivia Jane Ward, was murdered at a school class party held deep in the backwoods at a rural cabin. Party-goers claim Janie fell backwards from a porch less than 10 inches high, killing her. This did not account for the broken nose and other trauma found on her face and body. For these many years we have pursued justice for her. The perpetrators... have been protected in a cover-up all these years....

" We have repeatedly asked the state for an investigation. Richard Walter of the Vidocq Society came to Arkansas twice in 2001 to assist in opening an investigation into Janie’s death. He found a wall of silence from officials and the state police. "With no help from the local DA or state officials, in October 2004 our attorney got an exhumation order signed by a circuit judge. Janie’s body was exhumed and given an autopsy by Dr. Harry Bonnell at the UAMS lab in Little Rock. Dr. Bonnell’s findings [were that] the cause of Janie’s death was blunt force trauma to her face. The manner: homicide.

" No state official chose to be present to witness Dr. Bonnell’s autopsy. His only witness, UAMS lab tech and assistant pathologist Kenny Parks, was murdered July 30, 2005. Arkansas state officials are opposing changing Janie’s death certificate to reflect Dr. Bonnell’s findings. "The special prosecutor that was appointed December 2004 to investigate Janie’s death has done nothing. To our knowledge, not a single witness has been questioned. He will not even return our phone calls or answer an e-mail to us." Mr. Gillis, we appeal to you to please contact the Justice Department in this matter. We find ourselves in a desperate situation here pursuing justice for our daughter. " If you’d like to help (or continue helping) the Ward family sustain their spirit and strength in the struggle to see justice done for Janie, account No. 93002194 was established in Janie Ward’s name at the First Team Bank, Box 398, Marshall AR 72650. If our justice system is so steadfastly resolute on failing this family, perhaps the many good people of Arkansas and their churches can express their feelings by helping the Wards to survive this shameful ordeal.

—–––––• –––––—Staff columnist Mike Masterson is the former editor of three Arkansas daily newspapers.

Very true annarocket. The corruption began in Searcy County, and moved on to the elected officials in Little Rock, the Capital of Arkansas. Unfortunately, it is still going on.

Janie Ward's Father, while standing by her Coffin, promised he would find who killed her, and have them brought to Justice. Can you imagine having your Child's body exhumed ? Having a second autopsy ? The Ward's did that. They had Dr. Harry Bonnell, a well known Board-Certified California Forensic Pathologist come to AR to do the second autopsy. They were refused use of the Crime Lab. Would not allow a Staff member to witness the autopsy.

The autopsy took place at the University of AR Medical School. Kenny Parks, an employee of that lab witnessed the autopsy. This past Summer, Kenny Parks was murdered, near his home.

Incidently, Dr. Bonnell did not charge for doing the autopsy. The Ward Family paid his travel expenses. They also paid for the exhumation. This was all at NO cost to the State of AR, and they would not cooperate !

Following is a great Editorial from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette September 8, 2005

IT’S BEEN more than eight months since a special prosecutor was named to look into the suspicious circumstances of a Marshall teenager’s death in 1989. Tim Williamson, the prosecutor from Mena, agreed to take on the difficult job. When he did, he pledged to get to the truth of what happened to Janie Ward. He even met with her long-suffering parents, held hands and prayed with them. Their prayer? That the truth of their daughter’s death would finally be revealed. Mr. Williamson told them he would investigate their daughter’s death as a homicide.

A lot of time has passed since Janie Ward’s death. There were many discrepancies in the original investigation. Evidence has been lost or mishandled. The original autopsy results seem ludicrously inaccurate. There’s a lot of misinformation out there that would need to be sorted out if the truth is to be found.

But eight months is plenty of time to make at least a dent in this mysterious case. But based on the silence that has descended over the prosecution of the case, there’s been little—if any—progress. Tim Williamson long ago stopped responding to Ron and Mona Ward. As a result, they’ve lost faith in the prosecutor.

Mike Masterson, our columnist who has written about so many of the discrepancies in the investigation of this case, is now also out of Mr. Williamson’s information loop. Columnist Masterson has been unable to determine if a single witness to Janie Ward’s death has been interviewed, or even contacted.

Hopes of getting the truth out have soured in the last eight months. This case has been strange from the beginning and now the investigation is as well. So far it’s produced mainly an uneasy silence. The most notable development, or nondevelopment, came a couple of months ago when Tim Williamson’s investigator in the case—Paul Bosson—wrote an angry letter to the editor, saying Mike Masterson didn’t know what he was talking about and, basically, should just sit down and shut up.

But all that outburst did was highlight the conflict of interest on the part of Mr. Bosson. He’s not only doing the investigation for Tim Willliamson, he’s also a member of the state Crime Laboratory Board. That’s the board that has opposed reclassifying Janie Ward’s death from undetermined to homicide. As a result, the crime lab is a defendant in a court petition filed by the Wards.

With the exception of his letter to the editor, Paul Bosson has been silent, too, especially in regard to his own conflict of interest in the case. The conflict is clear enough that the Wards want him removed from the investigation. But he’s staying on because—surprise—he says the Crime Lab board sees no conflict of interest. Yep, the same board whose actions, or non-actions, inspired the petition from the Wards.

Earlier this summer, Governor Mike Huckabee released $10,000 in state money to pay for the investigation into Janie Ward’s death. It’s now been two months since that announcement. It seems like a good time to begin asking for an accounting. Maybe the Guv can get some answers out of this special prosecutor—or at least get him to respond to his phone calls.

It’s not necessary to review again the many questionable details about the Janie Ward case. They’ve been reviewed in Mike Masterson’s columns and in occasional editorials month after month. Readers following the case are familiar with them already. And they continue to write letters to the editor. Not to complain about those who are asking questions, but to ask questions themselves: Why isn’t more being done to find out the truth about this case? And what in the world could possibly be taking so long?

The Janie Ward case has been a stain on the state of Arkansas from the start. There’s far too much evidence of bungling in high places, and the stain will not go away until an aggressive investigation gets to the truth of what happened to Janie Ward. The whole truth. But at the pace of the current investigation, Arkansas—and Janie Ward’s parents—will have to go on waiting for a long, long time. Like indefinitely. That would be intolerable.

KansasGranny - You wrote - "Wow MizG everything about this case wreaks of cover-up, but the above quote from your post literally spells it out." That quote was - "The autopsy took place at the University of AR Medical School. Kenny Parks, an employee of that lab witnessed the autopsy. This past Summer, Kenny Parks was murdered, near his home." I totally agree, about the cover-up. It is deeper than anyone can imagine. Following is the article Mike Masterson wrote about Kenny Parks, it has additional details, that may be of interest to you.
August 7, 2005 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Ward witness murdered

Mike Masterson

The pathology technician and supervisor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences who assisted Dr. Harry J. Bonnell last October during the California pathologist’s re-autopsy on the body of Marshall’s Janie Ward was murdered last Saturday outside a neighbor’s home. Police said Kenneth Morice Parks Sr., the sole medical witness to the postmortem by which Bonnell determined that 16-year-old Janie’s death in 1989 was a homicide from blunt-force trauma, was the victim of a mysterious crime last Saturday in which two black men invaded his neighbor’s Southwest Little Rock home, then shot him in the head after he and his wife responded to their young daughter’s call for help. Reportedly, earlier that evening the same gunmen had stopped by the house where Parks’ daughter would be playing pool later that night with six other kids ages 10 to 14 and asked who was in the house. Both men returned around 1:20 a.m. and burst through the door in a reported effort to rob the house. They rounded up all the kids, except for Parks’ 13-year-old daughter, who police said hid in a closet and called her parents from a cell phone. The 45-year-old Parks and his wife went next door from their home at 3 Sandhurst Circle and knocked on the neighbor’s door. One of the gunmen then shot him in the head as they fled with a small amount of money and jewelry. "This doesn’t make any sense," Sgt. Terry Hastings, a Little Rock police spokesman, said during the investigation later Saturday. No kidding, Sgt. Hastings. Talk about another bizarre development in the Ward case for our state’s criminal justice system. Man, oh, man, this one takes the cake.

Anyone else out there find Parks’ baffling murder as disturbing as I do? Anyone else reading this believe the odds of a home invasion and subsequent murder of a key witness in this case at this time are so remote as to be infinitesimal? I mean, how many residential murders at the hands of intruders (who first case that particular house) has our entire state had over the past decade?

Can I tell you without question that Ken Parks’ murder was related to his involvement with Bonnell and the Ward case? No, of course I can’t. A lot of loose ends would have to fit. But someone sure needs to be finding a truthful answer to that question when even Little Rock police are saying this crime makes no sense and they have no clues.

Bonnell told me that Parks was assigned by UAMS to assist him with routine autopsy matters in the Ward exhumation and second autopsy. "He handed me instruments and helped position her body," said Bonnell. But then, the forensic pathologist revealed something else to me about Parks that also seems relevant to the Ward case. "During the autopsy on Janie Ward, Mr. Parks told me he previously had worked with Dr. [Fahmy] Malak at the medical examiner’s office back when the physical conditions and resources there were especially bad," said Bonnell. "He didn’t mention if he had been connected in any way with her original autopsy, so I don’t know that." But Parks apparently had professional connections with Malak, whose initial autopsy on a potential murder victim was stunningly incomplete. But even Malak said Janie’s death needed "more investigation." If nothing else, Parks’ mysterious murder does underscore what I have been saying since last October. There is far more than has ever met the eye in this disgraceful case. The suspicious circumstances surrounding it cry out for a federal grand jury probe of everyone involved in either witnessing or investigating Janie’s death. Truth be known, the state has done nothing but "turtle up" in this case. And it needs a deep and thorough purging by a committed and impartial body led by a determined prosecutor who has no friends to favor or axes to grind. While we are pondering in unison over this, is anyone else also wondering what is up with Special Prosecutor Tim Williamson’s ongoing criminal "investigation" into this case, the investigation to which our governor has contributed $10,000 and which now is heading into its eighth month with not a single witness that I can find having been interviewed?

—––––– •–––––—Staff columnist Mike Masterson is the former editor of three Arkansas daily newspapers.

Another touching article by Mike Masterson -

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette August 21, 2005

As invited guests at the conference, where hundreds with similar heartbreaks had come for three days, the Wards finally found themselves among others who had plumbed the depths of sustained agony. They were the other mothers and fathers, as well as grandparents, who cared enough to listen to them. Like this simple Arkansas family, these people had paid the highest dues life can extract, the anguish that provided license to offer comment and advice.

Only these people could understand the pledge Ron Ward had made over Janie’s casket to seek and find justice for her death, a justice the state of Arkansas for so many years has failed to secure.

And after the father had spoken at the podium, these 500 or so people from every state stood in unison to applaud the family and their determined crusade.

Now here they were, all gathered around banquet tables in the darkened and packed room, watching the faces of their slain loved ones being projected into the room, lost lives dissolving and meshing one into another as the number of lighted roses swelled and the sounds of grief became audible. Mona Ward said the service was moving and perhaps somewhat cathartic for her and her husband. But it also was deeply painful for her, watching and understanding all the suffering that surrounded her in little lights. When you think about such horror, my friends, it does not, it cannot possibly get any more painful in this brief lifetime we share than to lose a beloved child to murder. And if that murder is never resolved, if it is left to linger year after year, and if those responsible for securing truth and justice in society fail miserably in their jobs, all of which has happened in Janie’s case, then that parental grief is only magnified. And so Mona watched and identified and listened to the soft background music in that enormous room filled with these images of the dead who seemingly yesterday were here. And when her daughter’s photograph appeared, she flipped on her light and stared into the smooth, smiling face of the child she had birthed and loved dearly. As did the others around her, she wept softly and wondered why their little girl had to depart so violently and senselessly. Then, after bidding yet another farewell to her daughter 15 years later, Mona and Ron rose and walked slowly out of the room. They had endured all that they could possibly bear for the moment.

—––––– •–––––—Staff columnist Mike Masterson is the former editor of three Arkansas daily newspapers.

In fact, no state or federal authority has yet displayed the will to resolve Janie’s case because of who was involved in her death and the grimy politics that sidetracked any genuine investigation from the first hours. For the Ward family of Marshall, this gross miscarriage has represented our state’s "criminal injustice system." "When you read the real facts as reported," said Walter, "there are issues in the statements and reports that don’t add up to anything other than homicide." To him, Janie’s case also involves the "treacherousness of stupidity compounded by people... who want to shut it down."

Walter believes that it’s always been possible to resolve Janie’s homicide, "but first you have to have the will to solve it. Officials probably have the ability, but the will was missing." He said he would return to assist only if he’s invited and after "all the politics" are removed.

During both of his visits, he said, he believed that local officials and others within the Arkansas State Police and state Crime Laboratory were eager to buy the preposterous contention that Janie died after falling off a porch step less than 10 inches high. "People become invested in opinions," he said. "I’m not sure this started out to be a cabal of cover-up, but sometimes, like a tumbleweed, it can just grow."

He made his trips to Arkansas largely at the Pennsylvania society’s expense. This same group has been invited and welcomed into stalled investigations in many states over the years. It is named after Eugene François Vidocq, a renown 18 th century French convict turned exemplary police investigator after whom Victor Hugo fashioned two characters in his novel, "Les Miserables."

Its volunteer members, who meet monthly over dinner to vote on and review cases in a historic Philadelphia hall, are highly regarded experts in various aspects of researching unsolved crimes. The non-profit society has helped solve numerous murders with local authorities who seek their assistance. The Vidocq Society voted to become involved in Janie’s case after the Ward family, supported by the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children, requested the group’s assistance in 2001.

Walter specializes in crime scene analysis and assessment. He said he found himself angrily confronted by a pathologist from the Arkansas medical examiner’s office when he raised Janie’s death in casual conversation at a conference several years ago.

Apparently, the argumentative pathologist was forcefully defending our state’s official version of Janie’s death from a porch stumble (or perhaps from an irregular heartbeat, as the state’s current chief medical examiner, Dr. Charles Kokes, has suggested). Walter said of that unexpectedly rude confrontation: "Denial is not a river in Egypt."

Walter’s visits came two years before Dr. Harry J. Bonnell of San Diego exhumed Janie’s body and performed his own autopsy. Bonnell found precisely the same injuries that several eyewitnesses described at the scene. He also took X-rays of the girl’s fractured neck (not described in her original autopsy) and concluded that her death was a homicide from blunt-force trauma. Today, the investigation and resolution of the disgraceful case rests solely with 18 th Judicial District Prosecutor Tim Williamson of Mena and his deputy, Paul Bosson of Hot Springs, a retired prosecutor who’s also on the state Crime Lab board. The Ward family and many others across the state have placed their faith in Williamson to bring this chronic infection to a head. Will he? Williamson and Bosson surely would never remotely consider succumbing to the same political derailing maneuvers that have plagued this case. Surely they will find the courage to finally do the right thing by Janie Ward. I know our state is patiently watching, as are Walter and his society.

—–––––•–––––—Staff columnist Mike Masterson is the former editor of three Arkansas daily newspapers.