Water? Sand? Gravel?
Mike Masterson

Posted on Saturday, November 6, 2004

Olivia Jane Ward’s lifeless body and clothing were wet and sprinkled with sand, twigs and small grains of gravel. Some debris was even trapped inside the waist of her underpants, according to the first EMT to arrive at the scene on Sept. 9, 1989. Velma "Cathy" Beason, who in the 1990s moved from Marshall, said she was a nurse and emergency medical technician when she and her ex-husband were summoned to a bank parking lot less than a block from the Pruitt Ambulance Service they were managing. She told me she learned of Janie’s death when John Childers, then a parttime driver for the family ambulance service and EMT wannabe, came to the door with others and said help was needed.

At 3:45 a.m., an Arkansas State Police investigator, Sgt. Bill Beach, took Childers’ formal statement at the Searcy County sheriff’s office. I wonder today why authorities never interviewed firstresponder Beason and the second EMT on the scene, Sheryl Pruitt.

Beason told me she hurried the halfblock to the truck as her former husband, J. D., went for the ambulance. She found the 16-year-old high school junior lying on her right side in the bed of a pickup belonging to Ron Rose.

Rose and Kim Woody, both of Marshall, had taken Janie to the late-afternoon party at a cabin three miles outside of town. The version accepted by authorities is that Janie died after falling backward off a 9 1 / 2 -inch porch step onto dry ground during the party.

After an initial autopsy that documented her fractured spinal column, the state ruled the manner of Janie’s death "undetermined." Following an exhumation and second autopsy last month, a board-certified forensic pathologist from San Diego, Calif., concluded that her death was a homicide caused by blunt force trauma that fractured both her neck and nose.

Rolling Janie onto her back on the truck’s tailgate, Beason told me, she couldn’t find a vital sign. Working over the girl, who was clad in a Def Leppard T-shirt, which her parents later said they had never seen before, denim pants and tennis shoes, Beason said she could smell only the sweet fragrance of Janie’s perfume. "I asked the kids standing around me, ‘How long has she been like this? ’" said Beason. "There was just silence, so I asked them again even louder. Still, no one said a word. Finally, I shouted, ‘ Gosh dammit, how long has she been like this?’

" Finally, someone said, ‘For 30 or 45 minutes.’ And I repeated, ‘Just like this for 30 or 45 minutes?’ —meaning deadand the response was ‘Yeah.’ "

Later, Beason said, she overheard someone say they had been driving around trying to figure out what to do.

Beason said she was soon joined at the scene by Pruitt, also an EMT and nurse.

" I asked Sheryl to contact police and the coroner, "said Beason. By that time, she added, the parking lot was filling up with kids. Beason said she finally had to instruct everyone to stand back and give them some privacy.

When Kenneth Griggs, then the sheriff, showed up, she continued," We rolled her over and I noticed some abrasions on her face. The thing that struck me most was the sand in her wet hair, along with gravel, leaves, twigs and beggar lice. "

The most sand and small gravel to be found around Marshall is at a beach area along the Buffalo River about four miles from where the party was held.

Beason said she could not detect by feeling that Janie’s neck was fractured. But she did notice that the girl’s lips were blue and there were abrasions beneath one eye, on her forehead and chin.

" Her clothes were damp except for the inside of her pants legs, which seemed unusual to me, "said Beason, adding that she" thought that was a little odd. "

Although she was uncertain of the exact time, Beason said it was definitely past dark. Rose’s truck was parked beneath a street lamp that provided enough light to see. Two death certificates for Janie claim she died at 8:45 p.m. in the bank parking lot. Coroner Thomas Martin’s incomplete report says he was at the scene by 8:30 p.m.

Janie’s parents, Ron and Mona Ward, and many others believe Janie died earlier that evening—and far from that parking lot. Witnesses’ statements about her alleged fall are a hodge-podge of contradictions. But it is certain that there was no sand, gravel or even running water at the house where the party was held.

Beason’s ex-husband carried Janie’s body to the local Coffman Funeral Home.

" Sheryl and I went back to the ambulance service together and filled out the report, "Beason said." I imagine Janie’s body arrived at the funeral home sometime around 9 that night, but I don’t know for certain. "

The Arkansas Division of Emergency Medical Services could not produce the ambulance run report because I could not provide its official number. But that did not alter Beason’s memory.

" It’s time to find out what happened, "she said." This has bothered me from the very first. "

Mike Masterson is an award-winning Arkansas journalist.

Bump !

Truthseeker,

  I am so sorry that you too have suffered an injustice in your attempt to seek justice. Tell us  your sister's story. We'd all like to hear it, and maybe there is something we can do to help you.

 Granny

I have been researching the case of Janie and I called Dr. Bonnell's office to request the transcript of Janie's autopsy. He is out of the country until October 31. I suspect he isn't going to be too happy when he comes back to find his work being examined.

I hope that I can be of some assistance in this truely tragic case. I certainly intend to try. If anyone has case information to pass along,please PM me here at the discussion board or email me at annarocket@hotmail.com   Thanks and have a great day!

RIP Janie Ward Forever Loved and Missed   

I am truly sorry for there loss, and my thoughts and prayers go out to them, ther has got to be something that someone can do this precious child deserves to rest in peace,it may sound stupid but maybe court tv can pick this story up, maybe the show that comes on cable cold case files (I THINK)!!  IF THEY WERE CONTACTED IT COULD BE A POSSIBILITY,IT IS ALWAYSsad when there is no honor left in our judical system, and sad when we have corrupt people in our system, the old saying goes god don't like ugly and he ain't to crazy about beauty..

I really wanted to do this story but for some reason,every time I tried to obtain medical records [autopsy reports] police records and statements from friends or family I got shut down. I had to give it up,I have a thousand people screaming at me a day about this case that case and the other one.

Very very sad situation.I truely hope justice will be done for this poor young woman who had so much promise in her life.

RIP Janie Ward     

sarah jeems patterson pounders is now 33 years old living in the fayettville, arkansas area. she is a interiors designer 
if you go interiors decorating and look the business her picture is on the sight. i think this information is correct but i not for sure. her father jerry patterson is still in sercy county, marshall, arkansas as a judge and attorney... imagine that... i can't see how she could rest at night or live a life knowing janie ward is resting peaceful thanks to her and her friends involved in her death........ God will answer Prays...

Hi there,annarocket your friendly neighborhood moderator at large.

I'm so sorry I had to edit your post but putting someone's name,adress of business and phone number is a HUGE liability fot the website and could open us up to possible litigatigation.Please refrain from posting addresses and phone numbers of people without their permission.Any further posts like this will be deleted completely,not just edited.I understand your frustration,at one point I tried to look into this case as well and met with much resistance.Good look with your cause. We now return you to your Justice Junction experiance already in progress. 

RIP Janie Ward

-- Edited by annarocket at 09:42, 2007-02-25

Parents seek second opinions in death rulings

By Chris Welch
CNN

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- Four years ago, Roger and Jane Hargens were told that their 24-year-old son, Ryan, was dead. It was a gunshot wound to the head, and it was a suicide; at least that's how it was originally labeled.

It didn't fit, Roger Hargens thought, recalling the last time he spoke with his son. It was on the phone, just hours before police say Ryan Hargens died. He seemed fine.

"We had a good conversation and ended it like we always did. I told him, 'I love you, son,' and he said, 'I love you, too, Dad," Hargens said, adding that he knew Ryan had later gone out with work friends to celebrate a good month at work.

Ryan Hargens lived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and worked at Wells Fargo Bank. He was planning to move back to Iowa to be near his parents, who live in Johnston, just outside Des Moines.

"Everything up to that point was normal," Jane Hargens said.

So normal, in fact, that they weren't willing to accept it when police said Ryan may have killed himself. They think it was a homicide.

The couple hired private investigators and a criminologist and even made the painful decision to have Ryan's body exhumed. They said they've come up with more than enough evidence to persuade the proper authorities of foul play.

Although the Hargenses hired their own experts, there are other options for families who want a second opinion when a son or daughter dies under questionable circumstances, said Nancy Ruhe, executive director of the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children.

Ruhe says that in cases in which a death is labeled a suicide but the family believes otherwise, her group offers what it calls a Second Opinion Service.

"Parents know their children," Ruhe said. "So when a family has a suspicion that the police are wrong, we take that very seriously."

The Hargenses have not taken advantage of the SOS program. But their criminologist, John Cayton, contends that the ballistics of a suicide don't match up. The Hargenses and their experts say there was no evidence of blood on the gun, which would be typical of a suicide.

Upon reviewing their findings in summer 2007, the county coroner changed the ruling from suicide to "undetermined." But the Hargenses said that wasn't good enough.

They made numerous requests to the Sioux Falls Police Department for more evidence pointing to the suicide ruling and asking to reopen the case. They said they were told they'd never see anything else.

"The cooperation has been difficult," Roger Hargens said, "especially when you're asking politely and kindly. And, yes, we're grieving parents, but we're asking in the polite way, in writing and on the phone, for information, because nothing makes any sense in this case on our son."

Sioux Falls Police Department spokesman Sam Clemens said that if any credible leads surface, regardless of who brings it to his attention, police will investigate further.

In a statement on the police department's Web site, the office asserts that the state attorney general, the state's division of criminal investigation, the state's homicide unit and the FBI have all done reviews.

"The FBI has reviewed this case twice at the request of the Hargens family and is in the process of completing a third review," the statement reads. "Each of these law enforcement entities, after their independent review, has concluded that nothing is inconsistent with Ryan Hargens committing suicide."

On February 4, the fourth anniversary of Ryan's burial, the Hargenses told their story to the media for the first time, pleading for support for their next move: asking South Dakota's U.S. attorney to convene a federal grand jury to examine the facts of the case.

"Our goal is to get justice for Ryan and to make sure it doesn't happen to anybody else," Roger Hargens said.

"People have gotten away with it, and Roger and I are not going to stand for it," Jane Hargens added.

Emotionally, the Hargens family is drained. But they say they'll keep fighting. They've placed ads in newspapers and are offering reward money.

"It's four long years and a mountain of evidence. We have five big boxes of facts, evidence, investigative reports, that are all pertinent to this case," Roger Hargens said. "This is what needs to go in front of a federal grand jury. They can solve this very quickly to get to the truth and get justice for our son, Ryan. We feel there's killers walking the streets."

Ruhe said that for a fee, the SOS program will do for other families what the Hargenses did for themselves.

SOS will hire independent forensic pathologists, firearms experts and legal experts to investigate even further, Ruhe said. She estimated that 40 percent of the cases that come to her group for a second opinion are thought to be a homicide rather than a suicide after expert analysis.

Even when the research turns up nothing new and experts still label it a suicide, it still helps families, because they can know why, Ruhe added.

"Most police departments and medical examiners' offices, they don't explain that," she said. "They just rule it suicide. So you have all these unanswered questions."

Beth Warnock, program coordinator for the Second Opinion Service, said more people are giving cases a second look as the service gains a reputation through its Web site and word of mouth.

"At the very beginning, we got maybe three or four a year," she said. "Then it progressed to maybe six or 10 a year. And I think the real interest was when the Web site started ... because now we probably get over a hundred a year."

Ron Ward of Marshall, Arkansas, knows about fighting for answers. It's been almost 20 years since his 16-year-old daughter, Janie, died. Her death was labeled "undetermined."

"It's taken a lot of happiness from us," Ward said. "I mean, we've not been able to have any sort of closure."

Janie had fallen off a step less than a foot high at a party, and he and his wife, Mona, are convinced there was foul play involved.

After 15 years of asking the police for another autopsy, the Ward family decided to have an independent autopsy done in 2004 though the help of the SOS program. A forensic pathologist concluded that Janie had a broken nose, a black eye, bruises inside her neck and a blow to her face that fractured her neck.

"This don't fit in with no backwards fall off of a porch," Ward said.

In 2005, a special prosecutor appointed by the state conducted a third autopsy and, Ward said, declared that it was not a homicide and that there was no soft-tissue damage to Janie's face. Ward believes that the prosecutor wasn't telling the whole truth.

Ward added that he has yet to see the special prosecutor's file from his analysis, and he said he awaits a ruling from a district judge as to whether her death could be labeled a homicide.

"We can't turn the page and walk away, because that was our daughter, and we want to know what happened to our daughter," he said. "It's very frustrating. We live with it day in and day out."

"We'd like to say, 'Well, we know what happened to our daughter now' and try to heal and get on with life. We can't do that, because we've got to pursue justice for our child."

Ward says the only people who can truly identify with him are other who've lost a child, like the Hargens family.

"It's hard," Ward said. "Unless someone experiences something like this, they can't possibly conceive or understand the overwhelming desire to know the truth."

He values the help he receives from PMOC.

"They're a great support group. You can identify with people who experience things that you have, the loss of a loved one," Ward said. "Until you've dealt with it, it's just hard to explain."

The Hargenses know they could still have a long road ahead of them.

"This isn't just grieving parents," Roger Hargens said. "Of course, we'll always be grieving. When you lose your son and a great, great kid, you know, you never get over that."

And Ron Ward hopes the Hargenses get answers quicker than he has.

"I would not want anybody to go through this, what we have suffered through these last 20 years."

And now, both families wait -- one for a possible grand jury and one for a judge's decision.