205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM
Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 05/18/2018 - On Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office will oversee an additional multi-agency forensic search in connection to skeletal remains that were found in the fall of 2017 in the Manastash area of Kittitas County. DNA testing on the remains identified them to be those of Lindsey Baum, a 10-year-old girl last seen on June 26, 2009, in McCleary, WA, on her way home from a friend’s house.
Approximately 240 personnel consisting of volunteers and law enforcement officials are expected to assist in the large scale search, which covers approximately two square miles and is located roughly 20 miles west of Ellensburg. The search area is described as steep, heavily timbered with large cliffs and deep ravines. The Manastash recreation area, specifically FS Road 3100, will remain closed at Barber Springs and Buck Meadows through the weekend due to the search. The Sheriff’s Office will provide an update regarding the closure early next week. “We greatly appreciate the public’s cooperation and patience with the road and area closures,” Undersheriff Clay Myers said. “The preservation and discovery of evidence is of utmost importance in this case to increase the opportunity for a successful conclusion.” This weekend’s search will involve personnel from 17 counties across the state, including Kittitas, King, Chelan, Mason, Yakima, Spokane, Ferry, Whatcom, Snohomish, Klickitat, Pierce, Thurston, Cowlitz, Clark, Grays Harbor, Walla Walla and Clallam counties, and the Mountain Wave Search and Rescue team from the Portland, Oregon area. The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office is working in conjunction with the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Grays Harbor S.O. and the FBI continue to lead the investigation into Baum’s disappearance. Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to call the tip line at 360-964-1799, or email baumtips@co.grays-harbor.wa.us.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Clay Myers, Kittitas County Undersheriff509-925-8534