Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The Unsolved Murder of Dorothy Walker
COLFAX — Locals of the area may be familiar with a haunting unsolved murder that rocked the county in 1980 just two blocks from the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office.
Dorothy Walker was 65 years old and lived in Apt# 304 at Wheatland Arms Condominium, 203 N Mill St.
On April 16, 1980, at 10:30 a.m., her sister found Dorothy’s body lying in a pool of blood on the floor in the bathroom.
Her sister reported arriving at the apartment because the two were going to Walla Walla together to scout out lodging and restaurants for the “Daughters of Rebekah” conference.
Officers with Colfax PD were the first to respond. Whitman County Sheriff’s Office (WSCO) and the County Coroner, who was Prosecuting Attorney Rob Carpenter at the time, responded to assist. WSCO ended up taking over as the primary investigating agency.
The investigators determined that Dorothy was a victim of homicidal violence due to blunt force trauma (compression skull fracture). Coroner and pathology reports indicate she was struck approximately five times with an object in the back of the head. The weapon was never found, and it was never determined what kind of object it was.
No immediate suspects or leads were named. Dorothy was described as a quiet, kind, and meticulous woman. She lived alone, and her elderly husband, Orve, was in a nursing home and was entirely dependent on care.
They had been married since 1941 and had no children of their own. Orve had two children from a previous relationship. He was a farmer by trade and owned approximately 400 acres included in the estate.
He passed away one month after Dorothy was murdered.
Investigators did not locate anything of value missing from the apartment, and there was no sign of forced entry.
Family members described how Dorothy’s door didn’t lock or latch completely shut. She told them she used the chain to lock the door at night.
Investigators spoke to one of Dorothy’s neighbors, Freida Klavano, who lived in Apt #104. Frieda knew Dorothy, and they occasionally played cards together. Frieda saw Dorothy on the evening of her death. She saw Dorothy park her car and go into the apartment.
Another neighbor, Vera Brannon, reported seeing Dorothy in good health parking her car around 6:30 p.m.
The neighbor directly under Dorothy’s apartment was interviewed and said they had heard a thud coming from the bathroom in Dorothy’s apartment above.
They thought it was a tool being dropped, possibly a wrench. The neighbor also thought they heard a crying sound for a few minutes after hearing the thud sound at 9 p.m.
Evidence was collected from the scene. Some of the bloodstained evidence was discarded or washed by Colfax PD.
During the investigation, it was found that Dorothy and Orve had financially supported various family members over the years. There were rumors that Dorothy informed a family member that they had already received everything regarding the inheritance and wouldn’t get anything else after Orve died. More rumors surfaced that the living trust started by Orve and Dorothy was a “generation-skipping” trust.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) requested a behavioral analysis of the potential suspect. The FBI responded with a criminal behavior profile of the unknown suspect.
FBI Special Agent John Douglas believed the suspect was closely acquainted with Dorothy.
He writes, “The severity of the blows to the head indicated this close relationship and what they call an ‘overkill’ effect. This indicated anger and rage.”
The crime scene did not indicate that the purposes of the assault were sexually motivated or to gain some property or money from Dorothy.
Dorothy allowed the suspect into her apartment.
Socially, the suspect will be from a similar background as Dorothy. They would be high school-educated, upper-lower, or lower-middle class. They would also be under great stress at the time of the crime. This stress could have been caused by unemployment, illness, marital separation or divorce, monetary difficulties, or other issues.
“They would be quiet and somewhat of a loner,” the report continues, “however when they are under the influence of alcohol, they are explosive in dealing with people.
The FBI report also stated that the suspect would be overly helpful in the investigation to cover their involvement with a facade.
Nine suspects were named, and six took a polygraph. Three suspects refused to take a polygraph, and one failed the polygraph.
The suspect that failed the polygraph was a close relative of Dorothy and admitted to having been within a block of her apartment the night she was murdered. That suspect died in 2018.
If you have any information about the unsolved murder of Dorothy Walker, contact the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office at 509-397-6266.
Olivia Harnack is a Journalist at the Whitman County Gazette. Olivia is enrolled at University of Idaho and is majoring in digital film studies. She serves in the United States Army National Guard and is proud to serve Whitman County.
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