PENINSULA After a private meeting with Guy Nichols widow, Sheriff Scott Johnson has decided to review the case file pertaining to her husband.

    I thought this case could have been solved long ago, Sheriff Scott Johnson said. I will personally review the case but it is going to take some time. Hopefully, the article will create some new leads.

    What happened to Guy Nichols is one of the most perplexing and unsolved cases that has occurred on the north end of the Long Beach Peninsula.

    Theories still abound among the 27 people questioned during the investigation friends and relatives included. Due to the fact that no one was criminally charged during the investigation, no mention of suspects names will be mentioned here, in an effort to protect the innocent.

    Pacific County Sheriffs Office case No. 05-6341 was opened on Sept. 6, 2005, and closed in October 2010, totaling 200-plus pages. Thats how it will stay, unless new evidence is forthcoming that would warrant reopening of the case.

No closure for widow

    But there is no closure for Jean, Guys widow, because there are so many unanswered questions, along with possible deceptions and lies.

    After receiving the case file last year, she has appealed to senators, representatives and Gov. Christine Gregoire for help in clarifying crucial details about her husbands demise.

    In June 2009, the governor wrote to Jean, I am sorry to hear about the unexplained disappearance of your husband, unfortunately, I have no jurisdiction over county sheriffs offices. Your description of events lead one to believe that fast enough appropriate action may not have occurred in this investigation. I urge you to contact your county commissioners with a written complaint to the sheriffs office.

    The mystery begins with the filing of a Missing Person Report by Jean on Sept. 6, 2005, after Guy failed to return home at the expected time. Guy was last seen by neighbors at approximately 8 p.m. as he was leaving his home in his 1975 Ford pick-up truck with his little dog Stewart, for a run to the store for beer. He never returned.

    That night, Jean had been serving as a caregiver for an elderly man and was not home when Guy left. She returned at 9:15 p.m. and discovered his absence.

    Jean talked to both neighbors, who confirmed Guy left the house and at that time there was nothing to cause concern. Jean then started checking places where Guy might have gone, but could not locate him. She returned home and called friends and relatives, but still could not locate him.

    In the Missing Persons Report taken by then-Deputy Larry Clark, Jean stated that she had found out about a month earlier that Guy had been seeing another woman, but just as a friend. She talked to Guy about the woman, and he had told her, it was just a casual friendship, and that there was nothing sexual about it. Jean talked to the womans husband, but he did not believe it. According to the report, After her talk with Guy, everything was going great, she said, the last three weeks had been heaven, he admitted to the affair and named the woman.

    Jean also said, Guy had no history of suicide attempts, he had some depression, but not bad. No history of mental issues, and no physical problems, he had not been to the doctor lately.

    On Sept. 15, 2005, Sgt. Ken Biggs, of the Pacific County Sheriffs Department, assumed the lead role in the missing person case after reviewing Clarks initial report.

    An extensive search of the roadways north and south of the Nichols home was conducted in an attempt to locate an unreported accident where Guy might have left the roadway in case his vehicle had not yet been recovered.

    Clark also received a tip that Guy had been thrown off Radar Ridge in the Naselle area. An extensive search was again conducted, but yielded no results.

    During the Rod Run weekend that year there were in excess of 100 law enforcement officers on the Peninsula, and in a briefing they were told to be on the lookout for Guy or his truck, and to detain him if located.

    Guy and Jeans home phone and calling card records were checked, an inventory of his personal belongings was conducted by Jean and nothing but the clothes he was wearing and a baseball hat were missing. Jean also said that $1,500 in cash was still in the cabinet drawer and even his small stash of marijuana was still intact.

    When he disappeared, Guy was 41 years old, 5 feet, 11 inches tall, about 200 pounds, with thinning brown hair. He is said to have an engaging smile, and was very sociable. He frequented both the Eagles and Moose lodges in Ocean Park.

First clues found

    On Feb. 25, 2006, Deputy Rick Goodwin was detailed to the area of Grassy Island at the very northeast tip of the Peninsula. The reporting party, Rob Waltemate, had called sheriffs department and said that he had found a pair of cut-off jeans and a set of keys. Goodwin picked up Waltemate and drove to the location but were unable to locate any other items. Goodwin took a Global-Positioning Satellite reading to aid in a future search.

    The jeans material and belt showed puncture marks consistent with animal depredation.

    The search resumed on March 3.  According to a property report filed by Biggs, these items were found on Grassy Island: A cowboy boot, a tibia and fibula bone protrusion, a bone (hip/ femur), underwear (shredded, yellow and blue striped), tube-type sock, hemline jeans, bone in sock and a hat brim.  

       On March 4, Biggs returned to the area and a helicopter was used to transport seven search and rescue persons and a cadaver dog to continue the search. The search netted two more bones by a sock, shredded underwear and hat bill.

    All of the items recovered were identified as belonging to Guy.

    Most of these items were placed in an evidence locker on March 5. The bones were transported to Penttilas Chapel by the Sea for cold storage. Arrangements were made to return the following day with additional resources and personnel.

    On May 10, 2007, the sheriffs office was notified that the University of North Texas Health Science Center had made DNA profiles from swabs provided by Guys biological mother that were put into their index system.

    After a severe storm, two local residents were searching for a skiff that had been blown into Willapa Bay. As they were going north along the shoreline of the Peninsula, they spotted what appeared to be a white trash bag on the beach. On their return trip, they stopped to investigate and discovered it was a human skull.

No sign of trauma

    The human cranium was submitted to the King County Medical Examiners office on May 9, 2008.

    A synopsis of the report is as follows:

    On gross examination, there is evidence the lack of damage suggests the possibility that the cranium did not travel far and/or was not exposed to environmental insult following decomposition. Examination of the cranium under magnification fails to reveal any evidence of perimortem trauma. Radiographic analysis is also negative for trauma.

    Guys remains have been found, but Jean believes that questions remain about how he died and how the case was handled. These include basic issues like what happened to his truck and dog, and why evidence and witnesses were handled as they were.

Tips welcome

    The Pacific County Sheriffs Office has a 24-hour tip line. This tip line is an alternative means by which citizens can relay valuable information to Sheriffs Office deputies. The tip line is voluntary and anonymous. When a citizen calls the tip line, the caller will be asked to leave a message name and phone number only need to be included if the caller would like contact.

    Any information citizens provide is appreciated. Even small bits of information can at times provide deputies the missing link that allows them to take action.  All information will remain confidential.

    To leave a tip, citizens should call 642-9300 x2TIP (2847) in South County or 875-9300 x2TIP (2847) in North County.