Viswa Vanapalli
Beginning in 1979, a string of disappearances and murders rocked the usually peaceful Lewiston-Clarkston metropolitan area (comprising of counties from Idaho and Washington). While the authorities believed some of them were linked, many questions remain regarding what really happened. Investigation Discovery’s ‘People Magazine Investigates: Valley of Death’ delves into this puzzling case and looks into the circumstances surrounding these deaths and disappearances. Of the five people in question, Kristin David, Kristina Nelson, and Brandy Miller’s remains were found at various times after they vanished. So, if you’re curious about what happened, we’ve got you covered.
How Did Kristin David, Kristina Nelson, and Brandy Miller Die?
Kristin David was a 22-year-old senior at the University of Idaho, majoring in political science and broadcast journalism. On June 26, 1981, Kristin was on her bicycle, traveling from Moscow to Lewiston, both in Idaho. She was to visit her family there and start a new job. But Kristin disappeared suddenly, and on July 4, 1981, a headless torso and a leg were found in a bag by a boater in the Snake River, near Clarkston, Washington.
The authorities searched the area and then found other bags with Kristin’s dismembered remains. While some reports mentioned Kristin having stab marks, the investigators have not officially confirmed it. More than a year later, 21-year-old Kristina Nelson and her 18-year-old stepsister, Jacqueline A. “Brandy” Miller, were in the news because of what happened in Lewiston, Idaho.
Kristina and Brandy left the former’s home to go to the local grocery store on September 12, 1982. As per the show, Kristina’s boyfriend was to visit them, and they left a note at home in case he came by. However, the two girls seemingly vanished into thin air after that. The search for Kristina and Brandy ended in 1984 in Kendrick, Idaho. On March 19, a passer-by found skeletal remains in a canyon there. According to the show, the police found Kristina’s jewelry in the area, and the cause of death was believed to be strangulation.
Who Killed Kristin David, Kristina Nelson, and Brandy Miller?
After Kristin left home to travel to Clarkston, she was going to stay at a sibling’s house there. But the following evening, Kristin’s sister, Anne, received a call from one of Kristin’s friends. As per the show, the friend mentioned Kristin not showing up for work. Further attempts to contact the talented young woman also failed. The family then put together a search party before the authorities eventually got involved.
However, the search turned up no clue of Kristin’s whereabouts. It wasn’t until more than a week later that the dismembered remains were found in garbage bags wrapped up in a newspaper. The authorities followed multiple leads, but the case didn’t go anywhere. One man claimed under hypnosis that on the day Kristin disappeared, he saw another man in a brown van helping a young girl on a bicycle on the highway. While the authorities followed up on this lead, it didn’t lead to a viable suspect.
Then, in September 1982, Kristina and Brandy suddenly vanished. As per the show, Kristina’s boyfriend didn’t go to her place that night, going there the following morning instead. But he didn’t find the two girls there. Later, he realized there were no signs of Kristin at her college either, and the family reported them missing. Curiously, another person disappeared on the same night as the two girls: 35-year-old Steven Pearsall.
As per the show, the three worked at the local civic theater, and the girls knew Steven. Furthermore, Kristin was also known to have worked at the theater at one point, helping with costumes. The authorities were struck with the lack of evidence but did have one person of interest in mind. According to the show, his name was Lance. He admitted to working at the theater on the night of September 12, 1982, but denied having any knowledge of the disappearances.
Furthermore, Lance refused to take a polygraph test. However, there wasn’t any evidence that tied him to the disappearances. Not just that, Lance was connected to yet another disappearance from 1979; that of Christina White, a 12-year-old from Asotin, Washington. According to the show, Lance’s properties were searched in 1998 after he sold them, but the authorities found nothing that could further the investigation. While Lance has maintained his innocence, he has never been charged with any crime in relation to these cases. For now, the three murders remain open and unsolved, with the authorities hoping that DNA testing could shed some light on who could have killed Kristina and Brandy.
Read More: Christina White and Steven Pearsall: How Did They Die? Were Their Remains Found?
