09/05/2002

By KELLY LOVE and AMY PALANUK, KGW Staff

She was Ashley Pond’s “favorite” teacher -- a woman the 12-year-old could confide in.

And Ashley did confide in her, with so many details that at one point, Linda Virden called the state about Ashley’s relationship with Ward Weaver. But it was a call that no one ever followed up on.

Ashley Pond. (KGW Photo)

As a reading teacher at the Oregon City grade school Ashley and Miranda Gaddis attended, Virden worked closely with both girls. She was especially close with Ashley.

But as she tried to help Ashley in school, she became alarmed when she saw the girl arrive at school with Ward Weaver.

“When he stopped the truck, he leaned over and kissed her on the lips,” said Virden. “There was something about it that troubled me.”

Linda Virden worked closely with both Ashley and Miranda Gaddis. (KGW Photo)

Virden told the principal about the kiss and when Ashley admitted to her several months later that Weaver tried to rape her, Virden reported the abuse to the state.

“It broke my heart that this 12-year-old, in this matter of fact, defeated voice, says to me, ‘usually, when I’m over, usually, when I spend the night, Ward just lies on top of me. But this time he tried to rape me,’” Virden describes, then drifts off and shakes her head. “Usually…usually.”

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		Watch Virden's Interview

No one called Virden about the report, but Ashley told her that a detective had come to the Newell Creek apartments where she lived with her mother, asking questions. Because of this, Virden assumed the call she made was being investigated.

Four months later, when Ashley disappeared from the apartment complex while on her way to school, Virden called authorities again.

Ashley told he teacher that Ward Weaver had tried to rape her. (KGW Photo)

“When I referred to my report, there was just this silence on the other end of the phone, and then this police officer said, ‘I have the complete file in front of me from Ashley’s case worker, and there’s no record of you ever filing a report,'” said Virden.

The fact that her call had gone unreported to police upsets Virden.

“How could they have listened to what I said and not acted on it?” Virden asks. “If they had acted, I have no doubt that kid of mine would still be alive.”

Virden is devastated by the girls’ deaths.

“And even afterwards when it was too late for Ashley, why in God’s name, when I reported that to the police, did they let that man continue to have kids over to spend the night at his house and to be around him? That cost Miranda her life” Virden said. “I have no doubt that because this man was the root of it all along, and nobody listened to me.”

Virden is also determined to affect some kind of change so that thousands of other kids who need protection, don’t fall through the cracks like Ashley and Miranda.