Christie Lynn Farni (January 18, 1972 – disappeared December 14, 1978) is an American girl who went missing in Medford, Oregon, after testifying before a grand jury regarding abuse allegations against her biological father. Serial killer Henry Lee Lucas was implicated in her disappearance in 1983, but his alleged involvement was not confirmed. Her case is the oldest unsolved missing child case in Jackson County.
Christie Farni | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 18, 1972 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Disappeared | December 14, 1978 (aged 6) Medford, Oregon, U.S. |
| Status | Missing for 45 years, 11 months and 19 days |
| Height | 3 ft 8 in (1.12 m)[1] |
Timeline
editBackground
editChristie Lynn Farni was born January 18, 1972, in Los Angeles, California.[a]
Disappearance
editChristie Lynn Farni, age six, testified before a grand jury against her father, Kenneth Farni, on December 14, 1978[3] regarding abuse allegations brought against him.[4] After testifying, Farni returned to her foster home[5] where she had been residing for only three days, before departing on foot to Jackson Elementary School.[4][6] Farni was reported missing that afternoon after she failed to return home from school, and it was revealed that she had been absent from school that day.[4][1] An alternate report in 1979 stated that Farni was seen playing with another young girl at the YMCA in Medford.[7]
Both Farni's father and stepmother reportedly cooperated with law enforcement, and polygraph examinations were given to both.[1] Farni's biological mother had died the year before her disappearance in a motorcycling accident.[1]
Alleged Henry Lee Lucas involvement
editOn December 16, 1983, it was reported that a remote area on the California-Oregon border was being searched, potentially for Farni's remains.[8] Serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, a drifter,[9] alluded to having abducted and murdered Farni, but the locations indicated by Lucas where her remains could allegedly be found proved fruitless.[8] At the time, Lucas had claimed to have murdered as many as 165 people in the United States, mainly women, beginning at the age of thirteen.[9]
Subsequent developments
editFarni's half-brother, who lived with her and her father during the time she disappeared, committed suicide at an undisclosed date.[1] In 1994, Kenneth Farni died in a traffic collision.[4] In 2008, the Medford Police reopened Farni's case, which is the oldest missing child case in Jackson County.[4][10]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ The Doe Network[1] among other sources cite Farni's birthdate as January 18, 1972; this is corroborated in the California Birth Index, which shows Christie Lynn Farni was born in Los Angeles on this date.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f "Christie Lynn Farni". The Doe Network. Archived from the original on June 19, 2018.
- ^ "Christi L. Farni, born 01/18/1972 in Los Angeles County". California Birth Index. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020.
- ^ Lemon, Sarah (March 21, 2004). "Detectives 'hope, pray for that little tiny break'". Mail Tribune. Medford, Oregon. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Trost, Rachael (December 19, 2016). "Oregon Girl Christie Farni Remains Missing 38 Years Later". NBC News. New York City. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ "Many children who vanish die". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. December 29, 2002. p. 16A – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Christie Lynn Farni". The Charley Project. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019.
- ^ "Reward announced for missing girl". Corvallis Gazette-Times. Corvallis, Oregon. Associated Press. January 9, 1979. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Police search for girl's body". Lubbock Evening Journal. Lubbock, Texas. December 16, 1983. p. 38 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Drifter's story prompts search for missing girl". Galveston Daily News. Galveston, Texas. December 17, 1983. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Balkenbush, Emma (December 19, 2018). "40-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF CHRISTIE FARNI". KDRV. Medford, Oregon. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.