The Washington County District Attorney's Office is taking a fresh look at an unsolved murder from 1994, thanks to a new influx of cash from the Oregon Cold Case Investigators Association (OCCIA). A $14,000 grant, the inaugural OCCIA/Brother’s Car Collection Cold Case Grant, will fund advanced DNA testing and analysis in the hope of cracking the case of Veta Hardebeck's homicide. Hardebeck, an 85-year-old woman, was found dead outside her rural Gaston, Oregon home over three decades ago, and the case has gone cold amidst years of investigative efforts.
In a move dedicated to seeking resolution for the victims and their families, the Washington County District Attorney's Office, headed by DA Kevin Barton, has been persistent in its goal of solving cold case homicides, as stated in an announcement by the Washington County DA's website. Barton's office established a Cold Case Unit in 2020, thanks to federal funding, which has been actively revisiting violent crimes with identified DNA that could point to a suspect. This team has already seen success with the indictment and conviction of Robert Atrops for the 1988 murder of Deborah Atrops, after additional investigation into the case was conducted.
"Providing justice on unsolved murders is a priority," Barton said. "No matter how much time has passed, we want victims and perpetrators to know that we will continue to work to solve these cases. We are very grateful for the support from the Brother’s Car Collection and OCCIA to help make this happen," as reported by the District Attorney's Office. The OCCIA, partnered with the Brother's Car Collection, strives to support local investigative efforts on cases where funding was the obstacle. This particular grant will empower investigators to submit items to a private lab for contemporary forensic testing.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Allison Brown, who leads the Cold Case Unit and was pivotal in the prosecution of the Atrops case, echoes the need for such funding. “We are grateful to the Brother’s Car Collection and OCCIA for this award. Forensic testing capabilities have dramatically changed in the last 30 years, and we are hopeful this funding will provide new leads into Veta’s murder," Brown told the Washington County DA. Today’s technology gives law enforcement an advantage they didn’t have in 1994, offering hope for closure for the victim’s family. For more information regarding the ongoing investigation and other cold case initiatives by the Washington County DA's Office, visit their official news release.
