More than five decades after 16-year-old Jamie Rochelle Grissim vanished on her way home from Fort Vancouver High School, Clark County detectives are gearing up for a fresh ground search in the forests of eastern Clark County. Investigators are zeroing in on a stretch of woods in Dole Valley near Yacolt, working to determine whether Grissim, who disappeared in 1971, may be buried there.
What investigators say
According to a news release from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, cold-case detectives recently located and interviewed a long-sought witness tied to the investigation. An "attempt to locate" bulletin for the man was canceled after the interview.
Investigators say the witness’s account "appears credible" and lines up with previously known information about Grissim’s disappearance, particularly details that have long pointed toward the Dole Valley area.
Search partners and methods
The sheriff’s office is coordinating the new operation with Washington State Search and Rescue and Clark County Search and Rescue. Detectives plan to deploy multiple canine teams trained to detect human remains, according to KPTV.
Officials say the specialized dogs are capable of locating remains that may be deeply buried and decades old. The operation is still awaiting final logistical planning and resource availability before teams head into the field.
When and where
KOIN reports that the ground search is scheduled to begin April 4, 2026, concentrating on a section of Dole Valley near Yacolt.
Local reporting notes that Grissim’s school identification and other personal items were found along Dole Valley Road in the spring of 1972. Those belongings were discovered roughly 1.5 miles north of the site where the remains of two victims were located in October 1974, according to the Camas‑Washougal Post‑Record.
Who was Jamie Grissim
Jamie Rochelle Grissim was 16 years old when she was last seen on December 7, 1971, after attending morning classes at Fort Vancouver High School. Her date of birth and other identifying details are listed in Washington State Patrol missing-person materials, according to the Washington State Patrol case poster.
The official poster also lists contact information for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the WSP Missing Persons Unit for anyone who might have information that could help move the case forward.
Suspected link to Warren Forrest
For years, investigators have suspected that Warren Leslie Forrest could be connected to Grissim’s disappearance and other unsolved cases from the early 1970s. Forrest, a former parks employee and Army veteran, is serving life sentences for the 1974 murders of Krista Blake and, following a later DNA breakthrough, Martha Morrison, local reporting has noted.
Relatives and advocates have repeatedly pressed for renewed attention to the cluster of cases tied to the Dole Valley area. Family members say they are hoping this latest search finally delivers some long-sought answers.
How to help
Anyone with information about the case or the planned search is urged to call the Clark County Sheriff’s Cold Case Tip Line at 564-397-2036. The sheriff’s office says it will release updates as the investigation continues, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
