Evidence found in cold cases

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MALAD — Authorities unearthed a “damning” piece of evidence Monday afternoon while excavating a brushy hillside where two Pocatello girls were shot and killed nearly 30 years ago.

Idaho State University archeology students assisting with the investigation found the unidentified item while digging out a 6-foot by 6-foot square surrounding the exact spot where 15-year-old Patricia Campbell’s remains were found by hunters in 1981. A few feet away, another group of students excavated a similar square where 12-year-old Tina Anderson’s bones were recovered.

“One particular piece of evidence that we believe will go directly back to one of our suspects is damning,” lead investigator Paul Newbold of the Blackfoot Police Department said. “We believe this is the icing on the cake.”

Anderson and Campbell vanished from a crowded Pioneer Days celebration in Pocatello’s Alameda Park on July 23, 1978.

Forensic scientists from the State Crime Lab originally excavated the site in 1981. They removed most of Anderson’s skeleton, including her skull, but found few of Campbell’s bones. In 1986, another group of hunters stumbled across the partial skull of a third, still unidentified victim a few hundred yard away.

Joseph Argyle, a retired air force officer with a master’s degree in archeology, uncovered the key piece of evidence about 5 inches underground while scraping the soil with the edge of a trowel.

“I was told to look for clothing and bullets, but basically I’m looking for anything that doesn’t belong here,” Argyle said about an hour before making the discovery. “I think there is reason to believe this site may not have been completely excavated (in 1981).”

Argyle, who will assist this summer with the excavation of Mayan Ruins in South America, moved to the Gate City in January to attend classes at ISU.

An article about the once cold cases that ran June 4 in the Idaho State Journal led to a renewed investigation, which includes the formation last year of joint police task force comprised of officers from five agencies in three counties. Oneida County Sheriff Jeff Semrad has credited the story and subsequent coverage of the cases to bringing new information to light.

By Casey Santee

csantee@journalnet.com

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