Two years later, the Brooke Wilberger story continues

Two years later, the Brooke Wilberger story continues

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Story Published: May 24, 2006 at 3:53 AM PST

Story Updated: Aug 20, 2006 at 9:09 PM PST

- CORVALLIS, Ore. - It has been exactly two years since 19-year-old Brooke Wilberger disappeared from a Corvallis apartment complex.

After literally thousands of hours of official and volunteer searches for the BYU student, family, friends and Benton County authorities would not give up.

But a 39-year-old man was finally arrested in August 2005 and charged with aggravated murder, kidnapping, rape and sodomy of Wilberger.

Her body has never been found.

Joel Courtney is awaiting trial in New Mexico on unrelated kidnapping and rape charges involving a college student there.

Brooke's family just recently filed a lawsuit against a company that employed Courtney.

They allege Creative Building Maintenance failed to complete a background check when they hired him.

They say that allowed an unsupervised Courtney to use a company vehicle and allowed him to commit crimes.

KATU.com's Brooke Wilberger story archive

(Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

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