Lack of body leaves woman in limbo

DAYTON, Ore. – Kristen Childress’ husband, Jeromy, walked into the woods in a rugged part of the Coast Range on a hunting trip last Oct. 17, and hasn’t been seen since.

Extensive sweeping searches have turned up no trace of him, his clothing or other belongings, but she cannot get a death certificate.

That means besides losing a husband and the father of her two small children, she can’t cash his $10,000 life insurance policy, exercise control over any assets jointly owned or get Social Security benefits. Her only recourse is to hire a lawyer and take it to court.

The terrain is simply too rugged and too thickly vegetated to give up its secrets easily, according to experienced searchers.

Kristen Childress waited through the winter before requesting a presumptive death certificate. While she finally has accepted the reality of her husband’s death, the state has not.

In her letter of denial, State Medical Examiner Karen Gunson explained that Oregon law does give her the authority to certify the deaths of people whose bodies have not been recovered if there is clear evidence a death occurred. In this case, she said, there is no real evidence.

That has Childress at a loss.

“I don’t know what more I can give her,” the Dayton woman said. “I’ve given supporting documents,” she said, including statements from her husband’s hunting partners, police reports on the disappearance and search efforts and newspaper accounts.

“In the police report is a statement from a doctor at OHSU saying that Jeromy could not have survived long, given the conditions,” she said.

“The life insurance is $10,000, at best. It’s really more the Social Security. That’s what I need. It’s not that I want it. I want my husband back.”

Jeromy worked as a bridge painter, a difficult and dangerous job that paid well. Kristen works for the Salem-Keizer School District as an administrative assistant.

Before her husband’s disappearance, Childress said, “We split up the bills. I had the house payment and day care. That was my check. Now, I have all the bills.”

The couple jointly owned a car and a truck. She can’t sell either because her husband can’t sign off on the title. She also was left with a boat she doesn’t need and is not allowed to sell.