After months and years of seeking clarity regarding the tragic passing of their daughter, Sarah Zuber, in 2019, Randy and Rebecca Zuber may be on the path to getting the closure they seek, as the Columbia County Major Crimes Team has been provided new information that may generate new leads.
This development came after Zuber family spokesperson Jennifer Massey met with Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley in late March to explain her involvement in the case and the family’s goals regarding the investigation.
After the March meeting, Pixley organized a June 6 meeting between Massey, Columbia County District Attorney Joshua Pond, and members of the Columbia County Major Crimes Team. County Public Information Officer Mark Pacheco outlined the proceedings of the meeting.
“On June 6, Sheriff Brian Pixley, District Attorney Joshua Pond, Detectives Peabody and Smith, and Chief Deputy Murphy met with Jen Massey, a community advocate, to discuss new information her group had gathered regarding the Sarah Zuber case,” Pacheco said. “Mrs. Massey presented previously unreleased information and expressed concern during a roundtable discussion. She subsequently agreed to share her files with Sheriff Pixley, who received them on June 13, 2024.”
During that meeting, Massey presented the family’s concerns and new information related to the case and expressed the Zuber family’s ultimate goals.
“One of the focuses that I had during that meeting is, if the leads that we provided, based on their professional experience, knowledge, and training, don’t pan out, and it’s circumstantial evidence at this point, at least [the investigators] can go back and present to the family on how [they] came to the conclusions [rendered],” Massey explained.
The concerns of the family pertain to the findings of the original investigation into Sarah’s passing on Mar. 13, 2019. After an investigation by a major crimes team, Oregon State Medical Examiner Rebecca Millius ruled that the death was accidental and caused by “combined deterious effects of acute ethanol (beverage alcohol) intoxication and hypothermia due to exposure.”
“As with similar cases, the sheriff’s office has kept the Sarah Zuber case open to investigate new, actionable leads and information as they arise,” says Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley. “Columbia County Sheriff’s Office was recently informed that there might be additional actionable leads in the Zuber case. Copies of the information have been delivered to us, and our investigators are currently evaluating the new information.”
Massey’s presentation
Massey explained some of the issues the family has been questioning all these years.
“How does a case go from providing the family significant [physical] trauma [to Sarah], broken neck, the other injuries sustained to dying or passing away from hypothermia and alcohol intoxication? How do you get to that point?” Massey said. “[There] were different death certificates that showed up with no explanation why they changed them. Provide the [Zubers] with as much information as possible on how we got to this point because, at this point, all they have is all these pieces up in the air, and they make no logical sense. How does a family try to lay their child to rest when there are so many questions and uncertain terms?”
From the moment the investigators delivered their conclusion, the Zuber family had serious concerns about the investigation. The Justice For Sarah Zuber Facebook page, created to bring awareness to the family’s ongoing plight, now has more than 2,000 followers.
When Massey met with Pixley, Pond, and the Major Crimes Team, she said the energy in the room from the gathered parties seemed committed to finding answers for the family.
“Following Mrs. Massey’s presentation, she departed, and the investigative team convened to strategize the best way to incorporate the new information into our investigation,” Pacheco said. “It was decided that Sheriff Pixley would share the files with the entire team, enabling each member to identify any actionable leads. Our primary focus is on examining physical evidence to guide the investigation forward.”
Caring community
Massey made a post to the Justice for Sarah Zuber Facebook page following the meeting with law enforcement and officials, announcing that “the meeting was highly productive,” and she was “pleased to announce that the case is officially reopened and ongoing.” The post was met with excitement from community members, generating more than 220 “likes” and 40 comments.
Massey said that Pixley’s willingness to allow her to speak with the Major Crimes Team and Pond was a triumph of the community’s investment in the case.
“I love the fact that Sheriff Pixley has been a driving force to get all these people to the table. I had the floor to present this information to them, and I was super humbled to have this opportunity,” Massey said.
Massey said she and the Justice for Sarah Zuber team had been involved with the case for more than two years, and though they are regular citizens, the motivation to help the family has come from trying to do the right thing for another person in need and “be a good neighbor.”
“This is the epitome of community. That is what it is. Because it is the citizens who either knew Sarah, or didn’t but took time to learn her story and what the concerns of the family were, it involved work from our law enforcement officers,” Massey said. “As a community, we need so many moving parts to make it work, and we need to rely on each other and capitalize on the strength that each other can bring to the table, and with unity and solidarity, we can make a monumental difference. And I think the collaborative partnerships between agencies and citizens is so important.”
Pond echoed the sentiments about the importance of collaboration with the community and what the district attorney’s office will commit to in the case going forward.
“We at the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office believe in doing the right thing. We are committed to supporting and engaging with law enforcement and community members to investigate actionable leads. While we cannot promise closure for the Zuber family, we can promise that we will not stand in the way of progress in this case and will do whatever we can to ensure every viable lead is pursued,” Pond said. “All the law enforcement agencies in Columbia County, including our office, are united in seeking a resolution to this matter.”
Statement from Rebecca Zuber
Regarding the recent development in the case, Rebecca Zuber shared the following message with the community:
To all who have so deeply touched our hearts by becoming emotionally involved in following Sarah’s story. Words cannot possibly express our family’s heartfelt thanks for your continued support. The official reopening of this investigation is a direct result of your continued interest and involvement. This intensely emotional journey has brought us one step closer to finding the answers. There are hundreds of individuals who contributed in various ways. The Zuber family wants you to know we recognize each of you, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
The prayers that have continued to float heavenward are innumerable. God hears each of them. He has a plan. He knows exactly what happened to Sarah and He is in this investigation. Knowing this without a doubt, we are confident in the MCT that has now taken over.
We are now in phase two of our journey to find out “What happened to Sarah Zuber?” Though it is not over, we find comfort in knowing we are not alone. We would never have gotten this far without the herculean efforts, unwavering commitment, and thousands of hours of hard work by Jennifer Massey and the JFSZ team, as well as literally thousands of members of Columbia County and beyond. God’s word in action through Jennifer and all of you, “Love your neighbor”. We are eternally grateful. We love you all so much.
See previous coverage of this story at thechronicleonline.com and the chiefnews.com.
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