Case Details
- Photo URLs:
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- Missing Since:
- Missing Since 01/01/2006
- Missing From:
- Missing From Quartzsite, Arizona
- Classification:
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Gender:
- Female
- Race:
- Race White
- Date of Birth:
- Age:
- Age 69 years old
- Height and Weight:
- Height and Weight 5’5, 140 pounds
- Clothing/Jewelry Description:
- Distinguishing Characteristics:
- Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair.
- Details of Disappearance:
- Japel and her 73-year-old boyfriend, Kenneth Miller, disappeared while traveling. They were from Oregon but vanished from Arizona. They lived a wandering life, traveling in their motorhome and truck, often going months without contacting family.
Their motorhome was found abandoned in Oregon in mid-2006, and their truck in Montana. Their bank accounts were last used in June 2006.
The last person seen with them was a friend, Gregory “Groundhog” Cole. Cole later shot a police officer (who survived) and was already wanted for other crimes. Because of this, and Japel and Miller’s disappearance, police searched for Cole.
Cole was found dead in the Arizona desert, having shot himself. He’d stolen the license plates from Japel and Miller’s truck and put them on his motorhome.
Later, police found Miller’s body buried near where they’d found the couple’s motorhome. Japel was never found.
Police believe Cole killed both of them, but Japel’s body is still missing. The case is unsolved, and police in Oregon and Arizona are still investigating.
- Agency:
- Quartzsite, Arizona Police Department 877-926-8332
- Source Links:
This person was missing Missing Since 01/01/2006