Account
Aug 12, 2014
Jan 08, 2024
Frances
Brewster
99
75
67 inches
150 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the fall of 1999, 75-year-old Frances B. Brewster was residing in Sunriver, Oregon, after having recently moved from a retirement facility in Bend to live with her adult son, John Shipman. She was officially last seen around October 1 of that year. Following her disappearance, her son claimed that she had decided to travel the country in a motor home with her brother-in-law, Walter Cierley. This explanation was initially accepted, but as time passed without any contact, concern grew among other family members. In May 2000, another of Brewster's sons reported her missing, prompting an official investigation by the Bend Police Department. The family's worry was amplified by the fact that Cierley himself had been missing since July of 1998, over a year before Brewster was last seen. As law enforcement delved into the circumstances surrounding Brewster's disappearance, a series of disturbing discoveries began to unfold. The investigation revealed that her son, John Shipman, had been cashing both his mother's and his uncle's Social Security checks in their absence. This financial activity raised significant red flags and pointed to a more sinister explanation for the disappearances. The connection between the two missing persons cases became increasingly clear, with Shipman as the central figure. Authorities began to suspect foul play, believing that Shipman was responsible for the disappearance of both his mother and his uncle. The investigation took a dramatic and tragic turn in September 2001. When authorities attempted to arrest John Shipman on unrelated domestic violence charges, he died by suicide. Before his death, it was reported that Shipman had confessed to an individual that he had killed both his mother and his uncle. Despite this alleged confession, he never admitted his involvement to law enforcement. The prevailing theory held by investigators is that Shipman murdered both Frances Brewster and Walter Cierley and buried their bodies somewhere in central Oregon. To this day, their remains have not been recovered, and the case remains a haunting mystery, leaving their surviving family without answers or closure. The case is a somber reminder of a family torn apart by deception and violence, with two elderly individuals vanishing under suspicious circumstances, their final days and resting place unknown.
Oct 01, 1999
Bend
Oregon
Deschutes County
No
23422
Bend Police Department
Bend
Oregon
Deschutes County
97701
555 Northeast 15th Street, Oregon
5413222960
Local
Law Enforcement
2000-3656
Bend Police Department
Gray or Partially Gray
Blue
Blue
05/31/2026
