Update: Thank you so much every one for your wonderful donations! Each and every penny is appreciated immensely. We are really needing help spreading the word of this campaign as we are going to need as much as we can get for autopsy and funeral funds. As soon as we have a funds list, it will be posted. Once again, thank you so much for all the help. <3
On May 17th 2017. A beautiful, bright, young 21 year old woman named Tina Behneke was lost in the Illinois River in Josephine county Oregon. The stories were sporadic and witnesses continued changing them. This could be due to shock, or something worse? That is unclear, though the tragic news of a daughter, sister, friend and family member was harsh on all that knew and loved her.
The police conducted a two day search before they gave up and called it off. But the family had brought together a community, a village of people that defied today's logic and worked together. In this tragic scenario, there were no differences, or judgments, but hope and teamwork in an attempt to bring this family closure. People that didn't know her personally, like myself, took to the river and searched everywhere they could. It was a moment that people could do something, a time in which the light of those that fill this world, shone brightly.
Drones took to the sky and scanned the river, though to no avail. However, Wednesday, May 24th 2017, a search party had gone out in hopes that they would find her. Unbeknownst to the party members, they had crossed into the property of Boy Scouts of America, located across the only bridge on the river down that way. Searching until late hours, the flashlight illuminated something in the water, and desperately, they sought the sheriffs help, considering it was too far to get to. When the sheriff showed up on the scene, he met the frantic party with a mocking chuckle, flashed his light in the water in a completely different area, made a comment that there was nothing in the water, before escorting them off the property. The owner of this property, would not allow us to get back over, and she was not found that day.
Friday, May 26th 2017. Another search party was conducted, this one including me. We took a trip back to that river, but due to the "caretaker" of the Boy Scouts property, we were not allowed on that side of the river to search. The woman that conducted this search had written the caretakers the night before, and asked respectfully to search the riverbank on that side of the river. His response? No. So we stuck to the far side of the river, and looked through binoculars at the other side as much as we could. Due to the fact that her body had not begun floating again, and the water was still a bit high, we could not see anything there. Though, we refused to let it go. We trusted the people searching more than a sheriff that refused to do his job with the utmost accuracy and respect. In this regard, we would return two days later, to that same spot.
May 28th 2017, we returned. Within one minute of stepping down onto the riverbank, we spotted a floating mass in the water across the way, in the exact spot that the sheriff had ignored earlier that week. We had binoculars, and we checked. The outfit matched Tina's, and we knew, without a doubt, that it was her. Stomachs turning, shock shaking the members of the party, we called 911. With this call, which I made, I specified that they would need a boat, and that we did NOT want the sheriff that had been there before. This request and demand, was ignored. 45 minutes after the call, which was made around 7pm, the first sheriff, and the exact one I requested not to come, showed up. His response, "where do you THINK you see this body?" I retorted, though remained as respectful as possible, with "her name is Tina, and she is there (pointing at her location). Would you like to borrow my binoculars so you can see?" He responded with a no, that he had a better pair, then proceeded to pull out the same binoculars. He frowned, got in his truck, and without a word, drove to the other side of the river. He stood and exchanged more words with the "caretakers" of that property than he did with us, and we began recording, stating we found her.
About five minutes after the first sheriff showed up, the second showed. Guess what! Neither brought a boat, neither were prepared. We were informed that they would be unable to retrieve her last night, due to the marine rescue was unavailable. When I asked if they had first contacted them when we called, he responded with a yes, though excuse me for my lack of faith in this sheriff. Reluctantly, we left, after telling the sheriff to contact her family, which he began to refuse but we pushed. He contacted the family before a post was made on the Josephine county police scanners page that the brave Kory Krause had found Tina earlier that morning. Though due to the support group that worked to find Tina, comments were made to correct this mistake, in an attempt to tell the truth... that she was found by friends. However, the admin of that group removed every comment, and even blocked some of the people that tried to speak the truth. This can be confirmed via witnesses as well.
May 29th 2017, the body was recovered, and the sheriff had it delivered to a morgue located in Josephine county, without the approval of the family. Due to a lack of clarity, the family requested a autopsy, and the sheriffs of Josephine county declined their request, stating there was no reason for one. Mind you, it is the families right to have an autopsy performed, despite what a sheriff might think.
Today is a day of mourning, a day that everyone should take a moment of silence in remembrance of a young woman that was taken too soon. And it is a day, that the truth will be spoken, that the world will know how justice can be fought for, and that the people can stand together to bring a family peace, comfort, and clarity. Please, share this story. This whole situation was tragic, and I can't stand by while a department which is supposed to serve and protect, does nothing, mocks, and emotionally deters family from the peace that they deserve. Thank you for your time.
