In Memory of Jason & Lindsay...

Lindsay's 30th birthday! :)

2011-09-09T07:36:00.000-04:00

Lindsay on the whitewater in 2004.
A message from Lindsay's mom:

Happy 30th Birthday to my beautiful daughter.

You taught me in your brief years on earth what true faith really is by your living example of faith in action.

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." ~Hebrews 11:1

A.W. Tozer once said, "In the Scriptures there is practically no effort made to define faith. Outside of a brief definition in Hebrews 11:1, I know of no Biblical definition, and even there faith is defined functionally, not philosophically; that is, it is a statement of what faith is in operation, not what it is in essence. It assumes the presence of faith and shows what it results in, rather than what it is. We will be wise to go just that far and attempt to go no further. ... This much is clear, and, to paraphrase Thomas à Kempis, 'I had rather exercise faith than know the definition thereof.'"

And Linds, you exercised faith so clearly. Everyone who knew you was touched by this faith. And still to this day, many are coming closer to Jesus by your real story of faith. I love you and am so proud of you. Mom

Today is Lindsay's 30th Birthday! Sadly, a milestone birthday that she is not here to celebrate, but definitely a day that she is lovingly remembered.

This time of year is obviously overshadowed by the horrifying events that took place on September 11, ten years ago. I don't want to go without mentioning it because my heart and my sincere prayers go out to everyone who lost loved ones and/or who experienced the traumatic events of that day, in person! I honestly cannot imagine what that must have been like. Watching it on TV was traumatic enough! There are images burned into my mind that I will never forget!

So, while these poignant days every September weigh heavily on the hearts of countless people each year, I want to praise God for the time that we did get to spend with our loved ones and the unbelievable grace and mercy with which He still carries everyone through each day! Please pray for Lindsay's friends and family members... those who knew her best and loved her with all of their hearts! This milestone birthday will not come and go without the desperate longing for her presence. And please pray for everyone else who is also experiencing this same heart-wrenching longing for those they lost ten years ago.

I praise God for the great example of a genuine woman of faith that Lindsay was for others! In her death, her gentle and humble nature and her complete devotion to serving the Lord became her legacy! She set an amazing example for all of us and I am so grateful that God has not let her death be in vain. To God be the glory!!!

Happy 30th Birthday Lindsay! ♥

Seven years...

2011-08-15T07:50:00.008-04:00

A photo Jason & Lindsay took of themselves on their last day here on earth.

A message from Jason's mom:

It has been seven years that we have lived without the physical presence of Jason and Lindsay, but we always remember the laughter, the quiet conversations, and the precious moments of togetherness. We patiently look forward to those times again. I like what C.S. Lewis said:

"Then the new earth and sky, the same yet not the same as these, will rise in us as we have risen in Christ. And once again, after who knows what eons of the silence and the dark, the birds will sing and the waters flow, and lights and shadows move across the hills, and the faces of our friends laugh upon us with amazed recognition."
C.S. Lewis
The Joyful Christian

Wow, it's hard to imagine it's been seven years already! Time really flies... and seems to get faster and faster the older I get. But I still vividly remember the events of that week back in 2004 (following the weekend of August 13-15) and the day I found out what happened to Jason & Lindsay. It was August 19, my 27th birthday, and the most devastating day of my life thus far.

I'm sure almost everyone can relate to that feeling that the world (or at least your own little world) seems to come to a screeching halt when you are faced with a sudden and devastating loss. You feel suspended in time, for a while, in grief that can be all-consuming at times and you know your life will never be the same. You also feel how strange it is that the rest of the world can go on as "normal" while you're dealing with such a powerful and gut-wrenching devastation! I spent a lot of time questioning why God would allow such a thing to happen in the first few days after I found out they had been murdered. But I learned so much from Jason & Lindsay's families of what a solid foundation of faith in Christ should look like! I learned so much about God and His beautiful grace and mercy through all of that! I began to see things from His perspective and it brought me so much comfort and peace! I know fully that, because Jason & Lindsay were fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ, they are much better off now than they ever were here. But that doesn't mean they are not missed. Today there will be tears shed for them as they are fondly remembered and these next few days will bring back a lot of memories, especially for Jason & Lindsay's families, of the shock and grief they experienced. Undoubtedly, there is no day that passes that they don't think of them. There is a gaping hole where Jason & Lindsay used to be. There are 3 little nephews who will never know, on this earth, their awesome Uncle Jason & Aunt Lindsay! But we do all celebrate and thank God for the years Jason & Lindsay did have here with us and the example they set for others! They were remarkable young people who weren't afraid to live out their faith! Even in a society that tends to assault the beliefs of Christians and the Savior we worship and praise, Jason & Lindsay shined brightly for the Lord and made a real difference in this world for Him! I praise God for that! And I praise Him that we will see them again. That is God's promise for those of us who believe in Him and follow Him! How awesome is that?!? :)

I have SO many great memories of Jason from our childhood! :) It makes me laugh to think about all the silly things we used to do and the fun times that we had! He was such a good sport... being the only boy on our street and one of only a few boys in the entire neighborhood! (At least in terms of kids our age.) He occasionally got roped into playing Barbies with us! Poor kid! :) But I did play with his toys at his house too... lots of G.I. Joe's and Legos. I loved every minute of it! We used to also make "forts" in the basement out of folding chairs, couch cushions and blankets pinned together with clothes pins. We went sledding in the winter and built snowmen. We climbed trees in summer and rode our bikes all over the place. I will always treasure these memories! I hope that when I get to heaven, we have perfect recollection of those fun times so we can talk about them and laugh our heads off. :)

So today I remember Jason and the beautiful love of his life, Lindsay, and smile knowing they loved others fully and were fully loved in return! They loved the Lord with all of their hearts and I strive to live a life as exemplary as they did. I hope and pray that someday soon we will find the person who took their lives and bring justice for Jason & Lindsay here on earth! I also hope that, when that happens, that person (or persons) will be touched and transformed by the love of Christ that they will experience... in the form of grace and forgiveness by Jason & Lindsay's families. Even though whomever is guilty of this horrific crime is offered forgiveness, they still need to take responsibility for what they did! So please, if you have any information on what happened or whomever is responsible for these murders, PLEASE come forward! It is time to be accountable. It is time to be honorable and to do the right thing! God will hold us ALL accountable for what we do... but also what we don't do when we know we should do it. ["So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God." ~Romans 14:12]

Jason & Lindsay... 7 years ago today you met Jesus face-to-face! You are loved greatly and missed dearly and will NEVER be forgotten! Someday soon, before we know it, we'll see you again! Thank you so much for all of the great memories and for your exemplary faith... you were and are amazing and I smile with tears in my eyes as I honor your memory today.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
~ 1 Peter 1:3-9

Jason's 33rd Birthday...

2011-05-16T08:56:00.001-04:00

Jason rockin' the whitewater, Summer 2004 :)
Today is Jason's birthday... he would have been 33 years old. It is crazy for me to think about that because so many of my memories of him are from when we were kids... and we were friends since toddlerhood! So to acknowledge our age is crazy to me. (I am 9 months older than he was so I always know how old he would have been each year on May 16.) It really brings tears to my eyes to think about our childhood because it was so wonderful and truly special! We had so much fun together and with the other kids on our street (including my sisters and his sisters) and so the memories are such a blessing! I so wish I could rewind time and re-live some of those days. We were oblivious to the evil that existed in the world, oblivious to economic and financial hardships, oblivious to world crises, etc. ... and we had a blast! I truly miss those days! I miss that innocence and the lack of the knowledge of evil that thrived in this world. So heaven is an incredible promise of God to look forward to! And I thank God that Jason is already there with his beloved Lindsay. Since they are no longer here, there is no better place for them to be! I hope that in heaven we can recall, in perfect detail, the joys from our childhood together because I would love to have that kind of recollection. Those days were idyllic in SO many ways. I miss the tree climbing, bike riding, skinned knees, wild imaginations, berry picking, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches with a glass of milk, macaroni & cheese, adventures in the woods, yard games, kiddie pools, Slip-n-Slides, making "forts" in the basement, his G.I. Joes, Lincoln Logs, Legos and Tinker Toys and my Barbies and Cabbage Patch Kids. He was always willing to play our girly games (poor kid, he was the only boy between my family and his!) but he humored us by playing along, as long as I was willing to play his adventurous games and with his toys too later on. :) I loved those days! I miss those days!

Me & Jason at age 3 with one of our typical lunches... peanut butter & jelly sandwiches with milk. :)
So today, I fondly remember Jason and very much look forward to the day I can see him again! I am so blessed to still be close to his family after all of these years! And it's always so fun to sit with them and talk about him too. God is awesome! Even though I will always wonder why He allowed it to happen... I do know that He views death so much differently than we do. And because God knows the "big picture" that we cannot see, He knows the lives that have been touched (and will continue to be) through Jason & Lindsay's story and that brings comfort! Bittersweet comfort, but comfort nonetheless. (I am speaking for myself, of course, but I know Jason's & Lindsay's families feel the same way. They have been very clear about that.)

I asked Jason's mom if she would like to share something on this website in memory of Jason's 33rd birthday. What a beautiful tribute to their oldest child and only son:

Jason's birthday is today, and we remember his love of life, his laughter and his unique way of sharing his adventures with us. When faced with a challenging and often dangerous situation, his favorite words were "Let's do it!" He did not shy away from experiencing the experience.

His favorite verse was Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Yes, he faced disappointments and failures in life, just as we all do. He realized he wasn't invincible. He knew he could very easily die on the river or suffer a fatal fall from a rock. He said he was ready, because he believed he would not die one minute before or one minute after God's will for him.

Jason knew the physical limitations. And in those times of failure, he searched to find the direction God intended for him to go. Still, he believed that God would strengthen and enable him to do all that was in God's will for him. He never doubted these words, and in this he found peace, hope, and purpose.

We never stop thinking of you, Jason. We never stop missing your presence with us. We still celebrate the day you were given to us. Happy Birthday!

Love,
Dad and Mom

Happy 33rd Birthday Jason! ♥ You are greatly missed.

Happy 29th Birthday Lindsay!!!

2010-09-09T08:27:00.003-04:00

Lindsay on the whitewater, Summer 2004

Today, Lindsay would have turned 29. She died shortly before her 23rd birthday, but in her relatively short time here on earth, she lived a remarkable life! With a passion for God and a love for the outdoors, she found a kindred spirit in Jason and they both found their calling in working with youth at Christian adventure camps. What an amazing way to serve the Lord! And they were both uniquely equipped to do so.

I never had the chance to get to know Lindsay well, I only met her once before she died... but I am so looking forward to getting to know her in heaven! I want to tell her (and Jason) about the incredible impact their lives had on others. They both certainly changed my life!

I have learned from Lindsay's family and friends that she was an extremely caring person with a humble and tender heart and she lived that out by genuinely caring for others. She truly was a reflection of God's grace, as we are all called to be. What a blessing it is that God has been glorified by the life that she led! She set an amazing example for us all of what a life of purity and Godly love is all about!

I love what she wrote in a journal the evening before she died. It was the last thing she ever wrote:

"The sun is going down in the horizon, and all I see is the beams shining on the cliff face, and I know that God is awesome. I look around and I see His creation all around me."

She didn't just see a beautiful sunset on a California beach, she saw God's handiwork and the incredible beauty of His Creation! That is the perspective that comes with a truly changed heart because of the love of Christ!

These are also journal entries that she had written earlier... more evidence of the perspective that she lived with each day:

"I greatly desire to have many crowns to give my God when I get to heaven. Nothing on earth matters in light of eternity. It is so easy to get caught up in the things of the world and forget what really matters. How amazing that we have forever to spend with Christ. The more we worship and spend our lives for Christ on earth the better we can serve Him in heaven. I sometimes think of myself as a pilgrim in a foreign land traveling through life. We are here temporarily. I should be less materialistic and give more to God. Don’t waste time."

"Heaven will be a wonderful place of no suffering, hurt, loneliness; it’s a great thing to look forward to."

A beautiful note to Lindsay from her mom:

"I am so proud of the woman you became. I love you and miss you with all of my heart. Life will never be the same since you went home to be with our Lord. I am so looking forward to heaven and eternity with my girl. I love you so much Lins... What a special lady you are and so many lives are better for knowing you.
Love, Mom

Six years...

2010-08-15T08:00:00.005-04:00

Jason & Lindsay at Donner Lake, Summer 2004
A beautiful note from Jason's parents:

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
- Ephesians 3:14-21

When Jason graduated from high school in 1996, we framed this prayer for him, knowing that he was beginning a journey to seek the ministry God was calling him to. Eight years later, his role in that ministry was complete, as was Lindsay’s, and God took them home. God had strengthened them with power. Christ did dwell in their hearts. They did grasp how wide, how long, how high and how deep the love of Christ is. They had been filled up. We believe there was much rejoicing when they entered heaven’s gates, and although we still miss them so very much, we have been comforted and encouraged by the miraculous things God has done and continues to do through their ministry.
To Him Be The Glory!
Bob and Delores Allen

Six years ago today, Jason & Lindsay entered heaven. I have spent a lot of time imagining what that moment must have been like... to suddenly find yourself face-to-face with Christ Himself! What an amazing thing to even think about!

But of course I can't help but feel the real sting of sadness when I think about what happened to end their lives here on earth. It was so completely cruel and heartless. They did absolutely nothing to deserve it! They curled up in their individual sleeping bags, side-by-side, and went to sleep after having enjoyed a beautiful day together... never having any clue what was about to happen. Praise God Almighty that what their killer did could not destroy their souls! And, interestingly enough, by God's design this tragedy has done much to save the souls of countless others! Truly, truly AMAZING!

It is because of Jesus that we have real hope! Yes, God allowed Jason & Lindsay to be murdered. But He is painting on a canvas far bigger than we can see or comprehend and He knew that through their deaths, many others would hear about the love of Christ and be saved! I didn't know what God would do when I had first heard that Jason & Lindsay had been murdered. I was in gut-wrenching grief and was hurting SO much! I couldn't see through the tears how this could possibly be a GOOD thing, but I did truly feel God's presence and His comfort! It was so incredible! When I was so broken, I was closer to God than ever before! And slowly I began to see the beauty that was rising from the ashes.

The example of true faith that I saw in Jason & Lindsay's families was the same rock-solid faith that Jason & Lindsay lived by... and their reaction to this tragedy was profoundly different than anything I had seen before. They were in deep grief, but they were praising God through the pain! In the shadow of death, they were trusting and believing that God was Sovereign and Holy and Good... and they understood that Jason & Lindsay were now LIVING in His presence! This tragedy has become a megaphone for the HOPE that Jesus Christ has brought to the world... and there have been many lives touched and transformed because of it! Praise God!!!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."
~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Thank You Jesus for showing me through this heartbreak that You are King over all and that no one can tear us away from You! Thank You for giving me a longing for heaven that never ceases! Thank You for understanding our pain and carrying us through it! Thank You for lifting up Jason & Lindsay as an example for how to live and walk with You! Thank You for completing Your work in them and shining Your light through their legacy. To You be all Glory! You are amazing and I am eternally grateful for the incredible hope we have because of You! Most of all, thank You Jesus for dying on the cross for every single one of us! I pray that all people will turn to You, seek Your face, and accept Your gift of eternal Salvation! There is no one like You! ♥

Jason's 32nd birthday...

2010-05-16T08:19:00.000-04:00

Jason, while working at Rock-N-Water, Summer 2004

Jason would have turned 32 today! I still find myself thinking about him & Lindsay often because I always think of their passion for serving Christ as something to live up to. They literally devoted themselves to serving Christ and I am challenged to live my life in the same way. I confess that I have a long way to go but I do feel like this year, in particular, is one in which God is challenging my like crazy to "step up to the plate," so to speak.

I am so grateful to God for His promise of heaven! Living in this world surrounded by tragedy and heartbreak makes me long for it... but I know that I am still here for a purpose. I just pray that I don't miss out on what it is! I love that Jason & Lindsay both knew early on how to serve Christ and still fulfill their passions for the outdoors and working with kids and young adults. They were so happy and content to give up material things to serve God. I could only hope to live up to that!

The lesson I've learned... and one that I hope and pray that others will learn from their story... is that life here on earth is so short! You have no idea how long it will last. In the blink of an eye it can be over with. So don't wait until "later" to choose to follow Christ! Don't waste your life on earthly passions that are completely unfulfilling and just plan on getting "right with God" later. You never know if you'll even have a "later." And besides that... there is SO much freedom and peace in choosing to repent and follow Christ! Your whole perspective on life and eternity changes! Any Christian who has lived in the bondage of sin and chose to follow Christ at some point can tell you that it was life-changing for the better in ways you could never imagine! To know and rest assured in God's sovereignty and His promises is such a weight lifted from your shoulders! There is peace you just can not even fathom.

So today, I am giving all glory to God for the amazing things He has done through Jason & Lindsay's story!!! They were murdered by a coward who thought the outcome would give Satan victory... but by God's grace, just the opposite happened. God is awesome! My prayer is that their story will continue to change hearts for Christ. My prayer is also that their killer will be brought to justice on this earth. If it never happens here, it will happen ultimately. We are all going to be held accountable for what we have done. Only through Christ can we be pardoned. Even their killer would receive that pardon if he/she chose to follow Christ. It is a gift available to EVERYONE... no matter what they have done. I pray for that as well!

The following is a poem that Jason's mom wrote in 2005... eight months after Jason & Lindsay were killed. I think it is so beautiful and a perfect tribute today for Jason on what would have been his 32nd birthday:

The Absence of Their Presence

They lived their lives for Christ,
Not questioning God’s Plan.
He chose them for their hearts,
He knew they’d take a stand.

He planned from the beginning,
Before the earth His pleasure;
Two families He would choose,
To sacrifice their treasures.

A little boy was born in May,
A baby girl September;
Their lives to give in service,
Their testimony to be remembered.

He grew so strong and active,
She so sweet and wise.
God made them for each other,
Love took them by surprise.

Early on He called them,
Established in their hearts
Passion for God’s gift of nature,
Passion for the young and lost.

God led them to the wilderness,
Determined, they worked the river.
They counseled hearts of troubled teens
Their message, “Christ will deliver.”

A quiet yet brilliant sunset,
Upon a hidden beach.
They worshiped God at end of day,
And softly went to sleep.

Arise! Arise! God took them home
Gathered them in His arms.
No more to suffer ridicule,
No more to suffer harm.

Alive! Alive! In God’s presence,
They bow before the throne.
They walk with Jesus face to face,
Their work on earth is done.

What Satan meant for evil,
God has meant for good.
He is the victor of the night,
He is the mighty Word.

Before you die, you must consider,
Who is the God you serve?
Who is the one who holds your heart?
Who leads you on this earth?

God holds the keys of destiny,
He longs to have your love.
And if today you would surrender,
His home awaits above.

And so we mourn for our loss,
For lonely is their absence.
But cry for joy and gratitude,
They’re in our Father’s presence.

By Delores Allen
April 4, 2005

Written for our son, Jason Allen, and his beloved Lindsay Cutshall.

Happy 32nd Birthday Jason! ♥

Happy 28th Birthday Lindsay!

2009-09-09T08:12:00.007-04:00

Lindsay Christine Cutshall was born 28 years ago today... and, if they were still here today on this earth, she and Jason would be celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary on Friday. So this is, undoubtedly, a painful and emotionally raw time for their families. While time does lessen the shock of what happened to some extent... the pain will always still be there. But God is GOOD! God has found so many incredible ways to touch people's lives through the way Lindsay and Jason lived their lives for Him! I am often moved to tears by the stories I receive from people who find and read this blog. It's such a strange thing for me... because I never imagined that I would be in this position, writing a memorial blog for a dear friend I shared my childhood with (as well as for his beloved fiance). I wish they were still here! But I feel blessed and honored to maintain this in their memory. It has been therapeutic for me in so many ways! And I have grown so much spiritually... in my relationship with God and in my understanding of Him. I am so blessed and humbled that other people read this blog to learn more about Jason & Lindsay and the love that they had for the Lord!

In honor of Lindsay's birthday, I asked her family if they would share their thoughts. This is from her father:

Some would say that if Lindsay was still alive she would have been 28-years-old today. But I say that Lindsay IS alive and that she IS 28-years-old today. She was born 28 years ago, and she is still alive. In fact, she is more alive today than she has ever been before. 2 Corinthians 5:4-5 says, "For indeed while we are in this (earthly) tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge." A little more than five years ago, Lindsay and Jason were "swallowed up by life." So I can truthfully say that Lindsay IS 28 today. I don’t know how that translates into eternity; I just know that she is alive! She and Jason, together at once, went to sleep in the Lord and woke up in life eternal and knew themselves to be more alive than we can imagine.

So Kathy and I want to say, "Happy birthday, Lindsay! You ARE 28 today and you are exalted far above your dad and mom! When we think of you, which is every day, we think of you as Jude 24-25 describes you: "Now to Him who is able to keep you (Lindsay, and Jason) from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." Lindsay, you ARE 28 today, and we are so proud of you for being devoted to the One who made you stand in His glorious presence blameless with great joy! Our missing you is nearly unbearable at times, but we are pleased and proud of you beyond measure, and we give your great God glory, honor and praise! We love you, Lindsay! And we love you, Jason!"

I have to say, one of the biggest things that God has shown me throughout all of this is a massive change of my perspective on life! Not just life here on this planet, but ETERNAL life. God really opened my eyes to the PROMISE of Heaven! It dawned on me that Jason & Lindsay never actually ceased to exist. The moment they died, they were in the presence of the ONE and ONLY Holy God! That is what Lindsay's father is talking about. They are more alive now than ever before because they are in Heaven... and there is NO better place to be!

Lindsay's brother-in-law Ben Croghan (who is married to her only sibling/sister) wrote this in her memory:

Lindsay
Healing seems to take time
With pain ever present
The scars remind
Of times from the past
Memories so raw
Oh Lord sustain us, through it all
We’ve lost someone dear
Without replace
We long for her, reunited embrace
Hearts weigh heavy
No despair
Our Faith is strong, in Your gentle Care

"Weep, but briefly, for your loved ones as they enter into the Kingdom of God. For they shall possess a joy and peace that is unattainable on God’s earthly realm. Rather, rejoice in their everlasting and total happiness, for their eyes have seen God."

Happy 28th Birthday Lindsay! ♥

Five years...

2009-08-15T08:24:00.004-04:00

(Looking at this photo breaks my heart all over again!) :(
I want to begin with a beautiful note from Jason's parents:

"We miss our kids as much as ever, but the Lord has been so good to reveal to us how He is still using this tragedy to change lives. We cannot comprehend His ways nor His timing, but just trust, in simple faith, that He will continue to work out a wonderful plan. Our desire is to give God the glory in all that He does, in joyful times and in difficult situations. We thank everyone for their words of encouragement and for your prayers. We are in California, visiting friends at Rock'n'Water and so appreciate the role they played in Jason and Lindsay's lives.
~ Bob and Delores

Today marks the 5th "anniversary" of the day that Jason & Lindsay were killed. ♥

I can't believe it's been 5 years already! Five years ago today... none of us knew yet what had happened. In the days that followed... this tragedy that is every parents' nightmare became a reality for the Allens and the Cutshalls. But their attitude and rock-solid faith in God became a testament to God's grace and presence in the midst of such a heart-wrenching and life-altering tragedy. I have learned SO MUCH from them!

What happened to Jason & Lindsay forever changed my life! At the time that it happened, I wasn't taking my faith very seriously... and I'm ashamed to say that. But when I learned of the way that Jason & Lindsay were truly living their lives for Christ... God really opened my eyes to the fact that there was another way He wanted me to be living! He wanted me to be living my life for HIM... and not for myself. That takes some real discipline because it's SO easy in this world to get trapped in the "me first" mentality! And I'm sure many of you reading this know exactly what I mean! But we are all on this planet for a reason... for a God-given purpose. No matter how we were born, who we were born to, where we came from or what we've been through... NONE of us are here by accident! We are here because God put us here. But it is up to us whether or not we choose to believe in Him and follow Him.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
~ Jeremiah 29:11

Jason and Lindsay hoped to influence young people to follow Jesus. They wanted to set an example with their lives, and they were doing so... but God allowed them to die. I don't understand all of God's reasoning behind it... but He clearly knew that many MANY people would come to know Christ through this tragedy! God has been SO good! It was evident, immediately after Jason & Lindsay's deaths, that God was never going to let this happen in vain! I will thank Him for that for eternity! God knew that this would hurt like crazy for those who knew and loved Jason & Lindsay... but He also knew that we all would be refined by it, that people would find Him through it, and that He would ultimately be glorified! And I'm SURE that Jason & Lindsay are so humbled! God loved them enough to set an example for us with their lives and their deaths. He chose them for a reason! His ways are not always our ways, but He is wiser and He is HOLY... and I am always in awe of the mysterious ways that He works.

I am praying for all of you who will read this! I hope that you are encouraged by Jason & Lindsay's story, because it is a real God story as well! God can use everything we go through, both good and bad, for our good if we let Him. He breathed life into each and every one of us... and He loves us all SO much!

I know that a lot of people wonder how a loving God could allow such suffering in the world. I don't understand it either... but I've experienced enough of God's grace, peace and presence in such powerful ways that it's changed my entire perspective on EVERYTHING! I had the blessing to go to South Africa on a mission trip a year ago... and I saw a lot of suffering there. But the beautiful people I met and worked with there who had relatively NOTHING were some of the truest Christ-following people I have ever been blessed to meet in my entire life! Because they have so little, they rely on God for everything! Their faith in Him is authentic and powerful; they expect miracles and get miracles! The same God that loves us and wants to know us, is the same God who carries them through the difficulties of poverty and disease. None of the people I met there complained once about their situation. I'm sure they know the injustice of it all, since literally just down the road, people are living in wealth and prosperity. But they see the opportunity in every difficulty... and for them, the joy of Christ far outweighs the sorrow they've experienced.

That is the same God I choose to follow! He is the same God that so many people have lived and died for! He is a loving God who wants to carry us through the suffering in our lives... because there will be suffering. None of us are exempt. But you will never have true hope if you choose to walk alone.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you."
~ Deuteronomy 31:6

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
~ Matthew 11:28-30

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."
~ Psalm 42:5-6a

"But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love."
~ Psalm 33:18

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Whom He has given us."
~ Romans 5:1-5

Please pray for Jason & Lindsay's families! No doubt this 5 year mark is going to be very difficult in many ways. There is still a lot of pain... but God is always gracious. ♥ He is VERY real and VERY present in the sorrow of all who love Him.

Suspect's DNA does not match...

2009-08-02T15:23:00.012-04:00

I guess this isn't really that big of a surprise (because it was a long shot), but part of me is disappointed that the DNA of Joseph Burgess didn't match what was found at the scene. I guess it doesn't completely rule him out, but chances are... their killer is still out there. Please pray for the truth to be revealed! Someone out there knows something! It would bring a lot of comfort and relief to everyone who knew Jason & Lindsay if their killer could finally be brought to justice! August 15 (in less than two weeks) marks the 5 year "anniversary." Pray for their families!

No Link to Jenner Slaying Found in Fugitive's DNA (PDF)
Friday, July 31, 2009

By DEREK MOORE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Authorities say they are unable to link a dead fugitive to the 2004 slayings of a couple on a beach near Jenner, dashing hopes of solving a case that continues to baffle investigators and torment the victims’ families.
A DNA sample taken from Joseph Henry Burgess and a bullet found among his possessions do not match evidence gathered by investigators in the Jenner case, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department said Friday.
While that doesn’t rule out the 62-year-old Burgess as a person of interest in the case, the findings also fail to establish that he had anything to do with the beach slayings.
“It’s frustrating, but that’s the business we are in,” Sonoma County Sheriff’s Capt. Matt McCaffrey said Friday.
Burgess, who was wanted in connection with the 1972 slayings of a young couple on a beach in Canada, was killed July 16 in a gun battle with New Mexico sheriff’s deputies that left a deputy dead.
Sonoma County detectives traveled to New Mexico last week searching for evidence that might have implicated Burgess in the Jenner case.
Lindsay Cutshall, 22, and her fiance, 26-year-old Jason Allen, were found shot to death on Aug. 18, 2004. The couple were camped out on Fish Head Beach on what was supposed to be their final weekend in California before returning home to Ohio and marrying.
The case bears strong resemblance to the 1972 slayings of Ann Durrant, a 20-year-old Canadian, and Leif Carlsson, 19, an exchange student from Sweden, who were camping on a remote beach near Tofino, on West Vancouver Island.
Police said that after the couple went to sleep, Burgess, who was then 25 and a Vietnam-era draft dodger, snuck out from the bushes and shot each one in the head with a .22-caliber rifle.
Burgess, who was described by police as a religious fanatic, did not approve of pre-marital sex and had told a witness that the young couple’s behavior bothered him.
Cutshall and Allen had taken vows of chastity and were in separate sleeping bags when they were shot. But like Durrant and Carlsson, the couple was open about their Christian beliefs, beliefs that in theory could have made them targets to someone such as Burgess.
But no one knew the New Jersey-born man was even alive before his deadly encounter two weeks ago with two New Mexico sheriff’s deputies who were conducting a surveillance operation to nab a thief dubbed “The Cookie Bandit.”
The intruder had been breaking into cabins in New Mexico’s Jemez mountains for a decade and stealing food and other items. On this particular morning, he chose to enter the cabin where the deputies were staked out, leading to an intense fight.
Despite being handcuffed, Burgess managed to reach a .357-revolver tucked in his waistband behind his back and start firing. Both he and Sgt. Joe Harris of the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Department died in the ensuing gun battle.
Authorities later determined that Burgess’ gun was registered to another man who was reported missing in 2007 after he failed to return from a camping trip in the Jemez mountains.
Sonoma County detectives took DNA samples from Burgess to compare with DNA found in saliva that was on a beer bottle recovered from the Jenner beach.
Normally, such tests can take weeks or months. But the California Department of Justice made it a priority, underscoring interest in the case and hopes that it might finally be solved.
McCaffrey said Friday that had the DNA matched, it would have been strong evidence that Burgess took part in the slayings, as it would have placed him at the beach.
A positive match on an expended .45-caliber bullet that was found among Burgess’ possessions could have been an even more definitive link.
Investigators have identified two types of rifles, both made by Marlin Firearms Co. in North Haven, Conn., that could have been used to kill Cutshall and Allen, who were each shot once in the head.
One rifle is a lever-action type known as the Model 1894. The other is the Model 45, which is semi-automatic and more commonly referred to as a “camp carbine.”
The rifles are unique in that they use ammunition that also can be used in handguns.
McCaffrey said the bullet found in New Mexico was determined to have been fired from a pistol, and not from the rifle used in the Jenner slayings. He said the spent bullet has been sent back to New Mexico.
McCaffrey said no other items possibly related to the Jenner case were found in New Mexico. He said authorities there are still searching for evidence, but that Sonoma County investigators “are not holding our breaths.”
He also spoke of the frustration of not finding a definitive resolution as the five-year anniversary of the couple’s deaths approaches this month.
“We’ve had so many times where we’ve had evidence or a suspect where we thought, ‘Boy, this looks really good,’” he said. “But we have to keep from getting too high or low on any case. You can’t get too emotionally attached.”

LINKS TO ADDITIONAL ARTICLES:

No DNA Match on Possible Killer of Holland Twp. Man and Fiancee (PDF) -- (Holland Sentinel, West Michigan)

DNA Doesn't Implicate Man in Jenner Killing (PDF) -- (San Francisco Chronicle)

Update on Evidence in the 2004 Jenner Double Murder Case (PDF) -- (Sonoma County Sheriff's Dept. Press Release)

UPDATE: Suspect killed in shootout with police...

2009-07-21T21:46:00.035-04:00

Well, I finally have some news to post! I'm not sure if this will turn out to be relevant to Jason & Lindsay's case or not, but we will soon find out!

Last week Thursday, one of the top suspects in Jason & Lindsay's murder case was killed in a shootout with police in New Mexico. This suspect, Joseph Henry Burgess, was wanted for the murders of another young couple (who were killed in a very similar way) up in Canada back in 1972. Police in New Mexico did not know his identity until he was killed. Read more of the details in the article and links below.

I am hoping and praying that the detectives can determine, once and for all, whether or not this man killed Jason & Lindsay! If they find that his DNA does not match the trace evidence left at the scene... then we'll know at least two families (the families of Ann Durrant and Leif Carlsson) will have some sense of closure. Nothing can bring their loved ones back... but capturing (in this case, killing) the person responsible for their deaths at least puts that much to rest. God bless them!

Please read the article below... and please pray for Jason & Lindsay's families! This clearly will be an emotional time for them for many reasons... including the fact that the 5th anniversary of Jason & Lindsay's deaths is coming up in less than a month!

Also, please pray for the families of Ann and Leif... as well as the police officer, Sgt. Joe Harris, who was fatally wounded by Burgess before return fire killed Burgess himself.

'Person of Interest' in '04 Jenner Beach Slayings Killed in New Mexico Shootout (PDF)
Tuesday, July 21, 2009

By DEREK MOORE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Hiding out in a cabin in New Mexico’s Juarez mountains before dawn, two sheriff’s deputies watched homes across the street for signs of the elusive “Cookie Bandit.”
They were hoping to catch the thief in the act. For more than a decade, someone had been breaking into the cabins northwest of Albuquerque and stealing items needed for outdoor survival.
Suddenly, the deputies were confronted last week by an armed man inside their hideout, leading to an intense but brief gun battle in which the intruder and one of the deputies died.
Adding to the shock was the man’s identity: Joseph Henry Burgess, 62, who is a person of interest in four killings spanning 37 years, including the 2004 slayings of a Christian couple on a beach near Jenner.
That Burgess was alive at all was a surprise, given that he had eluded authorities for so long.
“I assumed the guy was dead. I was very surprised when I first heard it,” said Ohio minister Chris Cutshall. His 22-year-old daughter, Lindsay, was shot to death along with her fiancee, Jason Allen, 26, almost five years ago on the secluded Sonoma County beach.
The slayings are perhaps the county’s most notorious unsolved crime. Detectives who’ve spent years following leads will be going to New Mexico to try and determine whether they’ve finally solved the case, or whether this is another disappointing dead-end.
“Obviously, we’re very interested to see if he was in the area in 2004, but we realize this is going to be very difficult since this man has been under the radar since 1972,” Sonoma County Sheriff’s Capt. Matt McCaffrey said Tuesday. “He’s probably not going to leave much of a trail.”
Cutshall and Allen were shot to death in 2004 as they lay in separate sleeping bags on what Jenner locals refer to as Fishhead or Driftwood Beach. The couple had spent the summer in California white-water rafting at a Christian youth camp and were on their final getaway before heading home to Ohio and marrying.
The killings bore a close resemblance to the 1972 slayings of Ann Barbara Durrant, 20, and Leif Bertil Carlsson, 19, who were shot to death in their sleeping bag on a Vancouver Island beach.
Burgess was then a 25-year-old draft dodger from New Jersey living on the beach. He reportedly held strong religious views and made statements taking issue with the unwed couple sleeping together on the beach. Those statements, and other evidence at the scene, made him the prime suspect in the case.
The possibility that Burgess might be tied to the Jenner slayings some 30 years later hasn’t been ruled out.
McCaffrey pointed out that California is not that far out of the way for someone traveling between Canada and New Mexico. Given Burgess’s success eluding authorities and with living outdoors, it’s not a stretch to imagine the drifter slipping in and out of Jenner undetected, he said.
Burgess’s elusive ways, comgined with similarities in the Canadian and Jenner murders, have raised his profile among the numerous persons of interest identified to date by Sonoma County investigators, McCaffrey said.
“This wasn’t a guy who killed in ‘72 and moved on with his life,” McCaffrey said. “This was a person who continued to live and survive, and was armed and continued to commit crimes. It’s significant.”
But connecting Burgess to the Jenner slayings will be all the more difficult now that he is dead.
McCaffrey said detectives will search for anything that might link Burgess to the Jenner case. That includes the weapon used to kill Cutshall and Allen — a Marlin rifle, either a lever-action type known as the Model 1894 or the Model 45, which is semi-automatic and more commonly referred to as a “camp carbine.”
Such rifles are unusual in that they use ammunition that also can be used in handguns.
Burgess was armed with a handgun when he entered the New Mexico cabin last week, according to Peter Olson, communications director for the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.
In the ensuing struggle, Burgess shot and killed Sgt. Joe Harris of the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Department. Harris fired his service weapon, but it’s unclear whether those shots killed Burgess.
On Tuesday, hundreds of mourners attended the 46-year-old sergeant’s funeral. He left behind a wife and 10-year-old daughter.
Harris’s partner in the stakeout, Deputy Teresa Moriarty, was not injured during the gunbattle.
Olson said investigators found camp sites used by Burgess, along with an identification card with his name on it, a surprising find given his efforts to conceal his identity.
A photo of Burgess, taken by a surveillance camera that was being used to monitor wildlife, was released by authorities. It shows him sporting a scraggly gray beard and wearing what appears to be a warm fleece jacket, ski hat and backpack.
However, it’s doubtful Burgess spent winters camped out in the frigid New Mexico mountains, Olson said.
“If he’s connected to some of these other things, he didn’t spend all of his time in New Mexico. He might have traveled in the summer months,” Olson said.
The families of Cutshall and Allen are awaiting updates on whether the person who killed the couple may finally have been found. Next month marks the five-year anniversary of their deaths.
Finding Burgess after so many years gives Chris Cutshall hope that an answer may some day come.
“Here he is 37 years later,” Cutshall said. “At least Canada might have some answers.”
Outside of finding the murder weapon or some other direct link, McCaffrey said, definitively proving whether Burgess was involved in the Jenner slayings may be difficult.
“There might be a lot of things that show he was in the area, and in the end, we might think this is our guy,” McCaffrey said. “But there might not be enough to say definitely he is or isn’t.”

An undated surveillance photo provided by New Mexico State Police shows 62-year-old Joseph Henry Burgess of New Jersey.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL ARTICLES:

Slain Burglar Tied to Canadian Killings (PDF) -- (KRQE News 13 in Albuquerque, NM)

Jenner Beach Killings Suspect is Slain (PDF) -- (San Francisco Chronicle)

Allen/Cutshall Possible Suspect Killed (PDF) -- (Wood TV8, West Michigan)

Man Shot by Police in New Mexico May Have Ties to the Murder of a West Michigan Couple (PDF) -- (WWMT NewsChannel 3, West Michigan)

Slain Bandit Linked to Couples' Slayings (PDF) -- (FOX 17, West Michigan)

Dead Fugitive in New Mexico Suspected in California Beach Killing (PDF) -- (Holland Sentinel, West Michigan)

Allen's Family Not Convinced Burgess Killed Their Son (PDF) -- (FOX 17, West Michigan)

Deputies Pursue New Mexico Link to Jenner Slayings (PDF) -- (Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, CA)

Disturbing Details Follow Jenner Homicide Suspect (PDF) -- (Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, CA)

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
TRIBUTE TO SLAIN POLICE OFFICER:

Harris Lauded as Father, Dedicated Cop (PDF) -- (KRQE News 13 in Albuquerque, NM)

Officer's Family Remembers "Superman" (PDF) -- (KRQE News 13 in Albuquerque, NM)

Birthday message from Jason's mom...

2009-05-16T10:55:00.006-04:00

Here is a birthday message from Jason's mom, Delores, in honor of his memory today:

It doesn't seem that long ago that I held him in my arms for the first time. Little did we know what God had in store for him, but I knew God had a plan and would use him in a special way. God gave him to us for a season, a short season, then took him home for eternity. Lindsay was part of the plan. Their work was finished. They had completed everything God had intended for them to do. They left a legacy, a testimony to shine a light for others to follow. We are proud to be called their parents.

There are no birthdays in heaven, yet we celebrate his 26 years here on earth. I guess he will always be 26 to us. We look forward to being together again with Jason and Lindsay, where there will be no more good-byes. That is the hope we have in Christ!

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." [Revelation 21:4]

Happy 31st Birthday Jason!

2009-05-16T09:07:00.009-04:00

Today is Jason's birthday... he would have been 31 today.

Instead of being sad, I am looking for ways to find joy -- to celebrate the life that Jason lived while he was here and to celebrate the amazing ways that God has blessed people through his life and even through his death.

I heard on the radio a short time ago an interview with Christian music artist Tammy Trent. Back in September of 2001, her husband of 10 years, Trent Lenderink, was involved in a fatal diving accident during a trip to Jamaica. Tammy tearfully recalled what happened. (I could not find a transcript of the interview, but I did find these quotes from her online that parallel what she said.)

"Something was terribly wrong. Trent, free diving in Jamaica's Blue Lagoon, had not come up for air. After 45 minutes, I began to worry. After an hour, I was frantic. Rescue divers began searching for him. I went in the back of the restaurant at the Blue Lagoon, where I found myself lifting my hands towards heaven, crying out to God to help me. I stayed at the Blue Lagoon the entire time that they searched for Trent. After three hours, they had to call off the search because it was getting dark. That night, they took me to the nearby home of two doctors. I was up all night talking to family, friends and pastors.

On the morning of Sept. 11, they recovered the body of my husband, Trent, from the Blue Lagoon. He died of multiple contusions to the back of his head.

I remember falling to the floor screaming and crying. All I could say was, 'Jesus, what happened? Trent, baby, what happened? What went wrong? How could this possibly be good for my life? What do I do now? What am I supposed to do?' All our lives Trent and I had looked to God for guidance, for wisdom, for comfort. And so, even though my heart was breaking and I couldn't understand how He would allow such a thing to happen, I knew I didn't want to run away from God. Desperate to cling to the only thing I knew was true, I found myself crying out to Him, 'There are a million questions, and I don¹t understand any of this.' As my body ached with sadness and confusion, I just kept asking God to remind me that He was real."

Tammy went on to say that God completely amazed her in how He carried her through the pain and the anguish. Though she still misses Trent terribly, she continues to hold tight to God's promises of heaven and the reality that she will see Trent again someday. She still does not fully understand why God let it happen but she says that God has given her strength that can only come from Him and that God has really used her story to touch people's hearts and change people's lives. Then she said something that I really related to well. She said that she would NEVER consider Trent's death a blessing... but she is so grateful that God could use this tragic story to help other people find Christ. The fact that so much good can come from something that heartbreaking is a true testament to God's grace!

I can't tell you how much I felt I could relate to what Tammy said! Although the circumstances are different, the reaction is the same. I have SO many questions for God. I want to know why He didn't stop Jason & Lindsay from being murdered. I want to know why He didn't spare their families this incredible heartache and loss! But then I can see, somewhat, the "bigger picture" that our sovereign God sees. Jason & Lindsay wanted to reach lost people for Christ with their lives... and now, by God's grace, they are actually fulfilling that mission through their deaths. It is amazing to think about... but that does not mean that I am glad that Jason & Lindsay died. It is such a bittersweet thing. I want them back. I wish they were still here! I wish I didn't have to have a reason to write a memorial website for a dear friend I shared my childhood with. But God never said that life would be easy. He only said that He'd carry us through it... and He has, indeed, been faithful. If nothing else, this pain makes us long for heaven... and long for an eternity in the presence of our loving Savior. Thank you, Jesus, for your gift of Salvation! We are lost without You!

With that said, to honor Jason's memory today on his 31st birthday, I want to share with you a wonderful truth! Here is one very recent (and AMAZING) example of a life changed through Jason & Lindsay's story that brings me so much joy!:

Back in December of 2006, a brave young woman from Brazil found this memorial website after hearing about Jason & Lindsay's story in the "Our Daily Bread" publication. She listened to Lindsay's dad's audio message called "For Such a Time as This" and got in touch with the Cutshalls. Over time, through many e-mails, she shared her life story with them. Without going into too many details, she had a lot of anger and confusion toward God because she had been very hurt and betrayed by people in her life who called themselves Christians. Their attitude toward her made her, understandably, very angry over the years. Just last week, Lindsay's parents flew down to Brazil to spend a week with her to counsel her, pray with her, and share the gospel with her in person. And last week Thursday, May 7, she accepted Christ! Praise God!!! :)

Here are her words:
"My life has been touched by some great and loving people. I'm here in Brazil and they are in the USA, however, Jason and Lindsay made us a family.
I am not the same person I was and I thank God first. He broke those strong walls around me and continues to break them. I am finally breathing the reality of this life and of God. It was and still is a miracle!
I thank all of you in the USA who spent so much time praying for me. I love you all. It was a wonderful and loving week here in Brazil. Plenty of love!!!"

How AMAZING is it to see God still continuing to reach lost people for Christ through Jason & Lindsay's story?!? God is so awesome!!!

Happy 31st Birthday Jason! ♥

God's Grace...

2009-04-18T13:36:00.012-04:00

I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything... it's just that there's nothing new to post! (At least nothing new in terms of updates on the investigation.) In a way, it's disappointing and sad... but that has nothing to do with the investigators. They are amazing and are doing the best they can with the leads that come their way. God bless them!

This August it will be 5 years since Jason & Lindsay died and I am truly amazed (and grateful) at how many people are still interested in their story! I added a webpage counter and a visitor map to this site back in August (2008) and I am astounded at the traffic this page receives! I do hear from a lot of people (via e-mail) that they heard about this story through the E! channel's documentary that re-airs from time to time. I am pleased to hear that since that documentary did a very good job of accurately representing Jason & Lindsay's true character. There has been other media coverage in the past few years (both in print and in video) that has not been so accurate and that really bothers me. I don't like to see Jason & Lindsay inaccurately portrayed since they are no longer here to defend themselves. (If you read through the archives on this site, you'll see commentary regarding all of that.)

With that said, I am so encouraged at how God has used this story to touch people's lives! I know that I've said this countless times before... but it continues to amaze me. It's truly a testament to God's grace that something as horrible as a double murder of two completely innocent people can be used to do good in the lives of others. Jason & Lindsay lived a life dedicated to serving the Lord and through their deaths, their lives became an example of remarkable faith! Their families also display this same powerful faith in a way that defies explanation, apart from God's presence in their lives! So, although I wish so much that Jason & Lindsay had not been killed, I am grateful that God has brought a large measure of comfort through the way people keep learning about Christ because of their story. God works miracles even through tragedies like this one! What didn't make sense to me, now does, in a way. But I still continue to pray for justice. There is a cold-blooded killer out there who is a danger to society and needs to take responsibility for his/her actions!

So, I just wanted to thank all of you who have shown an interest in Jason & Lindsay's story. I hope that, someday, perhaps even with the help of any of you, we may find justice for them. Someone out there knows something! Someone out there knows who did this and I pray that they find the courage to come forward.

Lindsay's 27th Birthday!

2008-09-09T08:15:00.015-04:00

Lindsay at Donner Lake in California, near Lake Tahoe.
Summer 2004 (I love this picture!)
Today is Lindsay's birthday... she would have been 27 today! I wish I would have had the chance to get to know her. I had only met her once. At least I know that I will get the chance to know her in heaven! All of eternity awaits us. :) So, this year... to honor her memory, I asked her family to write something for me to post here. Here is a note from her father:

"On Lindsay's birthday, four years after being taken from us, our thoughts are focused on her past earthly life with us and her present eternal life with the Lord in her heavenly home -- but that's not too different from most days. Our great love for our precious daughter will never diminish but her beauty in Christ will continue to increase. Kathy and I recently returned from a visit to California where we spent time with the family that was converted to Christ because of Lindsay and Jason. Once again God proved Himself faithful to the promise that He causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, which is being conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-29). We also visited our detectives who are still very committed to our case. We discovered that they needed to see us as much as we needed to see them. It was a time of mutual encouragement. We continue to be very proud of them. We also visited the camp where our children served so faithfully when they were taken home. There at the memorial we wept and glorified God together for His sovereign grace. Kathy and I continue to be very proud of Lindsay and Jason. They lived well and died holy and live forever! And we continue to hallow the name of our Father in heaven and exalt the name of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for your prayers for us. God has been good to answer them. May He greatly bless you."

There's an awesome song by Steven Curtis Chapman called "With Hope" that is about the painful loss of someone dearly loved. In light of the devastating tragedy that he and his family have recently endured, I'm sure these words mean much more now. Here is the main chorus of the song that I love... and I wanted to share it now to reflect what Lindsay's father wrote above:

We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
There's a place where we'll see your face again...

And because of God's promises, we know that to be true. As believers in Christ and His death on the cross to pay the penalty of our sins... we are now clothed in righteousness before God. We cannot earn it... it is a gift that only Christ could give. And in accepting that gift, we are promised eternity in heaven. We can rest assured in that.

♥ Happy Birthday Lindsay! ♥

Low-budget movie to be made...

2008-08-20T13:36:00.008-04:00

Recently, it has been made known that there is an amateur filmmaker from Santa Rosa, California, who wants to re-create Jason & Lindsay's murders for a movie he's making. In my personal opinion, it is extremely disrespectful... despite his claims that he's going to represent the story in a "fictionalized way" and in "the most tasteful manner." Being that he is from Santa Rosa... and everyone in that community is extremely familiar with this murder case... it will be lost on no one which story he is recreating on film. So any freedoms he decides to take with their story will easily be taken as an actual event or fact and could seriously damage Jason & Lindsay's character.

Here's the article:

SR filmmaker touches on 2004 Jenner slayings:
Murdered couple's story part of plot in Cardinal Newman grad's low-budget thriller
Thursday, July 31, 2008

By DEREK J. MOORE | Santa Rosa Press Democrat
As fog gathers on the horizon, a lone figure stands on a bluff overlooking a beach north of Jenner and snaps photos of the vanishing sun.
The young woman is a Sacramento actress playing the part of a devoutly Christian 20-something who visits the beach with her older fiance. Later that night, they are shot to death as they sleep on the sand.
If that scenario sounds familiar, it's because a young Christian couple was killed in shocking fashion on the beach in 2004.
The unsolved case still resonates and is just one of many interesting angles Santa Rosa filmmaker Aron Campisano plans to use in the couple's story on the big screen.
The low-budget effort reflects the relative ease with which people can bring cinematic art to life in the Internet age, as well as the risks inherent in fictionalizing gut-wrenching, true-life events that are still fresh in memory.
The 38-year-old graduate of Cardinal Newman High School and New York University's film school said the tragic story of Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall is one element in a movie he described as a "Hitchcock-like thriller" about young people who realize they've been killed and struggle to understand what happened.
"It's not like 'America's Most Wanted,'" he said. "I'm not trying to replicate what happened or document it. It's just going to be a reflection of those characters."
Campisano's previous venture, a yet-to-be-released low-budget movie called "The Master Plan" that some deemed to be critical of Christianity -- coupled with his own personal views about religion -- have raised concern about his intentions among the families of the dead couple and investigators on the case.
Campisano said he does not want to offend anyone.
"My intention from day one was to represent, in a fictionalized way, what occurred there in the most tasteful manner," he said. "There are no action scenes. There are no death scenes. It's not a documentary-style film of actual events. It makes references to things through images."
He described the project, titled "Adventure!!!," as being more philosophical in nature than religious, as opposed to "The Master Plan," which he said some friends and relatives thought had an anti-religious bent. He described himself as agnostic and suspicious of organized belief.
Campisano said he was intrigued that the families of Allen and Cutshall saw their deaths as being part of God's plan, when his view of their actions is more jaundiced.
"They were pushing boundaries in their lives," he said. "They're Christian youth counselors who are painted as idealistic icons in death, as a lot of people are. But if you look at what they did that day, they were illegally camping on the beach, which they knew they shouldn't do."
Family members of the couple are wary of Campisano's efforts.
"Obviously it is going to reflect on our kids one way or another, perhaps negatively, perhaps positively or perhaps both," said Chris Cutshall, Lindsay's father and pastor of a church in rural Ohio. "I would be a little concerned on how that would reflect on us and them, and especially on God."
His daughter, who was 22 when she was killed, spent the summer of 2004 with Allen, 26, at a Christian whitewater rafting camp in El Dorado County, where they worked as youth counselors and rafting guides.
They were killed on what was supposed to be their final weekend in California before heading home and getting married.
Authorities said someone shot the pair each once in the head with a rifle as they lay in separate sleeping bags on what Jenner locals refer to as Fishhead or Driftwood Beach.
Despite hundreds of tips, several potential suspects and a $50,000 reward issued by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the case continues to baffle local residents and investigators.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department continues to actively work the case as the fourth anniversary of the killings approaches in mid-August, Capt. Dave Edmonds said.
He said the department has not received any requests in that time for assistance with a book or movie related to the slayings.
Edmonds said such endeavors can have the positive effect of generating renewed interest in a case. But he echoed the concerns of the families in saying that such publicity can also cause more pain if done in poor taste.
Campisano said he is prevented by legal reasons from hewing too closely to actual events, as he does not own the rights to the story.
Whether the film is made at all or picked up for distribution is another story altogether. Campisano said it took him four years to wrap up "The Master Plan," which may have its premiere at an East Coast film festival this year.
Campisano said he's living with his parents while bankrolling his new venture using "private equity." He represents a new breed of artists who, armed with a video camera, access to the Internet and some technical skill, can call themselves filmmakers.
He said "Adventure!!!" pays homage to some of his favorite movies, including "The Sixth Sense" and "Memento." The exclamation points in the title reflect the way many young people communicate using copious amounts of punctuation, he said.
Campisano used an ad on the free Internet site Craigslist to find actors for the movie's trailer, which he shot last weekend. He hopes to film more scenes in October.
The ad described the character of "Jay" as being in his mid-20s, outdoorsy and having strong Christian beliefs. "Lisa," his younger fiancee, is a free spirit, still in college, who tends to keep to herself and was raised in the Midwest.
The parts are played by Evan Owen, an actor from Los Angeles, and Nicole Mosbacher, who is from Sacramento.
In addition to filming in and around Jenner last Sunday, Campisano and his actors went to San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf on Saturday to film scenes there.
In real life, Cutshall and Allen visited Pier 39 on their way to Jenner. Authorities recovered Cutshall's camera and photos she took of the beach where the couple spent the night.
"Adventure!!!" also will explore Campisano's interest in the natural world, and how inconsequential human life is in the grander scheme of things. He said it's a lesson he learned while watching his 58-year-old father's ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer.
"I guess I found it a little profound that only people care about what happened to Jason and Lindsay," he said via e-mail. "Only people try to make sense of it. Only people rationalize this way or that way. In time, the ocean washes it all away, and nature remains."

My direct response to Aron Campisano:

Regarding your criticism pointing out that Jason & Lindsay slept on a beach where it was illegal to do so... 1) I don't even know if it was posted anywhere on that beach that it was illegal to camp out there (and even if it was, they may or may not have seen it) and 2) even if they did know, if that's the worst of their offenses, that does not imply that they are completely shady or inauthentic. Our fond reflections of them and their lives are accurate... not hyped. It may seem that, in death, many people are set upon a pedestal... but there is no exaggeration when it comes to what we've said about Jason & Lindsay. No, they weren't perfect... no one is... but they were extremely devoted to living for Jesus in ways that outshine the rest of us by a long shot, myself included. Please don't jump to conclusions based upon such a measly accusation and then presume that they weren't as we say they were. It certainly does not give you the right to make a movie about the crime that ended their lives and then paint it in your own light. My deep concern is that your portrayal of what happened will damage Jason & Lindsay's character somehow. You need to make it CLEAR that this is your OWN version of what happened and that it is fictional. My goodness... even in the last segment featuring Jason & Lindsay's case on America's Most Wanted, they took a "reenactment scene" from a completely different story that they thought somehow fit this one too, and made it look like Jason & Lindsay were sleeping together on that beach. I got e-mails from people, just based on that brief reenactment scene, that were accusatory of Jason & Lindsay because they were incorrectly portrayed. Jason & Lindsay were in separate individual sleeping bags and an autopsy even showed that Lindsay was still pure... because they were trying to determine whether or not their killer had raped her. So... you may have the legal right to make this film, but you have the RESPONSIBILITY not to. Simply changing the characters' names to "Jay" and "Lisa" isn't doing anyone any favors. To profit off of the horrific murders of two people who were dearly loved and are dearly missed... especially when the crime is unsolved... is abhorrent. That's just my opinion. It is indecent to make money off of someone else's heartbreak.

At the very LEAST... I believe it is your duty to let Jason & Lindsay's families watch your finished film before anyone else does. Because it doesn't matter that this film is supposed to be fictional and that the characters names have been mildly modified... it still reflects directly upon Jason & Lindsay's lives and deaths. You can't argue any differently.

Sonoma County Press Release

2008-08-19T16:28:00.003-04:00

---------------------------------
Jenner Double Homicide Investigation
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 1:12 PM
Jenner Double Homicide Investigation
Fourth Anniversary

This week marks the fourth anniversary of the murder of Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall. The bodies of 22 year-old Lindsay Cutshall and 26 year-old Jason Allen were located on a beach just north of Jenner, California on August 18th, 2004. Cutshall and Allen each died of gunshot wounds to the head. The weapon used in the crime is believed to be a .45 caliber Marlin rifle, a semi-automatic or lever action. This weapon has not been recovered.

Both Cutshall and Allen were Christian missionaries, who had been working at a Christian Camp in El Dorado County, They were due to be married in September, 2004.

On Monday, August 16, 2004, a missing persons report was filed with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department when the couple failed to return from a weekend trip. Their bodies were discovered two days later on Fish Head Beach, near Jenner.

The case has attracted international attention and information regarding the investigation has been aired on America’s Most Wanted and 20 Most Shocking Unsolved Crimes.

To date, over twelve hundred tips have been fielded and entered into a law enforcement database. Each of these tips has been followed-up on. Every week new tips continue to come in and are entered into the database and followed-up on as well.

This case has been an on-going investigation, which the Sheriff’s Department remains committed to solving, by bringing the responsible person(s) to justice.

Currently, there is $60,000.00 of reward money for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for this crime. Governor Schwarzenegger’s Office has offered $50,000.00 and the Carole Sund/Carrington Foundation has offered $10,000.00.

Press Release prepared by Sergeant Tim Duke

For questions regarding this press release, contact Sgt Tim Duke at (707) 565-2185. Reference Crime Report #040818-034.

Four years...

2008-08-15T10:10:00.017-04:00

Four years ago already, it is hard to believe. Four years ago today, someone committed an unspeakable crime that took the lives of two beautiful people. A son, a daughter, someone's brother, someone's sister, a soon-to-be husband and his soon-to-be wife. I only wish I knew why... because it was completely pointless. And currently, as far as I know, there is no answer to that yet. No suspect has been caught or charged.

I'll never forget how surreal that whole week was. I couldn't concentrate at work because I was so concerned about what could have happened. Jason & Lindsay's parents had flown to California and we were all just waiting to find out if they'd been found. We all thought maybe they got lost or stranded somewhere somehow... no one wanted to think about the worst-case scenario. When word came that the worst-case scenario was the reality... it happened to be on my 27th birthday. The worst birthday of my life. A pivotal day in my life. But in God's majestic sovereignty, He was able to make that turning point not one that led to bitterness but one that led to a whole new perspective that changed my life forever. I am not the same person. In a way, I kind of reflect upon my life as "before" and "after" Jason & Lindsay's deaths. That sounds strange... but it's not the crime itself that changed me... it's the way through which God exemplified a life of commitment and servitude to Him (as He honored Jason & Lindsay's lives) that changed me. And I am not the only one.

It has been such a privilege to host this website in memorial to them. I have heard from so many people who either knew them or didn't know them, who were remarkably transformed by their story. I started this website right after their deaths because what happened to them completely shook me to my very core. Jason had been such a big part of my life growing up and I can't tell you how it ripped my heart out that his life ended in such a horribly violent way. It seemed so unfair and gut-wrenchingly unbelievable. I felt like I wanted to do something to honor him and the woman he loved with all of his heart... because that is the very least I could do. I hope that in some small way, this lifts them up... not for their glory but for God's... because they lived for Him and now live WITH Him.

Lindsay's dad did a recent radio interview with Moody Broadcasting Network that I want to share. I am always struck by the grace with which he speaks. Both of these families radiate grace... and I love that. Please pray for them as they are mourning the loss of Jason & Lindsay again today... these milestone days are not easy ones. We can rejoice that Jason & Lindsay are alive with Jesus but that doesn't mean their precious families miss them any less.

To listen to these, right-click on them and choose "Save Target As." Then save it to your computer and listen from there. Thanks!

Part One Part Two Part Three
"Cast your cares upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." --Psalm 55:22

Jason's 30th birthday! :)

2008-05-16T08:13:00.013-04:00

"Thank God for His promises, and the hope we have of heaven if we know Christ. Thank God also that someday we will be reunited with those who have entered heaven before us. But most of all, thank God that in heaven we will be with Christ forever." -- Billy Graham

30 years ago today (on May 16, 1978), Jason Scott Allen was born... the firstborn child (and only son) to his parents. :) I imagine that they had no idea the impact that his life would have on the world. I know that when I was little, I had no clue what the future held for him or myself or any of us. I just assumed that life would happen and that we would all be happy and live until we were old. When Jason died, it shattered that thought process for me. I thought that I would never be able to recall my precious childhood memories without being overwhelmed with sadness because of what happened to him. We had SO much fun when we were kids. Jason and I and our sisters (as well as other friends on the street and in the neighborhood) were incredibly blessed. We were safe, had loving parents and families and had no idea the capacity for evil that the world held. I pray that all children grow up like that... completely carefree and full of life! :) We were and are continually blessed because of it.

L to R: Jason, Sara (my sister), Elizabeth (his sister), & me...
filling up the kiddie pool. :)

It amazes me that this is already the 4th birthday for Jason that has passed since he and Lindsay died. I wonder how he and Lindsay would have spent today to celebrate this milestone birthday? I wonder if they would have had children by now and if their dream of starting an adventure camp for kids would have come to fruition? There are so many possibilities. Yet I know that they fulfilled God's plan for their lives even though they died so young. God could have stopped it from happening but He didn't. He knew the great things that He could bring from this horrible tragedy... that He could reach lost hearts and change the eternities of countless people! This is not something anyone would have volunteered for, of course -- but God's ways are always bigger than ours and we have to trust Him. I remember hearing the story of a woman who experienced something similar when her husband was martryed in Turkey last year... and God used that to bring about glory as well. She said something to the effect of, "I would never have chosen to go through this... but I will never regret the things that God has taught me because of it. I will always be grateful that He used this to do significant good in my life and in the lives of others." What incredible faith! One of the greatest reasons why Jason & Lindsay's deaths had such an impact on my own life was the faith lived out by their families. Instead of being angry at God, they fell right into His loving arms when they were in the midst of that storm. They praised Him for His faithfulness and sovereignty instead of scorning Him for allowing this to happen. I witnessed in them faith that I had never seen before. So my gratitude is as much to them as it is to the lives of faith that Jason & Lindsay lived by. These families are remarkable. They may never know how grateful I am to them for their example... and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way.

I think that we also need to remember that God's perspective on death is so much different from ours... especially the deaths of those who have received Jesus' gift of Salvation, because it is actually the beginning of eternal life in heaven. He sees the whole canvas (the eternal perspective)... we only see a tiny part of the painting (our human/limited perspective). He took Jason & Lindsay home -- and because of Jesus they are still alive, not in flesh but in spirit. One day we WILL see them again and that is awesome to think about! At the same time though, we all know that it is heartwrenching for anyone to continue living here after losing people they love so much. And because of the horrific way in which Jason & Lindsay died, I can't imagine how hard it is for their parents, sisters and other close relatives... especially on days like this and on other holidays. This is a reality they live with all the time... it's not something that just goes away or fades into the background. But they do understand as much as is possible of God's perspective. They hold dearly to the promises of God because He is always faithful... even in the depths of grief. If nothing else, this has made them keep their eyes and hearts focused on heaven and has given them a kind of eternal perspective that many others miss.

Jason's 26th birthday... the last one he celebrated before
he and Lindsay were killed 3 months later...

If anyone out there reading this knew Jason and/or Lindsay at some point in their lives and would like to share a story, please e-mail me or leave a comment to let me know. I would LOVE to offer this website as a place where everyone who knew them could share their thoughts and memories. Or... if you only knew Jason & Lindsay from afar or never met them at all, but their lives have had an impact on your own, please feel free to share your stories as well! Thanks!

Happy 30th Birthday Jason! :)

You will never ever be forgotten. I am so grateful to you for the friendship that we had when we were growing up. I am blessed to have known you.

My 6th birthday party... me and Jason are sitting in the middle.

Jason & Lindsay's story featured on E!

2007-12-11T12:46:00.002-05:00

If any of you get a chance, please check out a show called the "20 Most Shocking Unsolved Crimes" on the E! channel this week. It first aired Sunday night (Dec. 9) but it will re-air this week a few more times. Please note that the show is 2 hours long. I haven't seen it yet, but I am going to watch it tonight at my parents' house, as they have recorded it for me. (I don't have cable.) :)

Check TV Guide online for local listings. They may be showing at different times in your area.

It will re-air at the following times (in the Eastern Time Zone):
Wed. Dec. 12 -- 8:00 PM
Fri. Dec. 14 -- 12:30 AM
Fri. Dec. 14 -- 9:00 AM
Sat. Dec. 15 -- 1:00 PM

From what I've heard, Jason & Lindsay's story was portrayed very well and accurately. It's always a concern how TV shows represent Jason & Lindsay because their authenticity as believers and followers of Christ has sometimes inadvertantly appeared questionable. Please know that Jason & Lindsay WERE the "real deal." I've said it many times before... they loved Jesus with all of their hearts and truly lived to serve Him! They were obedient to His Word and were faithful and amazing people. I hope and pray that their story will truly touch people's hearts and stir a desire within them to want to get to know the same God who was/is the Focus of their life's passion.

Please keep Jason & Lindsay's families in your continued thoughts and prayers. The Christmas holiday season is always a hard time of year for any family who is desperately missing a beloved member (or members) of their family.

God bless & have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory..." ~~John 1:14
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATE: I watched it and it was great! If you get a chance to see it, their story is about 15 minutes into the 2 hour show. Jason & Lindsay were portrayed accurately and I loved how they showed actual video clips of them instead of just photos. Lindsay's dad and brother-in-law were interviewed and they did a great job too. It is so surreal though to see someone you knew personally on a TV show of the nation's top 20 most shocking unsolved crimes (I was shaking and choked up as I watched it)... especially when their case is up there with really notorious crimes like the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and the murders of JonBenet Ramsey and Chandra Levy. But I'm grateful that its getting more people aware of their story and the case. I just keep hoping and praying that their killer will be brought to justice and that the remainder of these shocking crimes will also be solved.

Happy Birthday Lindsay!

2007-09-09T22:34:00.001-04:00

Today is Lindsay's birthday... she would have been 26 years old.

In two days, September 11, she and Jason would have been celebrating their 3rd anniversary as husband and wife.

In honor of her relatively short yet remarkable life and her incredible testimony, I wanted to share again some of the things Lindsay wrote in her journals that her parents shared at the memorial service. This young woman had a true heart for Jesus! She was gentle and humble and served the Lord with all of her heart. I hope that no one who reads or hears about Jason & Lindsay's story "walks away" unchanged. These two young people were so different from most people their age. They didn't try to conform to the world... instead they lived selflessly and served others in the name of Jesus! They both had very few material possessions because such things meant little to them. Their treasures were in Jesus, their family and friends and in God's creation! They pursued and enjoyed outdoor activities that placed them right in the middle of God's creation and even found ways to serve Him in doing so.

Excerpts from Lindsay's journals are below. The last one was the one she wrote as she sat with Jason and watched the sun go down the very night that they were killed. It's very sweet to know that she and Jason spent their last moments in awe of God's creation here on earth. Only hours later, they were experiencing God's glory in heaven for the very first time, which is far greater than our human minds can comprehend!

"I greatly desire to have many crowns to give my God when I get to heaven... Nothing on earth matters in light of eternity. It is so easy to get caught up in the things of the world and forget what really matters... How amazing that we have forever to spend with Christ! The more we worship and spend our lives for Christ on earth the better we can serve Him in heaven... I sometimes think of myself as a pilgrim in a foreign land traveling through life. We are here temporarily. I should be less materialistic and give more to God. Don't waste time!"

[It is interesting that she says she should be less materialistic when, as was previously mentioned, she and Jason valued material possessions very little and had very few material possessions. Yet she felt as though she should be even less materialistic than that! What an amazing young woman!]

~~~~~~~~~~

"Heaven will be a wonderful place of no suffering, hurt, loneliness; it's a great thing to look forward to."
~~~~~~~~~~

"God wants me to know that I have a purpose and that He is preparing me for that. It's all about God! So stop living for myself and live for God. Live for things in heaven, not on earth."
~~~~~~~~~~

"The sun is going down in the horizon, and all I see is the beams shining on the cliff face, and I know that God is awesome. I look around and I see His creation all around me."

The last photo from Lindsay's camera.

Jason & Lindsay's memorial stone...

2007-08-19T21:58:00.001-04:00

[Click on image for larger view.]
I just wanted to post this picture of Jason & Lindsay's memorial stone because I think it is so fitting in remembrance of them. I'm not sure who designed it but the mountains and the trees and the sunset are so appropriate to remember them by! I think it is wonderful. :)

Today is my 30th birthday. Three years ago (to this day) was when I found out that Jason & Lindsay had been found dead. It ripped my heart out. It was such a blur of a day (and week) after that. But I'm glad that even in the sorrow, we have reason for joy. That joy comes from Jesus... and I love that this memorial stone reflects that. :)

The stone reads:
FROM SUN SET TO SON RISE

TO BE MARRIED SEPTEMBER 11, 2004
SWALLOWED UP BY LIFE TOGETHER AUGUST 15, 2004

The verse referenced at the bottom is 2 Corinthians 5:4 (NIV) -

"For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life."

Latest Press Release from the Sheriff's Dept....

2007-08-17T15:51:00.000-04:00

This is the latest Press Release on Jason & Lindsay's case that comes from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department in California:

Jenner Homicide Investigation-Third Anniversary

Sheriff's Department
County of Sonoma
Hall of Justice
2796 Ventura Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95403 (707) 565-2511
www.sonomasheriff.org

Press Release
Jenner Homicide Investigation-Third Anniversary
Friday, August 17, 2007 at 12:43, PM

This week marks the third anniversary of the murder of Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall. The bodies of 22-year-old Lindsay Cutshall and 26-year-old Jason Allen were located on a beach just north of Jenner, California on August 18th, 2004. Cutshall and Allen each died of gunshot wounds to the head. The weapon used in this crime was a .45 caliber Marlin rifle, a semi-automatic or lever action. This weapon has not been recovered.
Both Lindsay Cutshall and Jason Allen were Christian missionaries, who had been working at a Christian Camp in El Dorado County. They were due to be married in September, 2004.
On Monday, August 16, 2004, a missing persons report was filed with the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department when the couple failed to return from a weekend trip. Their bodies were discovered two days later on Fishhead Beach, near Jenner.
The investigation into this murder has been far reaching and non-stop for the past three years. We have interviewed hundreds of people and collected boxes of evidence. Although we have no new information to release regarding the facts of the case, we would like to update the public on the status of the investigation.
During the past year we created a “Task Force” that worked this investigation for several months. This “Task Force” consisted of one detective assigned full time to this case and in excess of twenty detectives working at his direction. This effort produced valuable information and moved us forward in the investigation. We currently have several detectives working various aspects of the case. Despite our efforts, the case remains unsolved.
Governor Schwarzenegger’s Office has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for this crime. To this day we still are receiving tips from the community and we greatly appreciate these tips. We encourage anyone with any information that may be related to this case to contact the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department Investigations Division at 565-2185.
This was a sad and tragic crime that occurred in our community. We will continue to investigate this crime until we bring the responsible person(s) to justice.
For questions regarding this press release, please contact Lt. Robert Giordano at 565-2185.
Prepared by Lieutenant Robert Giordano
Report Number 040818-034

Three years in heaven...

2007-08-15T12:16:00.000-04:00

Today marks 3 years since Jason & Lindsay died and began their eternal life in heaven. Though it still easily brings me to tears today to think about what happened to them and the grief that their families and loved ones endured (and still do)... I am enormously encouraged and comforted when I remember that Jason & Lindsay are in paradise right now. The beauty of God's creation that they so loved to enjoy while they were here doesn't even compare to what they're enjoying right now! It's impossible to imagine how amazing it is! But I do know that they're alive and well in heaven and that's totally awesome. :)

I don't want to spend this day dwelling on the injustice of not yet finding their killer and all of the unanswered questions we all have... but instead I want to remember Jason & Lindsay's faithful lives and how awesome God's gift of salvation is. It's because of God that we can rejoice at all... because without Him, this would be a permanent good-bye.

This is a recent "Purpose Driven Life" daily devotional that I received vie e-mail. It really speaks of what I feel God has been reminding me of a lot in the last three years because I've kept coming back to the same thought over and over again... in the importance of keeping an eternal perspective. For instance, when I'd have stressful days at work... I would step back and look at it from an eternal perspective, and suddenly the things I thought mattered greatly really didn't matter much anymore. An eternal perspective changes everything! So I was really surprised to see this same train of thought come up in one of my daily devotionals:

Looking Beyond The "Here And Now"
by Rick Warren

"We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
(2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV)

As we've been discussing, history is His story – that is, God's story. From the book of Revelation we know that God's global mission will be accomplished, and someday the Great Commission will be the Great Completion. In heaven an enormous crowd of people from "every race, tribe, nation, and language" will one day stand before Jesus Christ to worship Him.
We can experience a little of what heaven will be like when we shift our thinking from the "here and now" to the eternal. To make the most of your time on earth, you must maintain an eternal perspective. This will keep you from majoring on minor issues and help you distinguish between what's urgent and what's ultimate.
Paul said, "We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV)
So much of what we waste our energy on will not matter even a year from now, much less for eternity. Don't trade your life for temporary things. Jesus taught, "Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62, LB) And then Paul warned, "Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out." (1 Corinthians 7:31, Msg)
You've probably heard the expression -- "You can't take it with you" -- but the Bible says you can send it on ahead, by investing in people! The Bible teaches, "By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven—it is the only safe investment for eternity! And they will be living a fruitful Christian life down here as well." (1 Timothy 6:19, LB)

So what does this mean?
Throw off anything that you allow to stand in the way of your mission. What's keeping you from being a world-class Christian? Whatever it is, let it go: "Let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back." (Hebrews 12:1, LB)
Store up your treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20-21) –- Jesus taught you should use the time, talent, and resources that God gives you to bring people to Christ. They will then be friends for eternity who will welcome you when you get to heaven!
Send it on ahead -- What can you do today to invest in people? The investment may be your time, your talent, or your treasure. God guarantees it will be the best investment you make – an eternal investment that will also help you to live "a fruitful Christian life down here as well." (1 Timothy 6:19, LB)

Also, here's an article that was featured today in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

[I have to note though... speaking for myself, I do not believe the investigators have done anything wrong in not disclosing that they had found the person who drew the demonic faces on the driftwood, found at the scene. This article seems to be somewhat accusatory toward them... but I want to state, for the record, that I am VERY proud of the investigators of this case and have faith in them and their hard work. They are doing the best they can with the information they have, and for that we are all truly grateful.]

Family has faith Jenner slayings will be solved.
Investigators never disclosed they ruled out link between killings, demon sketches found on wood.
Wednesday, August 15, 2006

By DEREK J. MOORE | THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
The devil-like drawings on driftwood seemed like tantalizing clues in the slayings of two young Christian camp counselors on a beach near Jenner.
Three years ago this week, Jason Allen, 26, and his fiancee, Lindsay Cutshall, 22, spread sleeping bags on the sand of a secluded cove that locals refer to as Driftwood or Fish Head Beach.
The young Ohio couple also placed a Bible near where they slept, and where ultimately they died, when someone emerged from the darkness and shot each of them once in the head.
In the aftermath of the killings, the disturbing images of demons drawn on the driftwood, combined with the couple’s openly devout religious beliefs, helped fuel speculation that they were targeted for those convictions.
The source of the drawings, however, was not an avowed Satan worshiper but a 22-year-old Petaluma man whose identity has never been publicly revealed.
Jeff Winkler, a homeless artist who is well known at Petaluma’s Phoenix Theater, said he drew the images using a paint pen during an outing at the beach about two months before the slayings.
“I don’t dislike Christians,” he said. “I’m not Christian myself, but I’m definitely not Satanic. I draw all sorts of faces.”
Nevertheless, the dark images he created helped fuel the notion that Cutshall and Allen had unwittingly wandered into an evil lair.
Winkler said investigators interviewed him and ruled him out as a suspect, but that hasn’t diminished Chris Cutshall’s belief that his daughter was the victim of religious intolerance.
“Whether the person was tied to a Satanist organization, I don’t know,” said Cutshall, a pastor in Ohio. “But I believe the evil one was behind this and was ultimately responsible for taking our kids because they were Christians.”
Indeed, religion continues to play a powerful role in the as-yet unsolved case.
Within the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department, the case has led to something of a religious awakening among some investigators and a re-affirming of faith for others.
That includes Steve Freitas, who was the lead investigator on the case before taking over as Windsor’s police chief in 2005.
Freitas said he found God on his way to becoming a close, personal friend of the Cutshalls.
“This situation is what brought me to the Lord,” Freitas told an Ohio newspaper in 2006. “We’ve become close friends with the Cutshalls. We’re basically family at this time — spiritual families.”
The article noted that Chris Cutshall and Freitas vacationed together, including a trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. Freitas also spent several days with the Cutshalls at their home near Fresno, Ohio.
Freitas, who is a lieutenant with the sheriff’s department, referred questions about his religious conversion to the agency.
In an e-mail, Capt. Dave Edmonds said the department would not comment on “employees’ private lives.”
Chris Cutshall said Tuesday that the relationship his family has developed with several detectives is not motivated by a desire for more attention to the case.
“Steve has become a very dear friend and brother in Christ,” Cutshall said. “I’m very glad that he is my friend. We love his family very much, and we’re thankful for the relationship God has given us.”
The Cutshalls are spending this week with the Allen family in Michigan, in what has become an annual gathering to mark the anniversary of their children’s deaths.
In the years since the Jenner deaths, Sonoma County detectives have looked for possible links with other cases, particularly a half-dozen unsolved slayings of couples in remote locations from the Pacific Northwest to Arizona.
Their known list of interviews includes a Wisconsin drifter, a Bodega Bay surf shop owner, a former counselor at the Christian whitewater rafting camp where Cutshall and Allen worked that summer, and Winkler, who said he voluntarily called detectives when his mother spotted the drawings in the media.
Winkler said he was interviewed at the sheriff’s department and asked to do some drawings. He said detectives told him not to contact the media because they didn’t want people to know that they had located the source of the drawings, which they hoped would spark interest in the case.
Several months later, Winkler’s mother, Deborah, said she was upset when “America’s Most Wanted” aired a segment on the case that still emphasized the drawings as being part of some satanic ritual, and she phoned the Sheriff’s Office to complain.
She said she was told that investigators were aware of the misinformation but were hoping to keep the case alive.
Her son said he also had questions about the process. “They were kind of misleading people, but I guess they had nothing else for people to call in about,” Winkler said. “I didn’t really care.”
Sheriff’s Lt. Rob Giordano did not return calls Tuesday seeking comment.
Detectives in the past have said they are open to all possibilities and have not focused on any one theory. However, the unsolved slayings of a young couple on a Canadian beach 35 years ago has drawn interest for its similarity to the Jenner case.
On the evening of June 22, 1972, Ann Durrant, a 20-year-old Canadian, and Leif Carlsson, 19, an exchange student from Sweden, set up camp on a remote beach near Tofino, on West Vancouver Island.
Police said that after the couple went to sleep, a 25-year-old Vietnam-era draft dodger named Joseph Henry Burgess snuck out from the bushes and shot each one in the head with a .22-caliber rifle.
Burgess, who was described by police as a religious fanatic, did not approve of pre-marital sex and had told a witness that the young couple’s behavior bothered him.
He disappeared after the slayings and was never found. Assuming he’s still alive, he would have been 57 at the time Cutshall and Allen were killed.
Is it possible that Burgess is responsible? If so, he may have made some false assumptions.
The young couple’s families say Cutshall and Allen had taken vows of chastity until their marriage, which was scheduled three weeks after they were to leave California.
Investigators say the couple slept in separate sleeping bags on the beach.
Chris Cutshall said he still has hope the case will be solved.
“We believe at this point that it won’t be what man does, but what God does,” he said. “He’s going to give us the break we need, and it clearly will be divine.”

Third anniversary approaches...

2007-08-12T18:53:00.001-04:00

In three days, it will be three years since Jason & Lindsay were killed. It's hard to believe it's already been that long... because sometimes it seems like it just happened yesterday. It still frustrates me to no end that whoever killed them is still out there... because my fear is that he will hurt or kill someone else. But the thing is... I'm sure he thinks he's "gotten away with it"... but he hasn't. What he doesn't realize is that you cannot escape God's judgment, and no matter what happens in his lifetime or our lifetimes, he WILL be judged and held accountable for what he did and there is no escaping it. I refer to the killer as "he" in a collective sense... because it could have been a female or more than one person... but whoever it was will not escape God's justice. God knows who did it and where that beast of a human being resides... and is watching every move and seeing every thought. No matter where he goes, God is watching.

I want to emphasize, however, that God's grace even extends to the worst of sinners... such as this killer. As hard as it is for me to offer such grace... it really is not up to me. If Jason & Lindsay's killer sought God's grace and forgiveness and authentically repented for what he did... God would forgive him and wipe the slate clean. This does not mean, however, that there would be no consequences for his actions. To accept forgiveness also means to accept responsibility and consequences. But if their killer was forgiven by God, he would be a changed person and would be humble and accepting of his fate... knowing that ultimately he will be spending his eternity in heaven, just as Jason & Lindsay are.

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you." —Psalm 51:1-13

In the meantime, Jason & Lindsay's story is continuing to impact the lives of countless people in very positive ways. I know I have said this many times before, but what I find to be most sweet and touching is the way that God has not let them die in vain, but has used their lives and faithfulness to set an example for the rest of us. In their deaths, He has been glorified because they lived their lives to serve Him and He was very pleased with that. I have been inspired to make major life changes because of their example -- and in their memory, I have gotten more involved at my church... in Bible studies and other ministries, as well as community outreach... because I want to serve others for Christ like Jason & Lindsay did. I will NEVER forget them and the amazing role models they were and continue to be. They would be so humbled by all of this -- but glad, as long as God is receiving all of the glory from it. :)

There was a short article in our local paper today about Jason & Lindsay that I wanted to share:

Parents Mark Sad Anniversary
Sunday, August 12, 2007

BY TEREASA NIMS
A Holland Township man would have been planning his third wedding anniversary, but instead, his parents are marking the third year anniversary of his death.
"I think it gives us a great empathy for others who have lost their children," said Delores Allen.
Allen's son, Jason, 26, and his fiancee, Lindsay Cutshall, 22, of Fresno, Ohio, were found dead Aug. 18, 2004, each shot in the head while camping on an isolated Sonoma County beach in California. The couple planned to be married in September 2004.
Police continue to search for the killer.
"Tips continue to come in and we continue to investigate them," said Lt. Dave Edmonds of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department.
When investigators get tips, the victims' parents are told about them and also what police did to follow the lead.
Allen's parents, Robert and Delores, are hopeful the killer will be caught.
"We always had that hope," Delores said. "They have done everything they can to solve this case."
Since the deaths, the parents have made it a tradition to spend the anniversary of their children's deaths together. This year, Chris and Kathy Cutshall are traveling from Ohio to Holland Township.
Authorities believe Jason and Lindsay were murdered the night of Aug. 14 or the early morning of Aug. 15, 2004.

[Jason's parents hold a signed memorial photo given to them by Jason & Lindsay's fellow camp counselors at Rock-N-Water.]

Also, last month there was a very detailed article in the L.A. Times comparing Jason & Lindsay's case to another cruel and similarly senseless double-murder that took place 35 years ago. These same cases were featured together the last time America's Most Wanted aired Jason & Lindsay's story:

Did a killer strike twice in 32 years?
The cases, 750 miles apart, are eerily similar: unwed couples, secluded beaches, gunshots, Bibles.
Sunday, July 22, 2007

By Peter H. King -- Times Staff Writer
Tofino, Canada — "For man is born for trouble, and sparks fly upward." — Job 5:7
--
This goes back 35 years. Yet what happened on Radar Beach that summer reverberates even today — kept alive by detectives who came up empty, by living ghosts left behind and, more than anything, by the possibility that three summers ago, on a distant beach in Northern California, it happened again.
The story begins in that tumultuous epoch known collectively as the Sixties. Each summer, the west coast of Vancouver Island was swarmed by thousands of American draft resisters, hippies, Jesus freaks, nudists and assorted other shaggy-haired foot soldiers of the era. In short, it was a scene.
Makeshift lean-tos, shacks and tents covered the run of rugged beaches south of Tofino, now a popular tourist destination, but then a quiet village of fishing families and loggers. Drugs were everywhere, and shoplifting in town was epidemic. Most of the visitors traveled around by thumb.
Ken Gibson, a retired dock builder, would often pick up hitchhikers "if they didn't look too squirrelly, just to talk to them: 'What's this all about? What's the kick? What are you hoping to get out of this?'"
Joseph Henry Burgess came late to Tofino's freewheeling period, arriving on the island in May 1972. Tall, skinny and bearded, the 25-year-old Burgess had fled to Canada from New Jersey in 1968 after failing to report for induction into the Army.
He hung around Canada's eastern cities for a few years. He held down odd jobs. He bounced checks. He trained as a bush pilot. He also, according to a Royal Canadian Mounted Police synopsis of his movements, was not a stranger to drugs.
On his way west, authorities recounted, Burgess purchased a Gevarm rifle, a .22-caliber, semiautomatic that could be fitted with a 20-round clip and broken down to carry in a duffel bag. Later, he bragged about his marksmanship.
Born in Jersey City to a prominent Catholic family, Burgess attended a Jesuit college and taught Bible classes. By the time he reached Vancouver Island, he had plunged headlong into more unconventional spiritual thickets. He had become, as one acquaintance told police, "a Jesus freak."
As a police summary said: "Witnesses that had contact with Burgess at the time stated that he would quote the Bible and speak of the 'Wrath of God,' always ending his conversation with 'Amen.'"
Burgess, who earlier had assumed the surname of Burke, now called himself Job Weeks or just Job — from the Old Testament figure whose faith was so fiercely tested. He moved into a small, one-house Children of God commune in Port Alberni, but barely lasted a week. The Gevarm rifle made his housemates nervous.
So the self-proclaimed "prophet of God" bought some ammo and moved to Radar Beach, a few miles south of Tofino. As he left the commune, he vowed to live as a hermit until he "heard from the Lord." In his week on the beach, according to Canadian police reports, Burgess was seen with outdoor survival manuals. He was seen beside a stream, attempting to teach others to pray. He was seen cleaning his rifle.
He also made a rather awkward, and unsuccessful, pass at a sunbathing woman. "She was in the buff," recalled Dan Creally, a retired Canadian police investigator, flipping through his original case notebooks, "and he was quoting from the Book of Job, and all the while he was sizing her up."
Burgess complained to this woman about a newly arrived couple — young, Christian and unwed — who had set up camp together near the communal water hole back in the woods, a short walk from the beach.
"He did not approve," she told investigators, of their "being together."
About two days after this exchange, the bodies of Ann Barbara Durrant, a Canadian who had just celebrated her 20th birthday, and Leif Bertil Carlsson, a 19-year-old exchange student from Sweden, were found in their camp by the water hole.
Clad in T-shirts and nestled together under a single sleeping bag, they appeared to have been asleep when struck at close range by rounds from a .22-caliber rifle, later determined to be a Gevarm. Durrant had been hit five times, four shots to the head and one that passed through her hand and hip. Carlsson was shot four times, all in the head.
By the time the bodies were found, Burgess was gone. In what appeared to be a hasty evacuation, he left behind a Canadian health card, biblical verses on scraps of paper and a rifle-cleaning kit.
Along the trail leading away from the beach, Mounties also discovered a snapshot of Burgess flashing a peace sign that was torn into pieces, a guitar, prescription glasses, a roach clip, a shoe, a bag of clothes and a Bible. Inscribed in the Bible was the name Job Weeks.
Investigators first presumed that Burgess had killed himself, but his body and rifle were never found. And despite a high-profile manhunt and an international arrest warrant, he was never caught. In time, interest in the case faded; it came to be remembered by locals here, if at all, as one more piece of strange lore from a strange time.
--
Then, three summers ago, on a beach 750 miles to the south, near the tiny Northern California coastal town of Jenner, the bodies of a couple — young, Christian and unwed — were discovered in sleeping bags. Each had been shot in the head with a rifle, apparently at close range.
They had worked that summer as counselors at a Christian camp in California's Gold Country, east of Sacramento. Lindsay Cutshall, 22, was from Fresno, Ohio. Jason Allen, 26, was from Zeeland, Mich. They were to be married in September, with her father, pastor at the nondenominational Fresno Bible Church, presiding.
Cutshall told her mother she wanted to see San Francisco before returning to the Midwest. The couple left the camp at noon Aug. 13 in his red Ford sedan. The next day her credit card was used to purchase hot sauce in a San Francisco gift shop. They headed north. In Sebastopol they stopped at the California Surf Shop and inquired about free camping on the beach.
Owner Bruce Landry said he told them there were no sites where beach camping was permitted, but still suggested a small, secluded spit of sand north of Jenner, at the mouth of the Russian River.
Landry conversed with the couple for about an hour, he recalled. Allen was curious about surfboards. Cutshall admired a display of glass jewelry. They discussed their impending wedding. At one point, Cutshall stood behind Allen, her arms draped around his shoulders.
An outgoing, 58-year-old Vietnam veteran, Landry said he gave Cutshall a necklace with a glass pendant as an early wedding gift, walked the couple to their car and with a hug sent them on their way.
Nearing the coast, the couple stopped at a second surf shop just outside Bodega Bay. This shop was crowded, with maybe 10 customers. Owner Nick Marlow's memory of the encounter has always been a bit vague.
He can remember Allen sticking his head in the door to ask for a second opinion about beach campsites. He told Marlow about the suggestion that they try the beach just north of Jenner. That sounds about right, Marlow said he responded.
He can remember sensing that this young man and woman were Christians, but he cannot remember why. Perhaps it was a T-shirt one of them wore. He can remember that the couple struck him as impatient, butting in on a transaction to press for information.
"What was that all about?" Marlow wondered aloud after Allen and Cutshall had left.
There were other reported sightings, some confirmed, others not. What can be said with tragic certainty is that the pair made it to the place Landry had recommended — a beach alternately called Driftwood or Fish Head.
Strewn with bleached driftwood and other flotsam carried in by the tides, the beach sits beneath a tall bluff, with a spectacular view of rock formations set amid crashing breakers. One of the two snapped a color photograph of the scene at sunset. It was the last shot in their camera.
Cutshall wrote in her journal: "The sun is going down on the horizon, and all I see is the beams shining off the cliff face, and I know that God is awesome. I look around and I see His creation all around me."
In his journal Allen asked simply, "Can life ever be so perfect?"
At some point, they climbed into separate sleeping bags, clothed, their Bibles and religious tracts nearby. They went to sleep. A few days passed before the bodies were found.
Each had been shot once in the head, at a range, a Sonoma County detective said obliquely, that was not "from any significant distance." The weapon was later determined through ballistics work to be a .45-caliber Marlin rifle.
There was no evidence of sexual assault or robbery. The glass necklace that the surf shop owner said he'd given Cutshall apparently was all that investigators could determine might be missing.
A Canadian police officer read a newspaper account of the California murders and showed it to Constable Terry Horrocks, the major-crimes investigator who now maintains the Burgess case file.
"Holy smokes," Horrocks remembered his colleague saying. "How similar does this sound?"
An isolated, difficult-to-access beach not known to a lot of people, an unwed man and woman, shots to their heads from a rifle, Bibles, sleeping bags. "You could take our crime scene in Tofino," Horrocks told the Alberni Valley Times, "and set it right down in California."
The Canadians had theorized for some time that Burgess might have migrated back to the States, traveling under an adopted identity, after draft dodgers were granted a blanket amnesty by President Carter in 1977. They also suspect the Radar Beach killer might be capable of striking again.
"Whatever triggered him in that way," Horrocks said, "if he encountered the same situation, could have triggered him again."
Burgess would have been 57 the summer Cutshall and Allen were killed. Horrocks had an early photo enhanced by computer to project what the fugitive might look like at that age, and released it to the public. He contacted Sonoma County authorities.
The chance the killings might be connected, however remote, excited the denizens of America's true-crime realm. America's Most Wanted aired segments on both sets of murders. In the chat rooms of websites devoted to puzzling out notorious unsolved crimes, buffs still buzz and bicker over the possibilities of a link.
One blog in particular, True Crime Diary, the work of Southern California screenwriter Michelle McNamara, cataloged half a dozen additional cases that bore similarities, a string of unsolved couple murders in woodsy settings spread across the Pacific Northwest and down into Arizona. Some predated the Cutshall-Allen killings. Others came later.
The possibility that whoever killed the pair might have struck before, or again, was not lost on Sonoma County investigators. Lt. Robert Giordano, who supervises the department's detectives, said the Tofino murders and others were "absolutely on our radar."
Sheriff's investigators have consulted, sometimes in person, with agencies across the West, he said, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Yet despite many "commonalities," as Giordano put it, thus far no firm connections have been established between any two cases.
"We have several cases that could be similar," he said. "We can't say for sure if they are or not. Our mind is open to all of them."
At the same time, other possibilities have been explored — that the California killings were tied to a gang initiation rite, that there was a territorial motive tied to this particular stretch of beach, that Cutshall or Allen were mistaken for sleeping seals. Detectives have interviewed as many owners of Marlin rifles in the region as they could identify.
"There have been hundreds of people looked at in this case," Giordano said, "and only a few have been absolutely cleared in it…. Anytime you have an unsolved case, it's because you have a piece missing. I think we're close. We just don't have that one missing piece."
Of all the commonalities shared by the Canadian and Californian cases, the most intriguing is what the Canadian police Constable Horrocks calls the "religious component." On Radar Beach, authorities alleged, Burgess was motivated by a belief that unwed couples sleeping together deserved God's wrath.
On Fish Head beach, Cutshall and Allen were not "sleeping together" in the euphemistic sense. An autopsy determined that there had been no sexual violation in the attack and also, according to her father, that Cutshall was "pure."
Yet it is conceivable that a killer so motivated might have mistaken innocent gestures of affection as a prelude to something more: "Perception," said Giordano, "is exactly the issue."
--
Creally, the Canadian investigator initially in charge of the Radar Beach case, is 72 years old and retired, yet he shares with other Mounties a frustration that they never got their man.
"This is the only homicide case I ever investigated," Creally said, "that I couldn't put together."
The beginning days of the investigation proved difficult, sorting out witnesses who were flighty to begin with, who tended to look and dress alike, who often knew one another only by first names and who, as often as not, were zonked on drugs.
"The first few days after the bodies were found looked bleak, really bleak," Creally told the Alberni Valley Times early on.
Even before the murders, the West Coast scene was fading. The government had begun to roust squatters in preparation for creating Pacific Rim National Park. Word that a double murderer was loose, however, certainly hastened the end of Vancouver Island's turn as Woodstock West.
"They were all leaving when they heard about this," said Bruce Michelson, a Mountie stationed in Tofino at the time. "They were totally, absolutely freaked."
Despite all the obstacles, the Canadian police officers rather quickly managed to identify and track down everybody who had been on Radar Beach at the time of the killings. Within a week, Burgess was identified as the prime suspect, and his obsessive views about premarital sex were declared to be the motive.
It was believed that Burgess hitched a ride into Port Alberni and later caught a ferry to the Canadian mainland. A hotelier in the port town of Nanaimo described renting a room for one night to someone who looked like Burgess but who checked himself in as John Stewart of Portland, Ore., and said he was bound for Europe or Africa.
Creally suspected then, and still does, that Burgess, given his Jesuit schooling, might have sought sanctuary in a seminary. The investigator wanted to circulate a flier about the case among the priesthood. "Ottawa," he said, referring to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police headquarters, "didn't like that idea."
After about a year, Creally temporarily left the Canadian police. He passed along the Burgess file with a recommendation that contact be maintained with the suspect's family in the States.
"I always thought that if he was still alive," Creally said, "the family had to have some contact with him."
How aggressively this suggestion was followed is not clear.
There were scattered reported sightings of Burgess. In the early 1970s, a woman bumped into someone who looked like him at a party. He was spewing Scripture in a way that, Horrocks said, "freaked her out."
In 1978, on the Blackfoot Trail near Alberta, someone else reported encountering a bearded, barefoot man "preaching the Bible and praising the name Jesus."
The barefoot preacher, a police interview report said, tried to bum a cigarette, and when his request was rebuffed, the man identified as possibly being Burgess "advised the witness that he would pray to Jesus to forgive his sins."
As the trail went cold, the investigation turned into something of a maintenance task. The file was reviewed once a year, a report written, and that was about it.
--
In October 2001, a brief obituary in the Jersey Journal reported the death of Anne Marie Burgess, the suspect's mother. She had died in Asbury Park, N.J., where the family had lived for 40 years. She was in her 90s. The obituary listed three surviving children, daughters June Ann Anderson and Maureen Burgess and a son — one Joseph Henry Burgess.
Anderson, it turned out, lives in a rustic, gated community on the Tassajara River, in the hills that separate the Salinas Valley and Monterey Peninsula. An American flag hangs outside her cabin.
"He's not here," she hollered from the front door to a reporter who had come to ask about her brother. She grabbed a straw sunhat, unlocked a chained gate and led her visitor to a chair on the porch.
Anderson wore a blue bathrobe and dark glasses framed in white plastic. She spoke in a slow, halting voice. She said that she never heard about any murders — "you are telling me things I don't know" — and that she couldn't remember when her brother left for Canada.
She insisted that not once had anyone from law enforcement asked her about her brother, who was — or is — five years older than she.
"We were very close," she said. "We called him Jo Jo. He loved to play chess. He was very smart. He was brilliant. He was a very good brother to me. He was my brother, and I loved him very much. I loved him very much."
She stopped to correct herself.
"I don't want to speak about my brother in the past tense. I want to say, I love him very much."
Would she like to see him caught?
She recoiled: "I don't like that word. 'Caught.' I would like to see him come back."
His absence had been hard on all of the family, she said, her mother in particular, like a death in the family.
"There is no answer," she said. "There are only questions. Like, where is he?"
--
For Pastor Chris Cutshall, the loss of his daughter Lindsay on a California beach was not something like a death in the family. It was a death — unexpected, unexplained, unresolved. The grieving has not ended, and he scoffed at the notion of closure.
At the same time, he and his wife, along with Allen's parents, have demonstrated a remarkable calm that comes from their conviction that their children went to sleep that night and, as Pastor Cutshall would eulogize, presiding over a memorial rather than a marriage, "woke up in the arms of Jesus Christ."
Shortly after the killings, the Cutshalls responded to a letter of condolence sent by the people of Jenner. The couple wrote that they did not blame the town for what happened, and added: "Perhaps we can visit your fair community some day." In the same letter, they quoted the Old Testament:

"For man is born for trouble, and sparks fly upward."
Chapter 5, verse 7. The Book of Job.

"If you have ever seen a campfire," the pastor explained, "there are sparks that fly up out of that — inevitably. I think this is true of us too. While on planet Earth, this hard planet we live on, we are going to have tribulations and trials. And we Christians are not immune."
--
Maureen Burgess, two years older than her brother, still resides in the tidy, two-story bungalow near the shore in Asbury Park where the family moved in 1961. She too flies an American flag over the porch. Unlike her sister, she did not want to talk about her brother.
Had anyone in the family ever heard from Joseph over the years, she was asked. A postcard, a telephone call, anything?
"I have nothing to say to you," Burgess said.
Her view was that the business involving her brother was old news, that it was done with and ought to be dropped. Why are you writing about this now, she demanded. Told there had been similar cases, she snapped back: "All cases are similar.
"You don't think about what you do to the people who are left behind," she complained.
No one has been so absolutely left behind as Geoffrey Durrant, the father of the young woman killed on Radar Beach. A retired English professor, Durrant is 93 now, hard of hearing but otherwise fit and trim.
He comes to the door of his town house outside Vancouver in stocking feet, jeans and a blue shirt buttoned to the top. He moves to the living room, snaps his hearing aids into place and, speaking softly, begins to retrace the ripples of pain that rolled out from Radar Beach.
"Of course," Durrant begins, "it changed our whole lives completely. My wife became very full of guilt."
In 1961, the same year the Burgess family moved from Jersey City to Asbury Park, he and his family — wife Barbara, a son and two daughters — left their home in South Africa and headed to Canada. They wanted to escape the system of apartheid and the troubles it created.
More specifically, the parents worried that their son would be drafted into the army and forced, as Durrant puts it, "to shoot down Africans." Canada, it seemed, "promised a haven of peace and freedom."
The decision to move was mutual between husband and wife, but she had suggested it and "felt responsible for a bad decision." Barbara Durrant never overcame her grief. She died eight years ago.
About the same time, Durrant lost his son to heart failure. His last remaining daughter suffers from mental distresses that force them to stay apart. "Her personality is completely destroyed," Durrant says. "And I'm sure that it goes back to this same trauma."
He pauses for a moment, and then stares up with light blue eyes.
"It's dreadful to survive one's own children, you know."
He describes Ann, his slain daughter, as a quiet girl who loved animals and collected porcelain cats. A promising student, she got caught up in the times, dropped out, joined a commune.
"They planted trees, that sort of thing," he says. "It caused an estrangement between me and my daughter, which actually was resolved before she was killed. I spoke to her and explained to her that I forgave her, you know, for what she had been doing. I did not want to continue to be hostile to her activities."
After the murder, Durrant was preoccupied with trying to hold his family together. He assumed that the killer must have been on drugs and that he would be caught.
"I thought it was just a matter of arresting him," he recalls now, 35 years later. "I was astonished nothing happened. My wife was devastated."
In his view, his daughter's murder was a sinister product of the era of "hippiedom," as he calls it. He issues his indictment in a torrent, expressing "a profound sadness about the whole business of hippiedom, you know. The whole drug culture, the whole false innocence. It's a radical betrayal of everything that civilization stands for. And so eagerly embraced by so many people. The whole flower child business, you know?
"False innocence, turned so nasty."
As for the man accused of killing his daughter, Durrant says that there was a time when he was eager to see him put to death. That time has passed.
"I would just like him to be confronted with his responsibility," the father says, a slight spark of heat rising in his voice. "That's all."

Cute picture!

2007-06-01T21:34:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to take a moment to post this picture. I was over at my parents' house tonight looking at old pictures and my mom found this one! :) It is me, my sister and Jason all dressed in our Dutch costumes. (If you're not from the Holland area, you may not know that we have a Tulip Time Festival each year in May. It's a huge deal! There are parades, Dutch dancers, tons of tourists, etc.) This was taken back in May of 1985... so I was 7, Jason was almost 7 and my sister was 5. So cute!!! :) Brings back lots of good memories!

Our Daily Bread

2007-05-30T08:57:00.003-04:00

Jason's family was mentioned today in Our Daily Bread, a devotional publication written and published locally. I thought it would be worth sharing. :) They were also mentioned in another daily devotional from Our Daily Bread last October, so I will post that one as well. :) God bless!

May 30, 2007
How Long?
READ: Psalm 13
"How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?" —Psalm 13:1

My friends Bob and Delores understand what it means to wait for answers—answers that never seem to come. When their son Jason and future daughter-in-law Lindsay were murdered in August 2004, a national manhunt was undertaken to find the killer and bring him to justice. After 2 years of prayer and pursuit, there were still no tangible answers to the painful questions the two hurting families wrestled with. There was only silence.
In such times, we are vulnerable to wrong assumptions and conclusions about life, about God, and about prayer. In Psalm 13, David wrestled with the problem of unanswered prayer. He questioned why the world was so dangerous and pleaded for answers from God.
It’s a hard psalm that David sang, and it seems to be one of frustration. Yet, in the end, his doubts and fears turned to trust. Why? Because the circumstances of our struggles cannot diminish the character of God and His care for His children. In verse 5, David turned a corner. From his heart he prayed, “But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.”
In the pain and struggle of living without answers, we can always find comfort in our heavenly Father. —Bill Crowder

Not ours to know the reason why
Unanswered is our prayer,
But ours to wait for God’s own time—
To lift the cross we bear. —Anon.
When we pray, God wraps us in His loving arms.

And here is the one from last October. I love the last line, "God can turn tragedy into triumph." He can indeed. :)

October 28, 2006
Good Out Of Evil
READ: Romans 8:18-28
"We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." —Romans 8:28

The events of life can challenge our trust in the Scriptures. Romans 8:28 teaches that God can bring good out of "all things." But in August 2004 "all things" seemed hard to fathom. Some longtime friends of mine contacted me and others asking prayer for their son and his fiancée who were missing. It was so out of character for Jason and Lindsay that we feared the worst. Several days later, their murdered bodies were found, just 2 weeks before their wedding.
In those troubling days, "all things" seemed incapable of including such a senseless act. Yet the victims' families were amazing in their resolve to trust Jesus Christ, reaffirming their confidence that God would graciously bring good out of great evil.
In the following months, incredible stories began to roll in. Through letters, e-mail, and phone calls, we heard of people who had seen the families' example in the media coverage and had come to Christ. Eternal destinies had been changed and lives had been won through the testimonies of Jason and Lindsay and their families.
Nothing could ever justify those murders or replace precious lives cut short. But we are drawn again to hope, for we see God's ability to bring good out of evil. —Bill Crowder

We comprehend Him not,
Yet earth and heaven tell
God sits as sovereign on the throne
And ruleth all things well. —Gerhardt
God can turn tragedy into triumph.

Jason's 29th Birthday! :)

2007-05-16T10:18:00.002-04:00

Today is Jason's 29th birthday. So, in honor and rememberance of him, I thought I'd write a little bit about what I remember of our childhood together! :)

I remember playing outside with him and my sisters and his sisters all the time! We had a swingset and a sandbox in my backyard and a whole "lower level" back there that didn't have grass, but had just dirt, leaves and pine needles (from all of the tall trees). So sometimes we would take the pine needles and leaves and make small rows/piles in the outline of the layout of a house and pretend that we were actually in a house! :) We made borders for different "rooms" and had make-believe kitchens and bedrooms and bathrooms and we'd have so much fun!

We also had one of those long, flat hoses with tiny holes in it that was supposed to be a type of sprinkler, but my dad would put it out there so we could run around through the water on hot summer days. We had one of those "Slip-n-Slides" too that was awesome! We would run and slide on that thing for hours! There was a really cool see-saw thing in Jason's back yard that we loved... but it wasn't really a see-saw exactly. One person would sit on each end and we would alternately pull the handle bar in front of us and it would spin around! I don't know what it was called because I had never seen it anywhere before or since, but it was really cool! We also used to play a lot in our basements when the weather was cold or rainy and play "house" or create "haunted houses" or obstacle courses down there. We used to ride our bikes to our friends houses to play or to a little general store close by in order to buy candy.

And when we were young, Jason was pretty hyper and very energetic. I remember him always livening things up! He was the only boy on our street (there were a few more around the corner though) but he seemed to like it... at least he didn't seem to mind it. It was great to have him around because he got me interested in things that I probably normally wouldn't have been interested in otherwise. He liked rocks and there happened to be an older, retired man who lived at the end of our street who was a Rock & Gem guy. I don't know what his profession was, but he traveled all over the world to find rock specimens and he created these beautiful polished spheres that he also made wooden bases/stands for. He then would show them off and sell them at Rock & Gem shows. So we'd go over there a lot to watch him use the diamond saw in his garage to cut his rocks into spheres (or as close as he could get to a sphere) and then he would put them in the machine he invented that polished them into perfect spheres (which would take one to two months or more to complete). He used to give me and Jason some of the extra pieces that he cut off so we could create our own rock collections. I still have them to this day!

My favorite memory is of the red maple tree in Jason's front yard... which is still in that yard to this day. (His family no longer lives there, but my parents still live in the same house I grew up in so I see his old house all the time.) His little sister had this plastic toy picnic basket and his mom would make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for us and we'd put them in there and tie a rope around the handles... and then we'd climb that tree all the way up, as far as we could go (to what he called the "tippy top") and we'd hoist our lunch up there and eat it! :) I LOVED doing that! It was so fun to be so high up above everything and to see the street from a different perspective. It was amazing. :)

I would give anything to re-live some of those days! Our childhood was idyllic and so full of joy! Life back then was so simple and innocent. We didn't know the pain, suffering and sinfulness that this world was/is full of... we only knew joy and happiness! I hope that all children get to experience that... at least to some extent... because I hold those memories so close to my heart! And to know that heaven offers us a world completely free of pain, suffering and sinfulness... I know that Jason & Lindsay are experiencing that pure joy now and that we will too someday soon! I can't wait!

Happy Birthday Jason! :)

Billy Graham's website has a section for spiritual Q&A and it has an excellent description of heaven:

Heaven for the Christian will be a place of glorious life that will never end. Joy inexpressible, limitless peace, pure love, beauty beyond description—that's what heaven is. Greatest of all will be the presence of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, with whom we will enjoy fellowship forever. Loved ones who have known and loved the Lord will be there. Revelation 21:2 says, "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

Mr. Graham has written: "Heaven will be a place in which its inhabitants will be freed from the fears and insecurities that plague and haunt us in the present life. No energy crisis there ... Free from the economic and financial pressures that burden us down here. Free from the fear of personal and physical harm ... No fear of personal failure ... Our relationship with Him will be intimate and direct. I'm looking forward to that glorious day of going to heaven.

"Heaven will be what we have always longed for. It will be the new social order that men dream of. All the things that have made earth unlovely and tragic will be absent in heaven. There will be no night, no death, no disease, no sorrow, no tears, no ignorance, no disappointment, no war. It will be filled with happiness, worship, love, perfection and other good qualities. Heaven will be a place to challenge the creative genius of the unfettered mind of redeemed man." Revelation 21:4 says, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

However, the Bible makes clear that there is only one way to heaven, and that is through repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ who said, "I am the way ..." (John 14:6). Jesus paid for our sins through His death on the cross. God offers us the free gift of friendship with Him in this life and eternal life in heaven when we die if we will but turn from sin and trust in Jesus as our Savior and Lord. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved ..." (Acts 16:31).

America's Most Wanted episode...

2007-03-19T15:09:00.000-04:00

I just thought I'd write a quick post in response to the America's Most Wanted episode this past Saturday (March 17) that featured Jason & Lindsay's story.

For the most part, the segment of the episode that featured their story was accurate, except for one very important aspect! There was a re-enactment clip used that was horribly inaccurate and really seemed to do more damage than good. AMW probably used it for effect, but it completely contradicted the truth of this case and that is horrifying! The clip showed two people making out under a blanket, suggesting they were "fooling around," and then they showed the girl (supposedly portraying Lindsay) sitting up and screaming as she was shot in the head. Then they cut to real footage of Lindsay's dad talking about how devoted they were to each other and Christ and how purely they lived their lives... and so the previous re-enactment clip just seemed to completely ruin the credibility of the story! I even received an e-mail this weekend from someone who saw that and wondered why the contradiction was there. So I'm writing this in order to make sure people know the TRUTH.

First of all, you can read it in previous posts and right here... Jason and Lindsay were the REAL DEAL. They were as their parents said on TV... truly devoted to each other and to Christ and they respected God's laws with utmost fervor! They did not sleep together under one blanket or in one sleeping bag as the re-enactment clip portrayed. Instead, they slept in individual sleeping bags under the stars because they loved the outdoors! They spent that last evening watching the sunset, reading their Bibles and writing in journals about how awesome God is... for His beautiful Creation and for the gift of having each other as a soon-to-be spouse. Their evening was not filled with lustful passion... it was filled with praise and thanksgiving to God and then they simply went to sleep. Then, sometime during the night, they were shot (each once in the head) as they slept. There isn't any evidence that I have ever heard of that suggests that either of them woke up and screamed. They were shot as they slept. Whoever was the second one to be shot probably didn't have enough time to process what was happening before they died too. And with the roar of the ocean so close to them... they may not have even heard the shot... we'll never know for sure. I hate to even think about that.

The autopsy results showed that Lindsay was still pure... she had not slept with anyone yet... she and Jason were waiting for marriage as their faith required and they respected. It was also a relief that she had not been raped by whomever killed them... but it is yet another baffling piece of evidence that points to no clear motive. This is such a bizarre case because there are so many unanswered questions... but you can be absolutely sure of a few things! Jason and Lindsay LOVED Jesus and lived for Him! They spent their lives serving others and enjoying the outdoors as much as possible. They lived differently than anyone else I've ever known! They had very few material possessions... their lives were only about their family, friends, serving Christ, working with youth ministry and pursuing outdoor adventure! And I will always remember them as role models when I am looking for examples of people who lived selflessly for others and for Christ. They are heroes in my eyes and I will never forget them.

Life lessons...

2007-02-14T09:43:00.000-05:00

I get these Purpose Driven Life daily devotionals in my e-mail every morning... and today's was especially meaningful to me. It's a life lesson that I've learned since Jason & Lindsay died and it speaks of what I have come to realize and know to be absolutely true. I have met so many people in recent years who have come from all different backgrounds... and I've realized that all of us go through a broad spectrum of experiences that make us uniquely equipped to relate to others. One friend of mine was raised in a very unstable, abusive and emotionally damaging home environment... but she emerged from that horrible past to become an amazing woman of faith! She testifies that she never understood why she had to go through all of that until she received God's grace and recognized the amazing gift that His grace really is! And now she is able to help people and relate to people who have been through similarly horrible childhoods or pasts and reveal to them the amazing gift of salvation through Christ. Not all of us would be able to relate to people who have experienced such a painful past... but because she really has been there and has emerged from it into a whole new life... she can offer real hope! And I think that is true for all of us. We all go through things that shape who we are. Some, like the Allens and the Cutshalls, have experienced a parent's worst nightmare... but whether our life experiences are good or bad -- we all have hope in Christ! And we can use our experiences to help others and make this world a better place.

Only one you
by John Fischer
February 14, 2007
Mister Rogers was right after all: There is only one you. But this information is much more important than to just be boosting your self-esteem. It is to help you better serve others by being more confident about your God-given role in life.
No one else fits your shape. No one else has your blend of gifts, talents and natural abilities –- making you very important in the whole scheme of things. “God made our bodies with many parts,” wrote Paul, “and He has put each part just where He wants it.” (1 Corinthians 12:18) And as it is with the human body, so it is with the Body of Christ -– the corporate collection of all who believe.
But this uniqueness goes beyond giftedness; it reaches as well into the depth of each of our experiences in life. No one else has your life. No one else has your pain, your hardship, your joys and sorrows. Everything in life shapes us and we are shaped by everything for a reason -– so that we can touch others in a unique way based upon who we are and what we’ve been through. God doesn’t waste anything in our lives.
Every piece of our lives and experiences can be used of Christ to touch someone else. We were made for each other; we live for each other; we even die for each other. We die with hope so that others who live might see the reality of Christ in even the darkest of hours. God uses everything.
Are you just getting by, or are you living for a reason? Think about your unique gifts and ask yourself how those gifts are benefiting others. What specific way is God using you to touch others in the Body of Christ? Do you seem to have an extra measure of wisdom, or mercy, or discernment, or knowledge, or administration, or desire to serve? These will help determine how you can look for opportunities to help others.
And then think about the things you have gone through so far in your life -– especially the difficult or challenging things where God has met you with His presence and power. That information is not just for you, it’s for you to empathize with and encourage others who have encountered similar struggles.
God isn’t messing around here. There are no accidents with our lives. Whatever we have received and experienced has shaped who we are, and because of that, we are qualified servants. There is truly no one else like you... for a reason.

Another new year...

2007-01-09T09:41:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I wish that I had some good news, or even any news, to report on Jason & Lindsay's case... but unfortunately there isn't anything right now. But as soon as I hear anything, I will post it if I can!

I just thought I'd write to thank all of you for your interest in this case and for your prayers for the families and for Jason & Lindsay's killer to be found. That's all we can do... PRAY... because this is out of our hands and in God's hands. And in His time, there will be justice.

I'm praying that 2007 will be the year that we get this killer off of the streets and provide that comfort to Jason & Lindsay's parents and siblings... as well as their friends and extended family. They are loved and missed by many whose lives they touched!

Press statement from August 15...

2006-09-21T14:01:00.001-04:00

I just recently received a transcript copy of the press statement from this past August, written and spoken by Lindsay's dad, Chris Cutshall. On August 15 of this year, the two year anniversary of Jason & Lindsay's deaths, their parents traveled to the beach where their children died and then met with reporters and television crews to read the following statement:

My name is Chris Cutshall and this is my wife Kathy. We are Lindsay's parents... and these are Jason's parents, Bob and Delores Allen.
We have come to California from Ohio and Michigan to visit the beach where our children were tragically murdered two years ago today. We felt it was important for us to come here on the second anniversary of their tragic deaths to see the place where Jason and Lindsay spent the last few hours of their precious lives on earth.
As we looked out over the beach from the bluff above... two thoughts, two emotions, overwhelmed us. First, of course, was that this is the place where some evil person senselessly took the lives of two beautiful, innocent people... our children. And there is a profound sense of sadness and loss attached to that thought. But second, and perhaps even more powerfully, was the thought that here is the place where our devout Christian children last laughed together, ate together, expressed their thoughts and feelings toward each other on earth, and where they last prayed together and worshipped the Lord just before He took them home to heaven.
From the pictures they took and from the notes they wrote on the beach, plus the fact that they had a Bible and some devotional material with them, we know much of what they were thinking and doing that evening, including the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that warms our hearts to know that when the Lord showed up to take them home, they were found faithful and ready. So an overwhelming emotion for us is that this is the place where Jason and Lindsay personally and literally met their Savior and Lord face-to-face. So profound sadness and profound joy mingle in us here today. And may we say, we love Jason and Lindsay, and we glorify God Who loves them and Who in the midst of great evil took them to their glorious eternal home.
We also wanted to come here to personally thank you, the good people of Jenner and of Sonoma county and of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department, for caring so much about our children and our case. The detectives have worked tirelessly to find the killer, and many people in this community and in this country have prayed for them, have cooperated fully with them, and have rooted for them. And for the Sheriff's Department's great effort and for your tremendous support, we are very grateful. So from our hearts, we want to say "thank you."
But there is a third reason we are here. Two years after the fact, this case is still unsolved, but we believe that it is still solvable. The detectives are doing everything that can be done to solve it, but they are lacking that one tip that very well may be out there that can lead them to Jason and Lindsay's murderer. So may we make a personal plea to the people of this community: Please don't give up hope and please continue to be watchful and thoughtful. And if you have any information, or if you come across any information that would be helpful to solving this case, please notify the Sheriff's Department.
And to the killer himself... you are out there somewhere, perhaps still in this area. We want you to know that you are not alone. God knows what you have done and He knows where you are and He will bring you to justice... if not now, certainly at the Judgment, because you have innocent blood on your hands. As a pastor, as a servant of God, I want you to know that it would be better for you to turn yourself in and face justice now, and get help if you want it, and even forgiveness if you want that. It would be much better for you to turn yourself in than to continue to hide, but in the end, fall into the hands of the living God, which is a terrifying thing for a person like you. So we have come here today to offer you real grace... an opportunity to come clean before it is eternally too late for you. We have come to ask you to turn yourself in.
Thank you everyone... and God bless you.

[Jason & Lindsay's parents view the beach where their children were killed.]

That is also my plea to all who read this blog. If you know anything that might help the detectives solve this case, PLEASE notify the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department. Or, if you feel more comfortable, you may even contact me and I will relay your message to the detectives for you. For the sake of Jason & Lindsay's families and friends... please help us. The lack of closure in that respect is heartbreaking. Not only that, but we fear for the safety of the community. No one is safe when there are people out there that have zero respect for human life. Thank you.

Sonoma County Sheriff's Department
2796 Ventura Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Main phone: (707) 565-2511
Investigations: (707) 565-2185

On this day...

2006-09-11T21:04:00.000-04:00

September 11 holds a special significance for Americans and for countless others throughout the world who are our friends and allies. But this day was also very significant in the lives of Jason & Lindsay. They were to be married this day two years ago... but they never lived to see it. So today, they would have celebrated their 2-year anniversary. Instead, their families and friends are left to remember this day in a somber way for very personal reasons. Not only does this day mark the anniversary of a heartbreaking national tragedy... it also reminds us of the reality that Jason & Lindsay never lived to see their wedding day. But they are alive eternally with Christ so we know that we don't have to worry too much about that. Their love is still very much alive and they are together forever.

Please pray for all of those for whom this day is a very difficult one. There are countless people who personally knew someone or more than one person who died on that horrific day, 5 years ago. So this day is a painful one... but it also reminds us of the spontaneous unity that occurred that day... when Americans stood up together as one and vowed to fight for those who died so senselessly. Never forget! And please pray for Jason & Lindsay's families too... two families of many for whom this day brings tears and painful memories. Cling to the hope that God gives us. His promises are everlasting and true and it is because of Him that we can persevere and live with hope. God bless America!

Lindsay's 25th birthday...

2006-09-09T14:36:00.001-04:00

Lindsay at Donner Lake in California (near Lake Tahoe).
Summer 2004

Today, Lindsay would have turned 25. This is a milestone birthday... 1/4 of a century old! It makes me wonder if everyone up in heaven keeps track of what their earthly age would be. Somehow I doubt it because I don't think time in heaven is anything like it is here. But you never know what we will be privy to when we're dwelling amongst the angels. Maybe we will be able to see, somehow, what happens here... or maybe not at all. :) What I do know is that where Lindsay is right now, I long to be! The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, said, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21) What he meant, of course, is that while his work here on earth was very meaningful and worthwhile for the cause of Christ, he would much rather actually be in heaven with Christ! I hope that is the desire of all Christians... to value their time here and make it count... all the while longing for the day they are welcomed into heaven. What an amazing eternity we are blessed with! We don't even have the first clue of how awesome it's going to be. We can't even begin to comprehend it! Our God is indeed an AWESOME God! This is the promise of the glory that awaits us:

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him."

1 Corinthians 2:9

And Lindsay's there now! Experiencing the heaven that we cannot begin to see or hear or conceive of. How cool is that? :) And someday we will be there with her and with Jason.

♥ Happy Birthday Lindsay! ♥

A note from Jason's parents...

2006-08-19T13:49:00.001-04:00

Jason's mom & dad sent out an e-mail when they returned home from California this week that I thought was inspiring and encouraging. With permission, I share it with you below. I also received an e-mail from Adam this week, one of Jason & Lindsay's friends at Rock-N-Water, who was one of the other counselors that worked with them that summer. He sent a few pictures that I thought were SO great! I have included them at the end of this post. :)

Dear Prayer Partners,
Bob and I would like to thank you for your prayers for us during our recent trip to California. We flew out the day after the terrorist plots were discovered in London, and we were concerned that this would delay our flight and possibly miss our connection in Dallas. However, just the opposite was true. O'Hare airport was very efficient in getting us through security, and because we allowed plenty of time, we were able to catch an earlier flight. We met the Cutshalls in Dallas and flew to Oakland, CA together, which gave us ample time to visit before we got to CA.
Chris spoke at two morning services at First Baptist Church in Windsor. It was apparent that the message deeply affected those in attendance.
On Monday, the 14th, we went to the bluff overlooking Fish Head Beach. We felt we needed to visit the beach alone before we met the press there on the 15th. The beauty of this beach revealed to us as to why Jason and Lindsay chose this spot to camp that night. Kathy and I remained on the bluff, while Bob and Chris descended the steep path to the beach. It was good to see the place our kids spent their last joyful hours on this earth, but also very sad.
On the morning of the 15th, we interviewed with America's Most Wanted up on the bluff. This will air in a couple of weeks. In the afternoon, Chris made a press statement for the local television stations and newspapers. In the statement, he addressed the killer directly. Quotes from that statement are printed in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
It was an emotional week, but we are praying that this will lead to more tips coming in. Continue to pray that the weapon will be found and that the person responsible for this evil deed will either surrender or be turned in by someone. All the authorities need is that one big tip. With the evidence collected, everything would come together.
We were reassured by the Lt. and the Sgt., that this case will never be closed. These men are still working this with passion, even though two years have passed.
Again, thank you for your prayers. We don't understand why it has not been solved, but we don't have to understand. We just have to trust God to bring this about in his perfect timing. But He still desires us to pray about it.
In Christ,
Bob and Delores

Jason & Lindsay with friends at Donner Lake in California (near Lake Tahoe).

Another picture at Donner Lake. :)

A poster that Adam made in memory of friends, Lindsay & Jason.

Another article from this week...

2006-08-18T15:12:00.001-04:00

Here is another article I found this week, published in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. It is very similar to the one I linked to in the last post... but adds a few more details:

Slain couple's parents plead for help:
Midwest residents visit site of Jenner killings to pay tribute to their children
Wednesday, August 16, 2006

By CLARK MASON | THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
The parents of Jason Allen, 26, and Lindsay Cutshall, 22, looked out over the remote, driftwood-strewn beach north of Jenner where the couple had spent their last night before being discovered dead in their sleeping bags.
It was the first time the parents had made the trip to Jenner, bringing both a sense of sadness and loss but also joy.
"Here is the place where our devout Christian children last laughed together, ate together, expressed their thoughts and feelings toward each other on earth and where they last prayed together and worshiped the Lord just before he took them home to heaven," Chris Cutshall, father of Lindsay, said while reading from a statement.
Chris Cutshall, pastor of Fresno Bible Church in Fresno, Ohio, was accompanied by his wife, Kathy. He said that despite the horrific loss, they felt a sense of joy in the journals, pictures and expressions discovered on the beach with their children.
"We know much of what they were doing and thinking that evening, including the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ," Cutshall said.
He said it "warms our hearts to know that when the Lord showed up to take them home they were found faithful and ready. So an overwhelming emotion for us is that this was the place where Jason and Lindsay personally and literally met their Savior and Lord face to face," he said.
Bob and Delores Allen of Zeeland, Mich., parents of Jason, also traveled to pay their respects and to meet with the media and others.
They were part of a news conference held by the families before they traveled to the bluff overlooking Fish Head Beach, where Lindsay and Jason's bodies were discovered Aug. 18, 2004, several days after they were shot at close range in the head.
Much of the motivation for making the trip to Jenner was to again publicize the case.
The young couple were visiting the North Coast shortly before they were to return home to be married. They had spent the summer working as counselors and raft guides at a Christian youth camp in El Dorado County.
Sonoma County Sheriff's Sgt. Rob Giordano said detectives still are working the case daily, which has generated more than 1,000 tips from the public.
"We have made progress and are gathering information," he said, but he declined to give details about evidence or any leads.
He said there is no one potential suspect investigators are focusing on, although many individuals have been interviewed over the past two years and several were subject to polygraphs.
Bob Allen noted 156 different tips came into law enforcement after the last news release about the case. That was in May, when authorities released digital photos of a black and white hat, journal entries, drawn images of devil-like figures and a beer bottle that were found at the crime scene.
Giordano said detectives follow up on all leads, but "we haven't found the right one. One single phone call could result in the answer for us."
The two couples spent the morning taping a segment of TV's "America's Most Wanted." It was unknown when it would air.
In addition to thanks for the efforts of Jenner residents and investigators, the two couples spoke directly to the killer or killers of their children.
"You are out there somewhere, perhaps still in this area. We want you to know that you are not alone. God knows what you have done and He knows where you are, and He will bring you to justice," Cutshall read.
He urged the killer to turn himself in.
Detectives don't have a motive for the killings.
Lindsay and Jason were not shy about sharing their faith in public, and there has been speculation the killer could have been someone who took offense at their religious beliefs.
"I guess you could speculate a person had that intention," Giordano said. "There are a lot of theories as to why someone would do that. Really, no one knows until we catch them."
Fish Head Beach is accessed from Highway 1, via a steep path leading down from the bluffs. Jason's beat-up, Ford Tempo was parked in a turn-out above the beach.
It appears likely that whomever went down to the beach with a hunting rifle had the specific intent of doing them harm.
While that theory seems a safe assumption, Giordano said "someone could have been down there shooting for all we know and stumbled across them."
The couple's valuables were found at their beach campsite, including two cameras, wedding literature, Jason's wallet and Lindsay's jewelry - an engagement ring and a diamond necklace.
In his journal, Jason had written:
"I've just spent two awesome days with my fiance Lindsay. Can life ever be so perfect?"
As they looked out at the cove Tuesday, Bob Allen noted his son had taken a picture of the sunset as it went down between two prominent rocks in the water.
"It was a gorgeous picture. It must have been spectacular," he said, then looked up at the marine layer. "All we see is fog."

Jason & Lindsay's parents hold a Press Conference.

Two years...

2006-08-16T10:33:00.001-04:00

Yesterday marked the two-year "anniversary" of Jason & Lindsay's murders. It is a day that will never fade from my memory. I can still hardly believe sometimes that someone had the capacity to stand above them and shoot them as they slept. No motive, no reason... why and how would anyone do such a thing? I'll never understand.

Jason & Lindsay's parents traveled to California again for this anniversary... this time to meet with the detectives again and to hold a press conference in the hope that it will trigger more leads. It is so difficult to feel so completely helpless sometimes. I don't know why no one has come forward with information. I'm sure there's someone out there who knows something. Maybe they're afraid to come forward, maybe they don't care... I just wish someone would grow a conscience. Jason & Lindsay's families need the closure. Sometimes it's just plain hard to wait for justice. It seems much too unfair. And it leaves us worried that whoever did this will kill someone else. Obviously he/she/they have the capacity.

We are SO fortunate to have God to help us through this! I don't know what I would do without Him.

Here is an article that was featured today our local paper, The Holland Sentinel:

Parents make plea for clues:
Families visit California beach where couple was slain
Wednesday, August 16, 2006

By CLARK MASON | Santa Rosa Press Democrat
JENNER, Calif -- The parents of a young couple killed on a California beach two years ago visited the scene of the murders Tuesday to pay tribute to their children, make a plea for new clues in the unsolved case and deliver a message to the unknown person who shot them dead on the beach.
The parents of Jason Allen, 26, of Holland Township, and Lindsay Cutshall, 22, of Fresno, Ohio, looked out over the beach north of Jenner where the couple had spent their last night before being discovered dead in their sleeping bags.
It was the first time the parents had made the trip to this place, about 80 miles north of San Francisco, bringing both a sense of sadness and loss, but also joy.
"Here's the place where our devout Christian children last laughed together, ate together, expressed their thoughts and feelings toward each other on Earth, and where they last prayed together and worshipped the Lord just before he took them home to heaven," Chris Cutshall, father of Lindsay, said while reading from a prepared statement.
Chris Cutshall is a pastor of a congregation in Fresno, Ohio, and came to Northern California with his wife, Kathy. He said despite the horrific loss, they felt a sense of joy in the journals, pictures and expressions discovered on the beach with their children.
"We know much of what they were doing and thinking that evening including the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ," Cutshall said.
He said it "warms our hearts to know that when the Lord showed up to take them home they were found faithful and ready. So an overwhelming emotion for us is that this was the place where Jason and Lindsay personally and literally met their Savior and Lord face to face," he said.
Bob and Delores Allen of Holland Township, parents of Jason, also traveled to pay tribute to their child.
They were part of a press conference held by the families before they traveled to the bluff overlooking Fishhead Beach, the place Lindsay and Jason were discovered Aug. 18, 2004.
Much of the motivation for making the trip to Jenner was to again publicize the case which remains unsolved.
Allen and Cutshall were visiting the North Coast on their final weekend in California before they were to return home to be married. They had spent the summer working as counselors and raft guides at a Christian youth camp in El Dorado County.
Sgt. Rob Giordano of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department said detectives are still working the case daily.
"We have made progress and are gathering information," he said, but he declined to give details about evidence or any leads they may be following.
"There is nothing significant at this point," he said.
Bob Allen noted that 156 different tips came into law enforcement following the last press release about the case. That was in May, when authorities released digital photos of a black and white hat, journal entries, drawn images of devil-like figures and a beer bottle that were found at the crime scene.
In addition to thanks for the efforts of Jenner residents and law enforcement investigators, the two couples spoke directly to the person or persons who killed their children.
"You are out there perhaps still in this area. We want you to know that you are not alone. God knows what you have done and he knows where you are and he will bring you to justice," Cutshall read.

Jason & Lindsay's parents view the beach where Jason & Lindsay were killed.

Approaching "anniversary" #2...

2006-08-13T11:37:00.001-04:00

Tuesday of this week, August 15, will mark the two year "anniversary" of Jason & Lindsay's deaths. It is hard to believe that it actually has been two years already... yet in some ways it seems like it has been even longer than that.

I know that for many people who read this, who didn't know Jason & Lindsay personally or their families, this is just "another story." But they were real people with real character and faith and they had families and friends who love(d) them dearly. I have regrets about not keeping in touch with Jason in his last years. If I had only known what was going to happen to him... I would have made sure that I didn't lose touch. We were such good friends when we were growing up. Then life happened and we drifted apart. But that doesn't mean that he didn't mean anything to me anymore. I love his family like they are my own family... and it hurts so badly to see the pain that they have to live with now. But don't get me wrong... they are stronger than ever. God has clearly given them strength and peace that can only come from Him. They are fiercely determined to not let Satan have any victories in this... and to this day, he has had none. I'm sure Jason & Lindsay, if they know what is going on down here, are humbled and honored that God has used their story in such powerful ways. And I'm so grateful that I know where they are and that they're very much alive and safe in heaven... and that one day I'll be up there with them and I'll never lose touch again. How awesome is our God!!!

Here is an article that was featured today our local paper, The Holland Sentinel:

Seeking answers:
Parents hope visit to scene will bring new leads
Sunday, August 13, 2006

By TEREASA NIMS | Staff Writer
Jason Allen's parents on Tuesday will mark the two-year anniversary of his murder by going to an isolated California beach where he and his fiancee Lindsay Cutshall spent their last night together.
"It's not something I'm excited about or looking forward to," said Allen's mother, Delores.
Sonoma County sheriff's investigators said Allen, 26, of Holland Township, and Cutshall, 22, of Fresno, Ohio, were found shot to death on Aug. 18, 2004.
They were planning to be married in September 2004.
Authorities believe the murder occurred during the night of Aug. 14 or the early morning of Aug. 15, 2004.
The couple was working as counselors at Rock-N-Water, a Christian camp in El Dorado County, Calif.
Sonoma County Sheriff Lt. Dave Edmonds said investigators continue to search for leads to the find the killer.
"We want to solve this case," Edmonds said.
"It's still a very active case and we work on it daily," said Sgt. Robert Giordano, head of Sonoma County sheriff's violent crime unit.
In May the investigators released some of the evidence they recovered from around the crime scene. This included pictures of a beer bottle, a hat and some writings.
"That generated 140 to 150 tips," Giordano said. "Some of the tips we are still investigating."
Bob and Delores Allen and Cutshall's parents, Chris and Kathy Cutshall, hope they can help generate more leads by holding a press conference from the location where their children were killed.
The two couples have been in the area where the killings occurred, but this will be their first venture to the crime scene.
"I know it will be an emotional day," Delores Allen said.
The Cutshalls agree.
"It is not like we need to go," Chris Cutshall said. "We want to see where our kids were the very last time, but we don't need to. I don't know if I can explain it."
The couples have a common goal -- to see the person responsible for their children's murder held accountable.
"We really hope they can find whoever did this and bring them to justice," said Bob Allen.
"I never want anybody else to have to go through this," Delores Allen said.
Both couples, who only met once before their children were killed, say that they find strength in God and in each other. They agree it helps them make it through difficult times.
"They are family," said Kathy Cutshall about the Allens.
The Allens and Cutshalls spent the first anniversary together and they talk or e-mail each other at least once a week. The also visit each other three to four times a year.
"Kathy and Chris are a real source of strength for us," Delores Allen said. "We help each other through the rough times."
Although there has been no conviction in the case, Chris and Kathy Cutshall say they have a sense of closure.
"We do have closure in the sense that we know where (they) are (in God's hands)," Kathy Cutshall said.
It's an image the Allens share.
"But I don't think we will really have complete closure until the case is solved," Delores Allen said. "I think the sheriff's department is doing all they can and they are keeping us abreast of what's going on."
There is a $50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the person responsible for the murder.
Jason Allen is never far from his parents' thoughts.
"I think about the good times, especially when we went camping," Delores said. "Those were just really great times. Jason had a great since of humor and we always had a lot of fun."

Bob & Delores Allen

Lives changed...

2006-06-22T12:37:00.001-04:00

One thing that I have mentioned before, and many of us have seen first-hand, is the profound effect that Jason & Lindsay's tragic deaths has had on those who have been close to the story. One man, in particular, was Sgt. Steve Freitas, who worked on the case from the very beginning. His involvement in the case led him to spend a great deal of time with Jason & Lindsay's families, and he was moved by the grace and strength with which they relied on God throughout the whole heartbreaking ordeal. I have to say, he was not the only one! I think, more than anything, their faith has helped me to develop and strengthen my own. Their refusal to do anything less than praise God for His mercy and compassion was remarkable to me. I was taking baby steps before that... and now I'm stepping out of my comfort zone regularly to do what I can to live out God's purpose for my life. I think sometimes it takes something huge like that... something that truly shakes you to your very core... for God to get your attention. Those are the kinds of things that truly change your perspective forever. Steve Freitas, who has since been promoted to Lieutenant in a neighboring community, has been forever changed by Jason & Lindsay's story too and he is now traveling around the country to talk about it. :) How awesome is that? God never ceases to amaze me.

Here is an article that was featured in the Coshocton Tribune newspaper yesterday.

Calif. deputy now part of Fresno family's lives
Wednesday, June 21, 2006

BY: KATHIE DICKERSON | Staff Writer
FRESNO - Lt. Steve Freitas of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department in California has dealt with countless crimes of violence in his 21-year law enforcement career, but nothing touched him like the deaths of Fresno native Lindsay Cutshall, 22, and her fiancé Jason Allen, 26, of Zeeland, Mich.
The seasoned law enforcement officer is now invited to share how the tragic event changed his life. He speaks in churches on the West Coast, and recently at an annual policemen appreciation event in Lancaster, Pa., as well as at Fresno Bible Church, where Cutshall's father is pastor.
"God used the innocence of our kids to soften his heart," said the Rev. Chris Cutshall, Lindsay's father. "Then as he got to know us he saw how God was working in our lives."
Lindsay and Allen met at Appalachia Bible College in West Virginia and were working at a youth Christian camp in California that fateful summer before they were to return to Ohio for a September wedding.
They were reported missing after they failed to show up for work Aug. 16, 2004. Their bodies were found on a remote Sonoma County beach two days later, victims of gunshot wounds to the head, according to authorities.
The couple's camp site appeared undisturbed, and belongings found included a Christian book, wedding literature, camping gear and backpacks.
Throughout the days, weeks and months following their daughter's death, the Cutshalls remain steadfast in their faith.
"The promises of scripture - faith, trust and hope - that gives us confidence and assurance that Jason and Lindsay are eternally with Christ," Cutshall said. "They're better off. We weren't better off without them, it's been an incredible loss for us and we've dealt with pain, but we also have the promise that we will see her again, and she will show us her own heaven, which will be really cool."
Freitas said the senseless, random act of violence turned his life around.
"This situation is what brought me to the Lord," he said. "We've become close friends with the Cutshalls, we're basically family at this time - spiritual families."
His wife, Michelle, is now a strong church member and their children Michael, 5, and Zachary, 2, are being raised as Christians, Freitas said.
"This is an ongoing thing, the Lord is still working in people's hearts," Freitas said.
Several people have turned their lives over to Christ after hearing his story, he said.
The Cutshalls and Freitas vacationed together this year, spending a few days at a time-share condominium in Virginia and most recently several days together at the Cutshalls' home near Fresno.
The family participated in the Community Family Weekend at Fresno Bible Church this past weekend. The children have enjoyed Lake Park Aquatic Center and fishing in a local pond, and a trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton was on the agenda.
"We've been relaxing on the deck a lot and just hanging out, too," Cutshall said.
Freitas is no longer investigating the Allen/Cutshall murder case. He serves as chief of police for the city of Windsor under a law enforcement contract with the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department. The case remains unsolved, and in May more information was released in an effort to generate additional leads.
Based on statements of a witness in the case, Cutshall was reportedly given a necklace a few days before her death, and the necklace was not located at the crime scene. The sheriff's department obtained a similar necklace and released a photograph of it. Authorities would like to know who left drawings of devil-like faces on driftwood located near the victims and a distinctive, short-brimmed, black-and-white patterned hat partially covered with black and white fur that was found near a turn-out on Highway 1 above Fish Head Beach.
"The release of information recently has generated many tips and leads that they're working on," Freitas said.

Pastor Chris Cutshall (left) & Lt. Steve Freitas

Jason's birthday...

2006-05-16T19:08:00.001-04:00

Today, Jason would have turned 28 years old. By now, he would have been married to Lindsay for almost two years. It breaks my heart that they never got to walk down that aisle... yet there is a sweetness to knowing that they are both in heaven together.

I wish that I would have kept in better touch with Jason while he was still alive. That is something I think about often. I feel like I sort of don't have the "right" to be so affected by his and Lindsay's deaths because I wasn't as close to him at the time of his death as I once was... when we grew up together. But their tragic deaths truly have had a tremendous impact on me. I cannot possibly look at the world in the same way anymore. But I'm glad that God has not allowed me to be bitter. In fact, this whole ordeal has really made me appreciate what is most important... Jesus, Salvation, family, friends, loved ones, etc.... and it has made abundantly clear what is not at all important. And when all is said and done... I am so grateful to God for the HOPE that He gives us, as believers. We know that the loss and the grief is not everlasting... and the goodbyes are not forever... because Jesus paved the Way for us to see each other again. Praise God!!!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Happy birthday, Jason... you are dearly missed. I pray for your family every day and I look forward to seeing you, and getting to know Lindsay, when I finally come Home.

These lyrics are so appropriate for how we all view what happened. None of us ever imagined something like this could be possible... but we found out the hard way that we are not immune. Yet there is amazing comfort in knowing that Jason & Lindsay are in heaven... and that we will get to see them again someday.

"With Hope" by Steven Curtis Chapman

This is not at all
How we thought it was supposed to be
We had so many plans for you
We had so many dreams
And now you've gone away
And left us with the memories of your smile
And nothing we can say
And nothing we can do
Can take away the pain
The pain of losing you, but ...

We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end,
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
(There's a place by God's grace)
There's a place where we'll see your face again
And never have I known
Anything so hard to understand
And never have I questioned more
The wisdom of God's plan
But through the cloud of tears
I see the Father's smile and say well done
And I imagine you
Where you wanted most to be
Seeing all your dreams come true
'Cause now you're home
And now you're free, and ...
We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end,
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
(There's a place by God's grace)
There's a place where we'll see your face again
We have this hope as an anchor
'Cause we believe that everything
God promised us is true, so ...

We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end,
And we can grieve with hope
'Cause we believe with hope
(There's a place by God's grace)
There's a place where we'll see your face again...

Me & Jason at age 2.

New Press Release!

2006-05-02T16:00:00.000-04:00

Today, a new press release was issued by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department regarding Jason & Lindsay's case. There were some items found near Jason's & Lindsay's bodies that did not belong to them... and the detectives have decided to release this information in the hope that it will get people to call in tips that might possibly finally solve this case! Please keep praying that this will be the key to finding the suspect(s). We need all of the prayer that we can get. :)

God bless!!!

A PDF of the Press Release shown below can be found here.

---------------------------------
Jenner Homicide Investigation Update May 2006
---------------------------------
Posted Tuesday, May 2, 2006 at 10:24, AM
The purpose of this press release is to update the public on the progress of the investigation and release previously undisclosed information. We are hoping this will generate additional leads, or help to clarify our interpretation of some case facts.
On August 18th, 2004 the bodies of 22-year-old Lindsay Cutshall and 26-year-old Jason Allen were located on a beach just north of Jenner, California. Cutshall and Allen each died of gunshot wounds to the head.
Both Lindsay Cutshall and Jason Allen were Christian missionaries, who had been working at a Christian Camp in El Dorado County. They were due to be married in September, 2004.
On Monday, August 16, 2004, a missing persons report was filed with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department when the couple failed to return from a weekend trip. Their bodies were discovered two days later on Fishhead Beach, near Jenner.
The investigation into this murder has been far reaching and non-stop for the past year and a half. Detectives continue to work on this case daily. We have received assistance from several outside law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Department of Justice, Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office, and several county and municipal agencies. Hundreds of people have been interviewed as a result of tips from the public. Governor Schwarzenegger's Office has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for this crime. Despite our efforts, the case remains unsolved.
From our initial investigation at the crime scene and through on-going follow-up, we have collected boxes of evidence and other items of possible evidentiary value. We have been using much of what we have collected to further our investigation and analysis. At this point, we want to publicize some of what we have.
We are releasing some details and photos of four items located at or near the crime scene: journal writings, drawings, a hat, and a beer bottle. Additionally, we are releasing a photograph of a necklace that one of the victims may have been wearing at the time of the killing that has not been located. The photographs of these items (both web-viewable photographs as well as high-resolution photographs for downloading and reproduction) accompany this press release and can be accessed on our website, www.sonomasheriff.org.
The "Camo 40" beer bottle was located on the beach near the victims. The hat, which is a distinctive, short-brimmed, black-and white patterned hat that is partially covered with black and white fur, was located near a turn-out on Highway 1 above Fish Head Beach. We would like to become clear on how they came to be deposited at their locations.
The journal writings below are among many journal entries that were located in an informal journal left for beach visitors in a make-shift driftwood structure near the victims. Photographs of these entries accompany this release and the entries are described briefly as follows:
Writing #1
Salutation from – "Friendly neighborhood Spiderman friend & sidekick!"
Writing #2
Another salutation from, "your friendly neighbor hood friend, Spiderman, 7/25/04"
With a response, "Ha Ha Ha Spiderman, A, 8/12 A+, the Drifting Inn"
Writing #3
Contains a unique signature in the upper right corner and then contains a brief writing by "Chrissie" from "Auburn 7/10/04"
Writing #4
A rhyme talking about Santa Claus, leprechauns, and the tooth fairy.
Writing #5
This writing is dated 8/4/04 and signed by the letter "R" written uniquely. It begins with the following:
"At the Driftwood Inn, alone again, outside of myself and placid as hell..."
The handwriting styles for each of these journal entries are fairly distinctive. We would like to identify the author of each of these writings.
The drawings are of devil-like faces drawn onto driftwood that was located near the victims. We would like to know who drew these.
The photograph of the necklace depicts a necklace similar to one that Lindsay Cutshall was reportedly given in the days leading up to the killing, but was never located by detectives. This information is based upon statements from a witness in the case.
Additionally, we are still looking for the weapon used in these murders. The weapon used was a .45 caliber Marlin rifle, either a semi-automatic or a lever action. There are photographs of these types of weapons in the attached reward flier.
Finally, we are reporting for the first time that we collected DNA at the crime scene that may have been deposited by the suspect in this crime. Given the heinous nature of this crime and the difficulty the suspect would have in being able to completely isolate himself from suspicion, we feel that it is probable that someone knows more information that would lead us to the murderer of Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall. We would ask anyone with information or suspicions to please contact us so we can compare these suspicions with our evidence.
Photographs and descriptions of the aforementioned items accompany this release. If any of these items mean anything to you, please contact the Violent Crimes Unit of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department at 707-565-2185. Please do not discount the relevance of your information. Your piece of information may have a significant impact on the investigation when viewed in the context of what we already know.
Once again, these items and this release may also be viewed at the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department web page www.sonomasheriff.org under "Latest News."
For further information contact Lt. Edmonds at 707-565-2185
Report number 040818-034
Prepared by Sgt. R. Giordano

Life's purpose...

2006-02-15T12:08:00.000-05:00

This is pretty awesome... it speaks of exactly what many of us have learned in the wake of Jason's & Lindsay's untimely deaths. Truly, though no one likes to experience and endure suffering, it serves to allow us to experience God's grace and lessen our grip on this earthly life. It gets us looking forward to eternity... and that is what we need to be doing. It is so easy to get caught up in life as we know it... but things like this change our perspectives. God is at work in our lives and our hearts. I love what today's "Purpose-Driven Life" devotional had to say:

Check Your Lane
by John Fischer

"When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane."
I got this from one of those joke pages flying around the Internet. Actually, having everything coming at you may not necessarily mean you're in the wrong lane when it comes to personal growth. I would go as far as to suggest that everything going your way is probably a condition to be less trusted than feeling like you're driving into oncoming traffic.
I just don't see God as doling out ease and contentment. His business lies more in the areas of refining and shaping us to conform more to the image of Christ, and none of that comes easy. Scripture indicates that the process by which this comes about includes, among other things, trials (James 1:2-3), suffering (Romans 5:3-4), discipline (Hebrews 12:7), and a growing sense of our own mortality (2 Corinthians 5:4-5).
In one illustration, Paul uses the metaphor of an earthen vessel to explain our human condition and how God uses us (2 Corinthians 4:7). To think about an earthen vessel (a piece of pottery) is to get an accurate picture of what we can expect in this life.
A pot begins as a lump of clay that is kneaded and slammed until all the air is out of it and the lump is the right consistency to form into something useful. Then it is placed on a potter's wheel where the potter molds and shapes it, spinning it in his wet hands, until its sides are stretched out and up into a shape that can hold something. Then it is set on a shelf and allowed to dry before the real fun part begins -- the firing -- after which it is glazed and fired again. (I hope you are imagining yourself going through all of this because that's the idea.) Finally it is ready to be used, and that usually includes some pretty rough treatment -- a seemingly endless pattern of getting dirty and being cleaned only to get dirty again. Over time it ages and cracks with use, but according to Paul's illustration, this only lets out more of what it contains, which is described as the light of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6) -- for we are indeed this vessel. It is a process that gradually de-emphasizes us and more and more emphasizes what we contain.
Which is to say that when everything seems to be coming your way (trials, hardship, testing times) you are probably in the right lane after all. It's the society we live in that thinks it deserves to have everything go its way. God never guaranteed anything of the kind, at least in this life.

Merry Christmas!!!

2005-12-20T21:47:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update... no news on the homefront to share at the moment... but please continue to keep the investigators in your prayers as they do their work. We need God's help to solve this case... may His Will be done!

Also... continue to pray for the Allen & Cutshall families. This holiday season is, understandably, very emotionally trying for them. Time has not yet lessened the pain of their loss. It's so hard for me to even imagine. They wake up each morning to the reality of what happened to Jason and Lindsay... and during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season... memories and heartache can be overwhelming. Please pray for God to comfort them and to give them hope and joy in the knowledge that Jason and Lindsay are alive and well in heaven... and there is no better place to be.

Isn't it a wonder that this life of ours that we so highly value is but merely a blink of an eye compared to all of eternity? Before we know it... we will be reunited with Jason and Lindsay, along with other friends and family who have gone to heaven before us, and from that point on... we'll never have to be apart! How awesome is that?!? This life is so short... and yet so vital. What we do while we're here on earth determines where we exist for eternity... that just blows my mind. God is surely mysterious and divine... and truly awe-inspiring...

"These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold -- and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."
1 Peter 1:7 (New Living Translation)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

May God bless you richly throughout this holiday season! ♥

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

--Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

[Note: Images included in this post are copyrighted by Microsoft.]

"Renewal Radio" interviews...

2005-10-13T12:05:00.000-04:00

Last month, Lindsay's mom & dad (Kathy & Pastor Chris Cutshall) were featured on a radio program called Renewal Radio with Dr. Gene Getz. Renewal, a listener-supported faith ministry, is a "15-minute daily radio program heard throughout the United States, Belize, Puerto Rico, Micronesia, Guam, the Caribbean and 124 countries around the world from Afghanistan to Yugoslavia." [For a local station near you, please click here.]

I love that God has provided Jason's and Lindsay's families with the opportunity to speak about this continuing story to such broad audiences. There is a purpose for each and every opportunity like this. I pray that God will continue to reach the hearts of those who need Salvation in Christ and/or a renewed heart in Jesus through Jason & Lindsay's story. I doubt they ever dreamed that their life stories would leave such a profound impact on people... but God had that in mind all along. I feel blessed to have known Jason... and I continue to feel blessed to know his family. I hope I have the opportunity to get to know Lindsay's family better over time. They are all amazing people... as you will hear by the testimony provided in these interviews.

These 15-minute radio segments were featured on Renewal Radio over the week of September 12th through the 15th. The week was entitled, "Test of Faith." Below are short summaries and links to each 15 minute radio segment. (These radio segments are in downloadable mp3 format.)

9/12/2005 - Monday
The story you’ll hear all this week here on Renewal demonstrates dramatically that evil does exist in this world. But you’ll also discover that even when evil triumphs in certain situations, God’s grace is greater than all our sins. Join our host, Dr. Gene Getz, and his special guests today for this incredible story.
[Click here to download.]

9/13/2005 - Tuesday
Today in our own culture, we seldom hear of Christians who have given their lives because of their faith. Join our host on Renewal, Dr. Gene Getz, and his special guests who have certainly demonstrated unbelievable faith in a time of incredible tragedy.
[Click here to download.]

9/14/2005 - Wednesday
All this week our host, Dr. Gene Getz, is talking with a pastor and his wife who faced an incredible test of faith when their daughter and their daughter’s fiancé were mercilessly murdered on a beach on the west coast. It was a senseless tragedy-—a horrible act of evil. But what you hear today will give you hope no matter what has happened in your life.
[Click here to download.]

9/15/2005 - Thursday
This week on Renewal we’ve shared a tragic event! But we’ve also shared how Christians can experience unusual comfort in the midst of tragedy that is definitely related to God’s supernatural grace. Join our host, Dr. Gene Getz, and his special guests for the next installment in this incredible story. Your heart will be challenged—and encouraged.
[Click here to download.]

9/16/2005 - Friday
The apostle Paul wrote that "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose." This week on Renewal we’ve been sharing a tragic story but you’ll also hear how this young couple’s parents have come to grips with the reality of Paul’s statement. What they share will encourage you, regardless of your circumstances in life.
[Click here to download.]

Remember their love...

2005-09-11T17:00:00.001-04:00

Today would have been Jason and Lindsay's one-year anniversary. It's hard to think about what this past year would have held for them if they had never died. It would have been a year of many firsts for them... and it would have been a year of many blessings. I do have questions for God when I get to heaven... one of which is simply why they had to die before they got married. They were so looking forward to spending their lives together... and they never even got the chance to walk down the aisle. But I won't despair...

I have found that focusing on all of the "why's?" does nothing but make my heart burn with sadness and grief. It is important to look at what good God has done in the wake of this heartbreaking tragedy. What's more... this day is significant in another obvious way... many families are hurting today as they remember their loved ones who were lost in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. September 11 will remain engraved into the hearts of countless people, not only Americans but those from around the world, because it is a day that changed everyone's perspectives. None of us are immune to tragedy... but we need to remember to focus on the positive instead of the pain... it is then that God can give us real hope.

I don't know how I would have reacted to 9/11 or Jason and Lindsay's deaths if I had not known God. I know that I would not have had hope... and would have spiraled into a chasm of despair. God is truly a God of hope and peace! He has carried us through this storm and will never let us go.

I recently bought the new Casting Crowns CD... and there is an awesome song that relates exactly to what I am trying to say. The liner notes for this song begin with a quote stating the inspiration for it:

"If there ever were a test of our faith -- if there ever were a test of the motives of our worship -- it is when a storm rolls into our lives. We watched and prayed for a precious little girl named Erin Edwards struggle with a deadly disease for several years. The courage, the witness, and the worship of Erin's mother Laurie inspired this song. Sometimes God calms our storms. Sometimes He chooses to ride them with us."

Here are the lyrics and the Bible verses that are listed along with them...

"PRAISE YOU IN THIS STORM"
By Mark Hall
I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen," and it's still raining...
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away...
CHORUS:
I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm...
I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
if I can't find You?...
[Chorus]
I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth...
[Chorus]

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." [Romans 8:28]

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." [2 Corinthians 4:16-18]

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." [Psalm 42:5]

"I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." [Psalm 121:1-2]

"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.'" [Job 1:20-21]

"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.'" [Daniel 3:16-18]

Happy 24th Birthday to Lindsay...

2005-09-09T07:57:00.002-04:00

Today, Lindsay would have turned 24. I wonder if God celebrates birthdays in heaven. :) I know that's probably a silly thought... but birthdays are important events during our earthly life... I just wonder if God values them in our eternal life. Nonetheless, my heart is heavy today as I think about Lindsay's birthday... I can't help it. I wonder what she and Jason would have done today to celebrate this occasion had they still been here... and that thought tugs on my heartstrings. I still cry a lot when I think about Jason and Lindsay... sometimes I can hardly believe that they really died in such a horrific way... but I am so grateful for the lessons God has taught so many throughout all of this. God has not let opportunities pass to mold people's hearts. It's like He scooped us up into His loving hands and shaped and refined our character, faith, perspectives, etc... and all while He comforted us and sheltered us from the storm. He is so amazing... glorious and sovereign...

In rememberance of Lindsay Christine Cutshall's 24th birthday and her legacy of faith, I asked a family friend of the Cutshall's to share with me a memory of Lindsay that I could post here...

I remember so much, she was such a happy child and young lady... always smiling. She always liked to challenge herself. I remember her having a motorcycle when she got her license. It was funny seeing her (this petite little girl) riding a motorcycle around the church parking lot. She always was climbing trees and and rocks. I remember the last time I saw her... we were at Chris and Kathy's... it was for Jason's birthday. Lindsay was getting Jason "Long John Silver's" for dinner and she was late getting there. She was late because she got stopped for speeding :) because she didn't want to be late. Boy, did she get a lot of razzing! We all laughed and she laughed and dragged her foot along because we were calling her "lead foot." I really hated to leave that night, but it was a party for young people. There are a lot of things like that that I remember... mostly, I never heard her say a bad thing about anyone.

Memories are so sweet... such a precious gift that we can hold on to.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the opportunity to get to know Lindsay well while she was still alive. I met her once at her and Jason's dual wedding shower in May 2004. I am grateful that I will have an opportunity to get to know her in heaven... and tell her and Jason all about the lives that they touched in ways more profound than they can imagine. Blessings to the Cutshall's and the Allen's this day... keep them in your prayers.

God bless!

Families of faith...

2005-08-19T12:33:00.002-04:00

I know I have said this before, but I am in awe of the Allens and the Cutshalls. I have never seen anyone respond to an enormous personal tragedy with so much grace, faith, and God-given strength.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Here is another article that was featured in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat newspaper earlier this week.

Faith Helps Families Cope With Loss...
Sunday, August 14, 2005

BY: Derek J. Moore | The Press Democrat
When he stands before his congregation this morning, on the anniversary of his daughter's death, the Rev. Chris Cutshall will talk about contentment.
He will open his Bible to Philippians 4:10-13, which in part says, "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content."
The sermon's theme may not be the obvious choice for someone who has suffered such hurt. But Cutshall said he and his wife, Kathy, who live in Fresno, Ohio, have found some peace despite their daughter's violent death and the knowledge that her killer is still free.
"Even in the midst of that pain and loss we've felt a contentment and satisfaction in God and his grace, and know that He is using this supreme evil for extreme good," Cutshall said by phone last week.
Still, there are moments when that faith is tested.
That's perhaps never more true than when the couple steps inside Lindsay's room, which has remained virtually as it was when she left the small Ohio town last summer for California.
"When I need a good cry, I go hang out in her room," said Cutshall, who is pastor of the 160-member Fresno Bible Church. "It serves a function."
Faith is equally important to Bob and Dolores Allen, who will attend church in Zeeland, Mich., this morning on the anniversary of their son's death.
Jason Allen dreamed of working as a counselor at a camp for Christian kids, a dream that was cut short when he and Lindsay Cutshall, his fiancee, were shot to death on a beach north of Jenner.
"Some days are real hard," Dolores Allen said. "All in all, I think we're doing quite well. We rely on our faith and trust in the Lord. His grace has been sufficient for us."
Following the church services, the Cutshalls will meet the Allens at a cabin on Lake Michigan, where they plan to spend the next couple days relaxing and reminiscing.
The families last saw one another over Father's Day for a memorial service at the white-water rafting camp in Coloma where their kids worked as counselors. Afterward, they drove to Sonoma County to meet with sheriff's detectives.
That's as close as they got to the beach where their children were slain.
"I don't think I could have handled that," Dolores Allen said.
Both families receive regular updates from detectives. But they say they aren't overly anxious that the case has yet to be solved.
"We're not on edge," Chris Cutshall said. "If they don't ever solve it, we know God, in the end, will bring justice to the situation. We're confident about that."

By the way, today is my birthday. One year ago today, I found out that Jason and Lindsay had been found and that they had been murdered. Believe me, that is a day I will NEVER forget. Needless to say, it was not a day of celebration. :( I am thankful, however, that this past year has been a year of much personal growth in my faith because of this tragedy. God has really been working on me! And I know I'm not the only one. Knowing that God can use circumstances like these to bring forth ultimate good and glory to His Holy Name is so awesome... I never would have guessed that so much good could come from so much heartbreak. ♥

Informative article...

2005-08-18T09:57:00.000-04:00

[Update: It makes me sad that I even have to write this... because I thought that the media would value decency and common sense when addressing a story such as this. However, I recently found out that the news source from the article addressed in this post may not have been honest in its approach to obtaining this information (which isn't altogether surprising in this day and age) but the real problem is that it appears that they may not have even had permission from authorities to release this information to the public in the first place. (By the way, this happened once before already.) Throwing ethics out the window, in a case such as this, in search for the "best story" is unacceptable. There isn't anything we can do about it now... but PLEASE... if you are of the media... be RESPECTFUL to the wishes of the families of the victims and NEVER do anything that might damage the integrity of a criminal investigation... especially a murder investigation that is hungry for leads. Please respect the wishes of the detectives and investigators as well... the integrity of their work depends on it. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.]

I found a recent article that lists, in detail, some news from the ongoing investigation into the murders of Jason & Lindsay. One year ago, today, their bodies were found on that remote beach in Jenner, California. This article is full of information that I had never even heard before, so it is interesting and thought-provoking. However, it grieves me to read it because it is another reminder that there is still no resolution... the person who hunted them down and killed them is still out there... free to "enjoy" life while those most personally affected by this horrifying tragedy are left in a constant state of residual shock, grief, and bewilderment.

I don't presume to count myself as being one most personally affected by this tragedy... I don't feel like I can even begin to count myself as a part of that group because obviously this is much more heart-wrenching and painful to the parents and the siblings of Jason and Lindsay. I can't speak for their immediate families. They alone can speak for themselves... and they do... with unbelievable conviction and faith in our Heavenly Father. I am moved just as much by their faith in the aftermath as by the faith that Jason and Lindsay lived by.

In my Bible study last night... we wrapped up a 10-week series on a study of the Patriarchs. Beth Moore, a Christian writer and speaker for women's ministries, wrote this study and I found that much of what we learned in it can relate to this tragedy. God doesn't cause tragedies... Satan does. God will never allow a tragedy to occur unless He, in His ultimate sovereignty, knows that much good can come from it... to change the hearts and eternities of countless people and to bring glory to His Name. And He is a God Who keeps His promises... He always does!!! In my own personal life experiences and challenges, God has ALWAYS come through for me with flying colors. He loves us all SO much... so much so that he gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, up to be murdered/killed for unjust reasons. Jesus was not guilty of any wrongdoing... but He was tortured and killed by sinners... and He WILLINGLY did so with US in mind. That huge sacrifice is literally our saving grace. That is the only way by which we can be saved for eternity! That boggles my mind. What an awesome God we serve! He can bring so much ultimate GOOD through tragedy... and although we all suffer in one way or another... that suffering is meant to lessen our grip on this earthly life and keep us looking forward to our home in heaven! Our heartstrings are attached to heaven... and we ache and long for heaven because we know we belong there. We are like strangers on this earth... we don't always feel like we "belong" here because we don't! Our true home is in heaven! While we are here on earth, we are called to be different as children of the Living God. We are the vessels through which Jesus shines His light in this dark world. Jason and Lindsay were awesome vessels for Christ in their lives and they continue to be even in their deaths. Glory to God in the highest!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This article was featured in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat newspaper earlier this week.

Jenner Killings: Unsolved, But Not Forgotten...
Sunday, August 14, 2005

BY: Derek J. Moore | The Press Democrat
Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall didn't just sign their names or leave a perfunctory we-were-here message in a spiral notebook left for visitors on a remote Jenner beach.
"The sun is going down in the horizon," Cutshall, 22, wrote. "All I see is the beams shining on the cliff face. And I know that God is awesome."
"As I stir this Mac and Cheese," Allen, 26, penned afterward, "I think to myself what a wonderful life. I've just spent two awesome days with my fiance Lindsay. Can life ever be so perfect."
The unabashed love expressed in those words, written one year ago today, stands in painful contrast to the violence that occurred later, perhaps that same night, after the pair bundled themselves in separate sleeping bags and went to sleep.
Someone shot Allen and Cutshall once each in the head at close range with a rifle, killing them both and ending their dreams of getting married soon after returning home to Ohio.
The case remains unsolved. But new information released by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department, including the notebook entries, and interviews with people who say they saw the couple the weekend they died, open the door a little wider onto an investigation that appears to have stalled and grows colder with each passing day.
"The tips are dying down," said sheriff's Detective Dave Thompson, the lead investigator on the case.
One of the enduring mysteries of the case is how the couple discovered Fish Head Beach, which is about a quarter-mile north of Jenner at the bottom of a steep, unmarked trail.
The answer may lie with a Sebastopol surf-shop owner whose identity until recently was a closely guarded secret.
Bruce "Pops" Landry said he steered Cutshall and Allen to the beach after the couple stopped in his store the afternoon of Aug. 14, 2004, and inquired about a place to camp.
"I said there's only one place I know of where you won't get busted by the cops, and that's Fish Head Beach north of the River's End (restaurant). But I said it might be foggy there," Landry recalled while sitting outside California Surf Shop.
The 56-year-old shop owner said he felt a connection with the young couple after learning they were engaged, and that they had spent the summer counseling kids at a Christian white-water rafting camp in El Dorado County.
The couple had left the camp a day before in Allen's beat-up Ford Tempo for what was supposed to be their final weekend in California before heading home and getting married three weeks later.
Landry said he dedicated his own life to God and to helping kids after recovering from a serious accident in 2001.
"I was intrigued by them," he said.
Landry said Cutshall was "mesmerized" by the necklace that he wore, which had a brilliant blue stone called "The Blue Room," a surfing term that refers to being inside the tube of a crashing wave.
Landry said he gave Cutshall a necklace just like it, clasping it around her neck with the admonition, "I hope you guys have as many beautiful years as my wife and I have had over 30 years."
Necklace missing
Landry said detectives told him that they didn't find any such necklace after the bodies were discovered on the beach, raising the possibility that the killer took it. Sheriff's investigators have said all along that nothing was taken from the couple.
Among other things, detectives found two cameras, wedding literature, Jason's wallet and Lindsay's jewelry -- an engagement ring and a diamond necklace -- at the campsite.
But Thompson said Landry passed a polygraph test when he was interviewed by detectives at the Sheriff's Department about a month ago. Authorities declined further comment on the statements Landry made during their five-hour interview.
Landry said detectives were suspicious of the interest he had taken in the couple and his role in directing them to the beach. He said they told him that he was a "prime suspect" in the case.
"They asked me out and out, did I kill them. I said, 'No, I didn't.'"
Landry, who has a habit of hugging everyone he meets and has a license plate on his truck that reads, "Rafiki," the Swahili word for "friend," said he feels horrible for directing the couple to the beach.
He said detectives asked him if they would find any of his DNA at the crime scene. He said he told them that he hugged and kissed Allen and Cutshall on the cheek at his shop, then touched Allen's car before they drove away.
Landry said he agreed to the interview with detectives over the objection of family and friends because he wants the killer caught. But he said it pained him to be labeled a suspect in the case.
"It hurt me because I was being so loving," he said. "But they (detectives) are doing their job. ... I know they're doing their best to find the person."
Landry said he contacted investigators the week that the couple's bodies were found to report that Cutshall and Allen had been in his shop.
Why authorities waited 11 months to formally interview him is unknown, although investigators have worked methodically to follow tips -- 865 so far -- and clear people from the list of potential suspects.
Polygraph tests
Landry is one of five people who have been given polygraphs to date, Thompson said.
The others include Nicholas Scarseth, a Wisconsin drifter who was on the North Coast at the time of the slayings; a Napa man who owned a black sedan similar to one authorities were seeking; and a Healdsburg man who worked with the couple at the white-water camp.
Thompson said detectives "ran (the Healdsburg man) down pretty hard right off the bat" after he "expressed an interest" in the couple. He said the man had an alibi and passed a polygraph.
Thompson said detectives still don't know why the couple were killed. But he is convinced that whoever did it went down to the beach with the specific intent of doing them harm, as opposed to a random attack.
"Someone went down there with a rifle with the intention of killing Jason and Lindsay," he said.
Detectives and the couple's families have wondered whether someone took offense at their religious beliefs. The notebook entries make it clear that they weren't shy about stating their faith in public.
"Our kids wouldn't jam the gospel down someone's throat," said Chris Cutshall, Lindsay's father and an Ohio pastor. "At the same time, they weren't ashamed of their faith."
Variety of interviews
In their search for suspects or leads, detectives have interviewed, among others, methamphetamine users, surfers and drifters. They've also checked out a lot of unexplained suicides, Thompson said.
People reported seeing a strange man on the North Coast around the time of the slayings, driving a pickup with a trailer that had the words, "God loves me," spray painted on it. He told people he didn't have long to live. Landry said some of his customers reported that the man had guns in his truck.
Landry said detectives told him the man had been interviewed.
Landry said detectives also were especially interested in whether he knew of any surfers who frequent Fish Head Beach. He told them the area is better known as a place to watch sunsets.
"I never even knew where this was until it happened," said Nick Marlow, 30, who owns Northern Lights Surf Shop in Bodega Bay.
Marlow's shop was a focus of media attention in the days after the discovery of the bodies because he said the couple had stopped in his store.
What wasn't publicly known until now was that the couple stopped there after visiting Landry's shop. Just as they did there, the couple asked Marlow for a recommendation. He said he was too busy to spend much time with them.
A year later, Marlow said he's still shaken by the killings, to the extent that he recently purchased his first firearm.
"I think I would feel safe camping out on this coast," he said. "I have a dog. But my girlfriend and I are not about to camp out there (at Fish Head Beach). We'd camp up north, maybe, but I probably would have a little protection on me."
As for his friend, Landry, coming under suspicion, Marlow said, "I couldn't see a detective really thinking that they're bringing in the guy when they're bringing in Bruce. No way could I imagine that."
Gaps in itinerary
Where the couple may have gone besides the two surf shops remains unclear. Investigators say they don't know where they stayed Friday after leaving the white-water camp, but they suspect the couple camped out on their way to the Bay Area.
Based on witness statements, receipts and photographs taken by the couple, investigators are sure they stopped at Pier 39 in San Francisco the following morning, before heading out across the Golden Gate Bridge toward Sonoma County.
Where they went after arriving in Jenner is disputed. Landry said detectives told him the couple followed his advice to stop at the Jenner Inn and inquire about a room, which is supported by a manager who said she saw the couple come in.
Publicly, however, detectives have said they don't believe the couple tried to rent a room. Investigators also have debunked other reported sightings, including at the River's End on Sunday.
"We don't think they ever woke up Sunday morning," Thompson said.
Similar cases
Investigators also have checked possible links with other double homicides. Of these, the July 1 shooting deaths of two Oregon campers seemed to offer the most tantalizing connection.
The bodies of Steven Haugen, 54, and Jeanette Bauman, 56, were found at an undesignated camping area three miles up a paved Forest Service road about 70 miles southeast of Eugene. Haugen's dog, Caesar, also was killed, but investigators haven't specified how he died.
Investigators said a license plate was taken from the couple's vehicle. They've released few other details of the case, however, saying scant evidence was found at the scene.
Thompson said he and another detective drove to Oregon shortly after the slayings and met with Lane County sheriff's detectives to compare notes. He said the cases are similar in some ways and not in others.
The Oregon killer used two weapons, for instance. Neither was a .45 caliber Marlin rifle, Thompson said, which authorities say was used to kill Cutshall and Allen.
"I went up to Oregon thinking this could be something and came back thinking probably not," he said.
Such is the wave of emotion detectives have ridden since the very first days of the baffling case.
"There have been a lot of ups and downs, when you get a tip and head up that roller coaster, and then you come crashing down," Thompson said. "I'm not too old or salty not to take those rides."
"As bizarre as this case is," he added, "I think we're one phone call away from this being solved."

You will never be forgotten...

2005-08-15T12:47:00.000-04:00

Jason and Lindsay will always be on our hearts and minds as we live out our remaining days on earth. Today is the one-year mark since the day that they died. They will forever be my inspiration... reminding me that my one and only goal in life should be to live for Jesus! Jesus was the passion of their lives... and I'm sure He still is to this day. I count myself blessed to know Jesus... because without Him, I would not be able to handle this grief. There is an incredible amount of peace that I have because of my faith... and that is what carries all of us through.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding..." --Proverbs 3:5

Here is an article from one of our local newspapers from today:

A year later, beach slayings haunt families, police...
Monday, August 15, 2005

By Nate Reens | The Grand Rapids Press
ZEELAND -- The photo of a warm California sunset is a cold, daily reminder that a killer remains at large.
Hanging in the dining room of Robert and Delores Allen's house, the image captures a time two families -- the Allens in Zeeland and Chris and Kathy Cutshall in Fresno, Ohio -- would rather forget.
Yet, the glowing sun dropping into the Pacific Ocean horizon creates a bond stronger than family ties.
Their children, Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall, planned to marry on Sept. 11, 2004. Instead, the couple were gunned down in their sleep as they lay on Driftwood Beach in Jenner, Calif. The double murder haunts the couple's families, investigators and the town of nearly 800 that prides itself on a quiet way of life. Authorities last month made a fresh push to unearth leads and suspects.
A camera recovered by police next to the couple's bodies provides the sunset snapshot, likely taken the night they were killed.
And if Allen, 26, and Cutshall, 22, spent their final hours living as they did before the deaths, family members can take solace that they died happy, enjoying nature's serenity.
"That degree of evil is hard to comprehend," Delores Allen, Jason Allen's mother, said of the killer. "But God took them when they were at a spiritual peak, and that's comforting to us."
One year after Allen and Cutshall were reported missing and found shot with a rare .45-caliber Marlin rifle as they camped along a rocky coastline about 80 miles north of San Francisco, their parents will spend several days together at a rented cottage in northern Michigan.
Both families, devoutly religious, will share their pain, their memories of better times and their hopes that the killer will be brought to justice, if not on Earth then on a day of reckoning.
"Their deaths have brought us together like nothing else can," said Cutshall's father, the Rev. Chris Cutshall. "If they had married, we'd celebrate together. But now, we lean on each other, and we all lean on the Lord. It's really the only way we can make it after experiencing the depths of sorrow we have.
"It seems very random and very senseless, and we desire justice to be served, but we're not on the edge of our seats. There's not a reason to fret about it. We let it rest in the Lord's sovereign care."
The Cutshalls and the Allens realize their desires have no impact on the investigation, believing it will be solved in time.
Sonoma County sheriff's detectives are not as placid about the probe, recently assigning a team of six investigators to dig through every tip and angle in the case, Lt. Dave Edmunds said.
Edmunds would not say whether the full-court press revealed any new information.
"We've combed completely over this one, looking for that one good lead we need," Edmunds said.
"It's a difficult case, and we all know the numbers of solvability as a function of time go down the longer you go, but we're continuing our efforts and keeping our energy going."
Police compared notes with authorities in Arizona and Oregon, hoping to find connections to unexplained murders of campers in their states. They looked at a drifter who harbored anger toward those with strong religious convictions.
Police ruled out links to the homicides in other states and moved beyond the drifter after he surrendered to investigators and passed a lie-detector test.
National attention
The mysterious murders struck a nerve across the country as the national media picked up the story, fueled by two dead young people seemingly without foes.
Multiple press conferences, held to pass along credible information and rebut rumors and idle speculation, gave reporters the opportunity to explore the lives of the Christian camp counselors, who pledged to dedicate their lives to help young people find their calling.
Delores Allen said her family was caught off-guard by the publicity. They did not expect it to take hold and continue for a year, she said.
"Here we are, ordinary, common people, but the way this happened, it caught the attention of so many."
Delores Allen noted she, her husband and the Cutshalls granted interviews to keep people thinking about the crime.
The families said police continued to probe the theory that the couple were killed for their religious beliefs.
"In the world we live in, we know that's a possibility," Delores Allen said. "They weren't afraid to show their faith, but they were gentle about it, tried to share the joy they received from the Lord."
An 'aggravating' case
Authorities are confident the person or people -- Edmunds would not say if police suspect Allen and Cutshall were shot by one or more suspects -- will be arrested.
"This case is so aggravating, but it's really difficult for the person responsible not to leave a trail," Edmunds said. "Somebody's sitting on something, and we'll find it."
The couple's parents, who visited each other at several times since their children were killed, have been to California twice, the first time when police were searching for the pair and again on Father's Day.
During that trip, they led a memorial service at the camp where Allen and Cutshall worked. They also visited with Sonoma detectives.
They did not visit the beach where their children died. Neither family commits to making that trip.
"I'm interested ... but I didn't feel compelled," Chris Cutshall said. "I'm not sure any of us are ready for that. Emotionally, we're a long way from doing that."

Learning to cope...

2005-08-14T12:46:00.002-04:00

Well, exactly one year ago today, Jason and Lindsay were enjoying their last day together here on earth. Little did they know that in mere hours, they would die at the hands of a killer... and enter into God's Kingdom for eternity.

Their untimely and cruel manner of death is a harsh scenario to grasp... even though I know it is a reality. I am thankful, however, that their deaths were instantaneous... because anything else would be more than I could bear. I am thankful, as well, that they didn't see it coming... I believe that is by God's grace. One minute, Jason and Lindsay said "goodnight" to each other and fell asleep under the stars... and the next thing they knew, they were entering heaven! That is a sweetness that brings so much hope.

I spent this day last year visiting with friends of mine who traveled several hours to attend my sister's wedding the night before. Since I hadn't seen them in a long time, we laughed and talked and enjoyed each other's company. I had no idea of the chaotic and emotionally tumultuous week that would soon follow. My life has changed completely in the past year. Nothing will ever be the same... but I am actually grateful for that. God has really shaken some Truth into my life that I was ignorant to prior to the weekend of August 14 last year. I knew, full well, the gift of Salvation that I had received when I became a Christian at a young age... but I didn't really know what it meant to live for Christ with a passion. I lived a good life, made good choices, and volunteered for things in my community that I felt were worthwhile, but I was missing something. I was not living with the awareness that each day is a precious gift and that we need to live like each day is our last. I was not making an effort to live outside of my comfort zone for Christ... I was living "comfortably" and never really pushed the envelope. I have been made much more aware, in this past year, that there is so much more to life than just living a comfortable little cozy Christian life. We, as Christians, are the hands and feet of Christ and we need to go out there and make a difference! What will you be able to say on the Day of Judgment when Christ asks you what you've done with your life? Were you faithful? Were you fruitful? What have you done with your life that will make a difference for ETERNITY? That's what it comes down to... we need to live our lives with a passion for Christ! We need to heed the words of martyr Jim Elliot... "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Furthermore, the words of missionary Charles Thomas Studd also ring true, "Only one life, it'll soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There is a really good article in our local paper, marking the one-year "anniversary" of the weekend, last year, during which Jason and Lindsay died:

Seeking sense in senseless killings...
Year has gone by since couple shot on beach; families coping...
Sunday, August 14, 2005

By RICHARD HARROLD | Staff writer
Hanging on a dining room wall in Bob and Delores Allen's home is a framed photo of a beach sunset that was retrieved from their son's camera.
Beneath the photo is an embroidered inscription authored by their son, Jason Allen, sometime before he and his fiancee, Lindsay Cutshall, fell asleep for the last time on an isolated northern California beach.
Jason wrote it in a log book found at the beach near Jenner, Calif., where the couple was shot to death last year.
"As I stir this Mac & Cheese I think to myself what a wonderful life," reads the inscription. "I've just spent two awesome days with my fiance Lindsay. Can life ever be so perfect? Only with a person who is so great. God gives me this privilege in life and He has given me a wonderful woman to enjoy it. Jason from MI. Aug. 14 04."
Jason and Lindsay were murdered one year ago today, each shot in the head while they slept in separate sleeping bags on a lonely stretch of sand called Fish Head Beach, about 90 minutes north of San Francisco along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Police are still looking for the killer, who likely used either a Marlin semi-automatic or a Marlin lever action .45-caliber rifle. A $50,000 reward has been offered through the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Looking at the beach sunset photograph in her Holland Township dining room, Delores Allen said she and her husband believe Jason took it the same evening he and Lindsay were killed. When asked if she has any desire to visit that spot, she shakes her head.
"Not at this time," she said. "There may come a time when I'll change my mind, but not now."
For both the Allens and the Cutshalls, it's been a rough year.
"Some days I weep all day off and on," Delores Allen said.
"It is just absolutely senseless that someone would kill our kids who had no enemies," said Lindsay's father, Chris Cutshall. Her parents live in Coshocton County in Ohio, about an hour south of Akron. Their home is along a state highway near Fresno, a town of about 200 residents, "the type of town people often like to say 'counting the dogs and cats,'" Chris Cutshall said.
Lindsay's mother, Kathy Cutshall, admits at times she wonders about the killer -- who he is and why he did it. But she comes back to an important part of her faith -- that life on Earth doesn't mean everything is OK all the time.
"But it is in Heaven," she said. "God will take care of this person, and I'm so glad that I don't have to.
"I believe he will be caught."
Their faith in a sovereign God is what the Cutshalls and the Allens credit with keeping them from dwelling in the darkness of anger and bitterness.
Jason's mother said she tries to avoid thinking about the killer and why he did it.
"It's beyond our comprehension who would be this evil," she said. "For some reason, God has allowed this to happen. We believe completely in the sovereignty of God. If it's not solved here in this world, we know it will be solved in the next."
The parents find strength in each other, which has led to a close friendship. They knew they would be friends as in-laws after Jason and Lindsay were married, but as they came to know each other through the bond of their shared grief, they found support and empathy with each other.
The couples will spend the weekend together in a Michigan cabin, helping each other through the first anniversary of the slayings.
"You can take some of the bite out of it," Bob Allen said.
The Allens and Cutshalls have also decided that they aren't going to bother investigators in California, although they have remained in close contact.
The Allens said it was comforting to see, while they were in California in June, many of the investigators had photographs of Jason and Lindsay tacked up in their cubicles.
"It was encouraging to us to see how they've taken this case to heart, because this case is different," Delores Allen said.
A full-time team of six detectives is devoted to the case, putting in overtime to investigate, said Lt. Dave Edmonds of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department.
"The level of tragedy isn't lost on anybody here," Edmonds said. "You have to press and make your own breaks."

Click for larger view: Bob and Delores Allen talk about their recent trip to the camp where Jason and Lindsay worked last summer. [Sentinel/Dennis R.J. Geppert]

Remembering their lives...

2005-08-13T14:04:00.002-04:00

I found an awesome article today about Jason and Lindsay's story... it amazes me that it has been a year already. So much has changed though... nothing will ever be the same. Not a day goes by that I don't think about what happened to Jason and Lindsay... they are a constant reminder to me of what I need to strive for in living out my faith.

Read the latest article featured in the Sacramento Bee:

A trail of love...
A year ago, two Christian camp counselors were found slain on a lonely beach. Today, all that's certain is their devotion to each other and their faith.
Saturday, August 13, 2005

By Jennifer Garza -- Bee Staff Writer
A year ago Sunday, they saw their last sunset. Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall were camping on a Sonoma County beach when they stopped to take in the view. That's when they pulled out her camera to photograph the moment that captured everything good about their lives. Lindsay stood on a beach with her fiancé and contemplated nature, God, goodness and love. She described how she felt in her journal - in the last entry she would make.
"The sun is going down in the horizon and all I see is the beams shining on the cliff face and I know that God is awesome. I look around and I see His creation all around me."
Lindsay and Jason had spent the summer working as counselors at a Christian adventure camp in Coloma, about 35 miles east of Sacramento. There they led rafting trips down the American River by day and Bible discussions at night. The two were exhausted but happy; the experience had brought them closer to each other and deeper in their faith. They were to be married in four weeks.
On this day, they had come to this beach in the town of Jenner to be alone, and it was perfect.
It's easy to picture the couple as they pulled into the parking lot in their red Ford Tempo that afternoon. To see them climb down to the beach, hauling their backpacks and their sleeping bags and their sack of groceries. To hear the sounds of the waves as they set up camp for the night and their laughter as they talked about the future, their future.
Jason was a few feet away from his fiancée. He was making dinner - macaroni and cheese, probably adding a little Tabasco sauce, their only purchase at a nearby market earlier that afternoon. Jason also wrote in his journal.
"As I stir this Mac & Cheese I think to myself what a wonderful life. I've just spent two awesome days with my fiancée, Lindsay. Can life ever be so perfect? Only with a person who is so great. God gives me this privilege in life and He has given me a wonderful woman to enjoy it with. How precious is that!"
Later that night, after enjoying the sunset and their simple meal, they fell asleep side by side in separate sleeping bags under the stars. They never woke up.
They were shot in the head while they slept.
Their bodies were found four days later. Beachgoers told detectives that they remembered seeing the couple but thought they were sleeping. The two were not sexually assaulted and were not robbed. Jason had cash in his wallet, and Lindsay, who had worked previous summers at a jewelry store back home in Ohio, was still wearing a diamond necklace and her engagement ring.
They were discovered by a helicopter crew rescuing a stranded hiker nearby. The pilot saw the couple there side by side on the beach, zipped up in their sleeping bags, and noticed they didn't move when he flew overhead.
Among their personal belongings, detectives found their Bibles, their journals, wedding literature and the camera. Lindsay's picture of the sunset was the last photo taken.
And that's the last thing detectives know for sure about that night.
Many questions
What happened to those two young campers on the beach? Were they stalked and killed? Or were they simply in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or, as Lindsay's mother believes, were they killed for their religious beliefs?
One year later, theories abound, but the case remains unsolved. The cold-blooded killings of the two young religious workers have shaken their families, local residents and fellow campers. The deaths haunt the community.
"A lot of locals don't use that beach since the murders," says Lt. David Edmonds of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department, who is heading up the investigation. Edmonds says finding the killer is a priority for the department. They have spent thousands of hours tracking leads and recently assigned more detectives to the case.
"We have leads, but at this point we really need someone to come forward with some information. Someone out there knows something," he says.
Edmonds is reluctant to discuss details of the case but says the two were killed by either a Marlin .45-caliber semiautomatic or lever-action rifle.
"It would have been over fast," he says. The blasts would have been loud, but the sound was probably drowned out by the ocean. It is also a remote beach; the closest resident is about a quarter-mile away.
Detectives do not know for sure how the couple found Fish Head Beach. It is not a legal camping site but is well-known by locals. The two had asked several people in the area for a safe place to camp, and presumably someone told them about the isolated stretch on the coast.
Detectives have heard all the theories about what may have happened to the couple that night. Some believe they may have witnessed a crime, or the killer may have thought the two had seen something illegal. Others believe they were followed.
Kathy Cutshall, Lindsay's mother, thinks the couple may have been killed for their religious beliefs.
"That's my mother's gut talking," she says. "Maybe they ran into someone who didn't like Christians."
Edmonds has heard the theories but has no answers. "From what I can understand, they were very open," says Edmonds, referring to Jason and Lindsay. "Everything I've learned about them is that they were two nice, faith-affirming young adults."
Foundation of faith
To understand what brought Jason and Lindsay to the beach that day, one first has to understand the value they placed on their religious beliefs.
They were devout Christians who wanted to start a camping ministry. They slept on the beach in separate sleeping bags - instead of sharing a motel room - because "sharing a motel room would have been immoral," says Chris Cutshall, Lindsay's father. "They loved being outside."
Their religion and their love for the outdoors had been important to both of them nearly all their lives.
Jason, 26, from Zeeland, Mich., was the oldest of three children who were raised doing two things - going to church and heading for the outdoors. Jason was a sensitive child. His mother says when he was about 5 years old, she found him crying. "How can I be sure I'll go to heaven?" he asked her. She told him there was one way, and soon Jason accepted Christ.
Later, he attended Appalachian Bible College in West Virginia, where he combined his two loves and majored in the Bible and camping ministry. Tall and thin, he was strong from years of rafting and climbing. He wore his long, wavy hair in a ponytail. He was an outdoorsman with a heart for Jesus, says his father, Bob Allen.
After college, Jason worked as a guide and a counselor at several camps throughout the country. He didn't make a lot of money, but he didn't need it, either - the joke in his family was that he made $5,000 the previous year but saved $4,000. Jason lived most of the year in a tent. "He said it made him feel closer to God," says his mother.
Jason once told his parents that he didn't think he'd ever marry because he didn't think he'd find someone willing to accept his lifestyle.
Then he met Lindsay. She was a foot shorter than Jason but more than his match. Soft-spoken and petite, she was the younger of two daughters of a pastor and his wife from Fresno, Ohio. Lindsay, 22, accepted Jesus when she was a child and was active in her church. She also loved the outdoors and spent summers camping with her family.
The two hit it off immediately. Six weeks later, Jason asked Lindsay's father for her hand in marriage. It was not easy. Jason, who had a habit of talking loudly when he was stressed, blurted out, "I am so nervous!" and went to the kitchen for a glass of water.
Taken by surprise, the pastor didn't say no but didn't say yes either. It was more along the lines of, "Come back later." Jason did. The two became officially engaged on Valentine's Day 2004. Though the Cutshall family liked Jason, they weren't sure about his lifestyle.
"I said, 'Are you sure you want to live in a tent?' " recalls Lindsay's sister, Kerry, smiling at the memory. "She said she was sure."
In June, Jason and Lindsay headed for Coloma to work as camp counselors at Rock-n-Water, a Christian adventure camp. "We knew right away that Jason had a lot of experience and Lindsay was a sweetheart," says Craig Lomax, manager of the camp. "They were excellent at their jobs. They were both at the extreme level."
The couple didn't want their relationship to be a distraction and didn't tell any of their fellow counselors they were engaged. Many didn't know until near the end of the season in August.
The two stood out that summer - Jason for his rafting experience and Lindsay for her willingness to talk and pray with campers late into the night. But the summer had been hard on her. Lindsay was homesick and longed for a bath. "I can't wait to go home and get this dirt off me," she told her mother on the phone two weeks before she died. Lindsay was planning to go home the following week to finish up last-minute wedding details.
In one of her last conversations with her mother, Lindsay said she wanted to see the Golden Gate Bridge before she came home.
So, on the last Friday night of camp, Jason and Lindsay packed up her red 1992 Ford Tempo and headed to the Bay Area for the weekend. They didn't tell anyone where they were going, but they were in a good mood when they left.
From photos and store receipts, detectives know the two made it to San Francisco.
In one picture, Jason is holding the camera in front of their faces. The Golden Gate Bridge is in the background. The two are looking at the camera and laughing hard, the wind blowing their hair.
It is the last photo of Jason and Lindsay alive, leaving their family haunted by what-ifs.
Sunday:
Jason and Lindsay's legacy: They have inspired their communities and their families, who have grown deeper in their faith. Detectives say they are determined to find the killer, for the families' sake.

This ocean scene was the last shot on the roll of film found in Lindsay's camera. [Courtesy of the Allen and Cutshall families.]

Lt. David Edmonds of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department is heading the investigation into the fatal shootings of Lindsay and Jason. "We have leads, but at this point we really need someone to come forward with some information," Edmonds says. "Someone out there knows something." [Sacramento Bee/Randy Pench]

Jason and Lindsay photographed themselves near the Golden Gate Bridge hours before their deaths. This was the last picture taken of them alive; the Cutshall family used the image in their Christmas cards. [Courtesy of the Allen and Cutshall families.]

Approaching 1 year...

2005-08-12T09:03:00.002-04:00

This Monday, August 15, marks the one year "anniversary" of the day that Jason and Lindsay were killed. Last night, a local news station, WXMI Fox 17, featured a segment on the case and interviews with Jason's parents, Bob and Delores.

Although it was short (because it was part of a regular news hour), I thought it was well done. I believe that any and every opportunity we have to share this story is another opportunity for ministry. I will post more as more articles come about. There are a few more in the works that I am aware of.

God bless! Please keep the Allen's and the Cutshall's in your prayers... especially during this upcoming week that will, undoubtedly, be very emotionally exhausting.

Link to news story

Joy of my weekend...

2005-07-16T23:50:00.002-04:00

My mom just found some pictures today that are more recent pictures of me and Jason. They were taken at Jason's sister's wedding reception back in 2003. I knew these had been taken but I could not, for the life of me, find these! I am so glad to have them! What a treasure! :) See the one posted below.

God bless! Please continue to keep Jason's and Lindsay's families in your prayers. And pray that Jason's and Lindsay's story will continue to reach the hearts of people, both believers and current unbelievers of Christ... to stir emotions deep within them that will draw them closer to our One True God! He alone can satisfy. There is no other.

Click on photo for larger view!
L to R: Jason, my sister Sara (who was a bridesmaid in Jason's sister's wedding), and me. :)

Pastor Cutshall's latest interview...

2005-07-07T22:50:00.002-04:00

I recently mentioned that Lindsay's father, Pastor Chris Cutshall, was going to have another opportunity to talk about the lives, and untimely deaths, of Jason and Lindsay on Moody Broadcasting Network's Open Line radio program with Wayne Shepherd. On Tuesday evening of this week, he did just that. This interview was about an hour long, and provided time for listeners to call in to the show and provide some feedback and/or ask questions. It is a tremendously powerful interview! I am so excited that God is providing these opportunities to share Jason and Lindsay's story and to bring honor and glory to Himself throughout the process. He is doing some huge revelational work through all of this! And though we do not know the magnitude of His Plans this side of heaven, we DO know that "In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His Purpose." [Romans 8:28]

I broke up the interview into segments because it was quite long and made the file size huge! (I cut out the commercial breaks.) Each segment varies in size, but they are all so worth listening to! The faith of these families is so abundant and strong... and I am continually inspired by the example they have set for all of us in the wake of what has happened in the last year...

Part 1 of 4
[Approx. 10 minutes, 8.9 MB]
Part 2 of 4
[Approx. 17 minutes, 15.5 MB]
Part 3 of 4
[Approx. 10.5 minutes, 9.7 MB]
Part 4 of 4
[Approx. 12 minutes, 10.7 MB]

Almost daily, I recall my dearest memories of Jason. Sometimes I will see someone that reminds me of him or sometimes I will hear a voice that sounds like his, and it brings a smile to my face, but a bittersweet pang in my heart. Never, in my wildest imagination, would I have ever dreamt (more like a nightmare) that Jason's life would end like this... yet because of the tremendous work that God has done in the aftermath of this great tragedy... I can't help but be grateful for that. This is a strange phenomenon that is a reality in the lives of those of us that knew Jason and Lindsay... because while there are so many unanswered questions, God's sweetness is pouring over everything! I cannot emphasize enough how very deeply this has touched my heart and changed my life... I am not perfect... I am most definitely a work in progress, but God has certainly given me a precious gift of a new perspective on eternity. For that, I am profoundly and eternally grateful! God is so good! Even when life is tougher than you can possibly imagine... God is so good! His grace is such an incredible blessing! ♥

Memorial dedication...

2005-06-25T16:29:00.000-04:00

Jason's and Lindsay's families, friends, and many former fellow counselors gathered on Father's Day to remember them at Rock 'N' Water Camp in California last weekend. A memorial plaque was dedicated to Jason and Lindsay:

Photo by Dan Burkhart, Mountain Democrat

I can't tell you how much the lives of Jason and Lindsay have impacted my own... it is more profound that I can put into words. I am challenged to live more for Christ and more like Christ because of them and my entire perspective on life itself has dramatically changed. I pray that those who hear Jason and Lindsay's story will learn from their example and will pick up that torch and live for Christ like they did. He is the King of Creation, the Lord of All, and the only Savior of this world!We live in a lost world, but that is why Christ came in the first place. He is the light in the darkness! Jesus is our only hope! Jason and Lindsay believed that with all of their hearts, and they are now home with Christ in heaven. When we reach home and see them again, we can rest assured that there will be no more sorrow... and no more goodbyes. We will all be in our heavenly home for eternity! That is what keeps me going.

Here is an article from the Mountain Democrat newspaper in Placerville, California:

Families Remember Murdered Counselors
Monday, June 20, 2005

By SONYA SORICH, Staff writer
COLOMA - For some fathers, it could have been the worst nightmare.
For Chris Cutshall, it wasn't.
He spent Fathers' Day morning at Rock 'N' Water Camp, paying tribute to his 22-year-old daughter Lindsay and her 26-year-old fiancé Jason Allen. The couple served as river guides before being found shot to death in their sleeping bags on a lonely stretch of beach near Jenner in Sonoma County.
Cutshall, a pastor at Fresno Bible Church in Fresno, Ohio, said yesterday marked an opportunity to embrace faith, rather than retreat in fear.
"Believe that God is sovereign to you," he said. "He cares about His eternal plan and how we will fit into that plan."
Members of both the Cutshall and Allen families, as well as current and former camp staff members, attended Sunday's memorial service for the two outdoor youth ministry counselors.
The couple, who planned to marry in September 2004, were reported missing after failing to return from a weekend trip. Their bodies were found Aug. 18, 2004, but authorities said they probably were killed between Aug. 14 and 16.
Cutshall spoke to an audience of approximately 75 yesterday, and paralleled last year's events to a storm depicted in the Bible.
"I've come to believe that life is a whole series of storms ... storms in this messed up world are inevitable," Cutshall said. "I want you to know this: Storms are not the problem. Storms are the reality. The real problem is how we respond to storms."
Fear, he said, is too common a response to life's storms. He advocated turning toward faith instead.
"Faith is a spiritual response to storms," he said. "Faith always neutralizes fear."
A memorial to Cutshall and Allen is now displayed at a central location at Rock 'N' Water, where campers will see a theme of "Courageous Faith" this year.
Camp director Craig Lomax said the memorial plaque most importantly signals an awareness of the power of God as illustrated by the lives of the former counselors.
"It's about remembering what God did through them," Lomax said. "That's not a sad plaque for me. That's an exciting plaque."
Addressing this year's staff and counselors, Cutshall stressed the importance of filling a "God-ordained purpose" to inspire campers with courageous faith.
"When Jesus is in your boat, your boat is not going to sink," he said.
Standing next to the memorial, Cutshall said he had the faith to speak on Fathers' Day by remembering that his daughter and her fiancé had arrived home.
"They finished the job that God had called them to do," Cutshall said of his daughter and her fiancé. "Believe that this world is not your home. Our kids are not here. They're home."

Interview with Lindsay's father...

2005-06-06T22:14:00.002-04:00

Lindsay's father, Pastor Chris Cutshall, was recently blessed with the opportunity to share Jason and Lindsay's story on a May 25 broadcast on Moody Broadcasting Network's "Prime Time America." This radio interview, hosted by Greg Wheatley, is truly awe-inspiring. God has been good to these families... He is their calm in the center of the storm... He is their refuge and their strength.

The entire broadcast is available to listen to from MBN's Prime Time America website via the archives. If this link doesn't take you directly to it, look for broadcast date May 25, 2005, and scroll in about 30 minutes.

However, if you would like to listen to only the interview itself, click here. [Note: The file size is quite large, 12.3 MB, but it is worth it!]

Pastor Cutshall was also blessed with the opportunity to speak at Moody Bible Institute's recent Pastor's Conference. This conference had about 1,300 pastors in attendance. His words brought many heartfelt tears and a standing ovation. This story is very powerful, to say the least! God is really providing some great opportunities for these families to minister through Jason and Lindsay's story! How awesome is that?!? God is clearly at work through all of this. His Purpose throughout it all will not go unfulfilled.

On Tuesday evening, July 5, 2005, Pastor Cutshall will have another opportunity to share the life stories of Jason and Lindsay. He will be appearing on Moody Broadcast Network's Open Line with Wayne Shepherd at 9:00 PM EST. To find a local station in your area that carries this show, click here. Otherwise, check back here at this site and I will have links available.

God bless!! ♥

Memorial day...

2005-05-30T22:21:00.001-04:00

Today is Memorial Day, typically a day reserved to remember our fallen soldiers. Countless men and women have laid their lives down for our country... I am glad that we have an official day that is set aside to remember them. This day is also a day that many use to remember loved ones that are no longer with us. In honor of Memorial Day, I would like to write something for Jason and Lindsay.

No other event in my life has had as powerful an effect on me as the deaths of Jason and Lindsay has. I never, in a million years, would have guessed that something like this would happen to anyone I know... much less a friend and his soon-to-be wife. I am not the same person I was a year ago. I am not an angry person... but a changed person. Jason and Lindsay lived their lives the right way... they lived for Christ and they worked for Christ! Their hearts were centered around Jesus... and the lives that they lived have challenged me to be a better person. My perspective on life has changed dramatically. I fully understand the fragility of life and that each day is a precious gift. Sometimes I need to be reminded of this again every once in a while... but I will NEVER forget the examples that Jason and Lindsay have been for me and the rest of the world. Today, I honor Jason and Lindsay for the work that they did for Christ while they were here... and I honor them for challenging the rest of us to do the same.

There are some channels on our television that only play music. I was listening to the Christian music channel the other day while doing some work around the house, and I heard a song that stopped me in my tracks. The lyrics to this song shook me to the core and I just fell apart. Some days I hear something or read something and it reminds me again of how desperate and helpless I felt the moment I found out that Jason and Lindsay had been murdered. There are so many things behind the emotions that pour out of me. The best word to describe it is bittersweet, because I think all at once of the tragedy itself, the incredible sorrow I feel for the families, the loss of these two remarkable people, but also how wonderful God has been throughout all of this. He has completely blown me away... He has used this to teach me more than I could have ever learned through any other circumstance. I guess sometimes it takes a tragedy to open our eyes. It takes something huge to make us realize that life is short and that each day is a gift. We need to take advantage of the time we have here in our earthly lives to make each day count. Sometimes I need to be reminded of this still... and when God does this through songs like this one, it brings me to my knees:

Mark Schultz -- He Will Carry Me

I call, You hear me
I’ve lost it all
And it’s more than I can bear
I feel so empty
You’re strong
I’m weary
I’m holdin’ on
But I feel like givin’ in
But still You’re with me
chorus:
And even though I’m walkin’ through
The valley of the shadow
I will hold tight to the hand of Him
Whose love will comfort me
And when all hope is gone
And I’ve been wounded in the battle
He is all the strength that I will ever need
He will carry me
I know I’m broken
But You alone
Can mend this heart of mine
You’re always with me
[chorus]
And even though I feel so lonely
Like I’ve never been before
You never said it would be easy
But You said you’d see me through the storm

[chorus]

Those are the perfect words for what has happened in the wake of this loss. God has carried us through. I see it especially in Jason's family... every time I see them and talk with them... I am so awestruck at how God has completely enveloped them and is carrying them through. God is their strength. God is my strength. Even in the seemingly simple things in life... God is our strength. We would not exist if it weren't for Him... and we would not have hope if we didn't have Him.

I saw a bumper sticker once that really rang true in my heart. It said, "No God, no peace. Know God, know peace!" So true... so true.

I did some research on the song above written by Mark Schultz. I was hoping to find information on why he wrote the song... what event or events that perhaps inspired him to write it. In the liner notes of the CD, Mark writes, "This song was not originally going to be on this record. It was meant for another project but I never forgot about it because I listened to it one night about a year ago over and over and over again when I had been so discouraged. I was holding on to it like a life raft in a storm in the middle of the ocean. This song is a clear picture of what God will do if you call out to Him."

I also found a short article online written by a woman who refers to this song. What she says really struck me too. This song is so powerful...

Have you walked through the valley of the shadow of death? David wrote about this place, and for many years I thought it was a place where a person faced his own death. But I think now that we all walk through the valley of the shadow of death when someone we love dies. We walk in the shadow of death. And in that shadow is where sorrow lives.
"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:1-4 NASB).
When my father was dying, it was a long illness; with my mother it was a sudden unexpected heart attack. For my friend, a tragic house fire, and another, a plane that blazed through a glass tower. Regardless of the circumstances, the walk through the valley of the shadow of death was a difficult one, but one I did not have to make alone.
As I traversed those steps through that valley, I know that Jesus has made that trek before. And that He will walk it with me every time, even when it is my last walk.
If you are facing that walk today, or if you are in the midst of it, draw comfort from the God of all comfort. Know that He understands. He has walked that road with so many. He will not leave you there alone, and He will take you through it.
In the song "He Will Carry Me," Mark Schultz sings about the God who carried him. That same Savior will carry you. I remember those long, dark, tear-filled nights when it seemed there was no comfort for the loss I felt. But I was wrong.
There is comfort in the arms of our loving Jesus. Do what I have learned to do in that valley, open the Bible. Read, read the Psalms, read the Gospels, read until the words of the Lord infuse you with hope and strength and, yes, comfort. That is how He embraces you, with His Word. Open His Book in those dark hours, and let Him carry you.
-Suzy C.

Amen to that.

Remember your loved ones this day and always. Let God comfort you in your time of need. Let God strengthen you each and every day.

"I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God."
[Psalm 40: 1-3a]

Happy Birthday Jason...

2005-05-16T06:43:00.001-04:00

Today is Jason's birthday. He would have been 27. This is his first birthday since he passed away. Please keep his dear family and loved ones in your prayers.

I am looking right now at a framed poster on my wall that I got from Jason's mom and dad. The counselors that worked with Jason and Lindsay last summer created a beautiful collage of pictures of them and presented them to Jason's and Lindsay's parents. They each were signed by all of the counselors. What a thoughtful and touching gift! They gave them extra unsigned copies as well. I feel extremely blessed to have been given one of them. I look at it every day and think about the lives that Jason and Lindsay lived. I am challanged to live a better life because of the way they lived and I am grateful for that. The poster has a verse on it that I would like to share. It is the theme that Jason and Lindsay lived by... and continue to live by today in God's heavenly presence:

"So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it." [2 Corinthians 5:9]

That should be our ultimate goal! Not to live to please ourselves or to please other people... but to please our one true God! There is no greater purpose on earth. Jason and Lindsay knew this and lived it. I am honored to have known Jason when I was growing up and to continue to know his family. They are great people! God has taken this tragedy and has used it for undeniable GOOD. Just recently, in one of my Bible studies, we were talking about why God allows suffering. Sometimes we don't know... but what we DO know is that God allows things to happen to work for good in the hearts of His people. We are allowed to suffer because it strengthens us and it keeps us humble and reliant upon God. If our lives were always perfect and easy... we would have no need to rely on Him... but we go through challenging things because God uses them to shape us into who He wants us to be! God also brings people into His Kingdom through such tragedies and the untimely deaths of Jason and Lindsay are no exception. Many people have come to know Christ through this tragedy because they were deeply touched by the lives that Jason and Lindsay lived! They did not die in vain. God is using this to do great work... and I am confident that there is much He is doing and has yet to do that we don't even know about. That's what I love about God... He is so incredibly faithful. We don't deserve Him but He loves us so much that He pours out his love and mercy upon us, as we are His children. What an awesome God we serve! Nature reflects His glory... and Jason and Lindsay loved God's nature and the outdoors with a passion! They lived to experience God's glory up close and personal. And now they are experiencing God's glory in heaven... a place so perfectly glorious that our minds cannot even begin to comprehend it! We will someday join them there... and I, for one, cannot wait! What an eternity we have to look forward to.

Related passages:

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Whom He has given us. [Romans 5:3-5]

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith —- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. [1 Peter 1:6-8]

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. [Genesis 50:20]

~♥~♥~♥~♥~♥~

Me and Jason at ages 2 1/2 and 2, respectively. This is one of my favorite pictures.
[Click on photo for larger view!]

Happy birthday Jason!
God bless you... we'll see you someday soon!

Photo from a friend...

2005-03-28T23:36:00.002-05:00

I recently received an e-mail with a picture of Jason attached from one of Jason's many friends from Appalachian Bible College. She knew Jason in his earlier years at ABC, prior to the time that he first met Lindsay. I love this picture so much! Jason's smile was very infectious. :) I remember that about him even from when we were kids. I am blessed to have known him. I feel even more blessed to know that this good-bye is not forever! What an awesome God we serve, Who allows us the chance to spend eternity with our loved ones who are fellow believers.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." [Revelation 21:4]

Click on photo for larger view!

Seven months...

2005-03-22T09:49:00.000-05:00

March 15 marked seven months since Jason and Lindsay died. I pray every day that the person who killed them will be apprehended and brought to justice before they hurt or kill anyone else. So far, that person has not been captured, but I have faith that he will be eventually. This article is really interesting. It includes some information that I had not known until I read it.

Read this latest article that comes from a local Santa Rosa, California newspaper:

No closure in Jenner slayings...
Seven months after a double killing shocked the coastal community, police have no suspects and those touched by the tragedy struggle to move on.
Monday, March 21, 2005

By DEREK J. MOORE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
There aren't any memorials on the remote Jenner beach where Jason Allen and his fiancee, Lindsay Cutshall, were slain in their sleeping bags last summer.
There is only gray sand, driftwood, assorted junk and, one day last week, a sea lion that popped its head from the chilly surf, eyeing intruders on its turf.
Evidence that may lead to the Ohio couple's killer has been either gathered by investigators or swept away by the tides.
It's been seven months, but authorities say they still have no suspects, no murder weapon and no motive for the killings of Allen, 26, and Cutshall, 22, despite an avalanche of tips and a few false confessions.
"A couple of them were the big guy at the bar," said Sheriff's Sgt. Steve Freitas, who is overseeing the investigation. "By the time we show up at that person's door, they go, 'Whoa, that was a mistake.'"
Cutshall's and Allen's bodies were discovered on what local residents refer to as Driftwood or Fish Head Beach on Aug. 18, five days after they left a white-water rafting camp in El Dorado County, where they'd worked for the summer as counselors.
Investigators believe the couple, who planned to return to Ohio and marry, were killed in their sleep Aug. 14. Each was shot once in the head at close range with a .45-caliber rifle as they lay side by side in separate sleeping bags.
Freitas said detectives have confiscated about 100 rifles, not all of them belonging to Sonoma County residents. Each weapon is sent to the state Department of Justice for ballistics testing, but so far a match hasn't been found.
Freitas said investigators are still awaiting test results on trace evidence sent to a state lab for possible DNA clues.
Investigators also have collected 900 tips and filled eight black binders - each one about 4 inches thick - with reports. The Sheriff's Department hired an intern to specifically help with the case.
"I have faith that at some point this case will be solved," Freitas said.
With each passing day, however, the trail grows colder.
Any record of the violence has long since vanished from the beach where the couple was killed. The same could be said of Jenner, where the focus last week was on the return of the tourist season.
Restaurants that have been closed for the winter are in the process of reopening. Lodging rates are rising, as are concerns for the safety of hundreds of harbor seals that annually haul out to give birth at the confluence of the Russian River and the Pacific Ocean.
On "Jenner News," an Internet chat room many in the community of 800 use to keep in touch, the focus lately has been on a woman whose daughter underwent surgery, and concerns about a timber harvest plan that failed to materialize.
Seven months ago, that same chat room was dominated by one topic: the slayings of Allen and Cutshall.
"It's not been a topic of conversation," said David Kenly, an at-home software engineer who monitors the chat room. "People get back to work, go back to their lives."
That isn't to say the killings have been forgotten in the tight-knit community.
"We say, 'God, it's such a mystery,'" said Gail Andersen, an innkeeper at the Jenner Inn. "You don't want to think there's a wacko out there blowing people away on the beach."
She said many residents still wonder how the couple discovered the remote beach, which is reached by a steep and unmarked trail. Camping is illegal there, but the spot has earned a reputation for illicit activity.
"They made a terrible decision to stay at that beach," said Joel Martin, who remembers Cutshall's buying something at his souvenir shop and Allen's Ford Tempo, which was held together partially by duct tape.
Authorities found the car on a Highway 1 turnout overlooking the beach where the couple's bodies were found.
A month after the grisly discoveries, members of the Jenner Community Center sent a letter to Allen's and Cutshall's parents, expressing condolences for their loss.
"What occurred is unfathomable," said the Sept. 26 letter, which hasn't been made public until now. "Our North Coast beach should have been an idyllic location - and turned into the opposite."
Chris Cutshall, Lindsay Cutshall's father and an Ohio pastor, answered the letter with one of his own a week later. In it he quoted the Book of Job - "For man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward" - and thanked the Jenner community for its sympathy.
"We certainly hold no ill feeling toward you, but thank you for holding us in your hearts, and may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ minister to your spirits," the letter said.
Reached at his church in Fresno, Ohio, last week, Cutshall praised sheriff's investigators for their dedication to the case and said he's hopeful the killer will be found.
He said he's considered the possibility that the couple were killed because of their religious beliefs. Among the possessions found at the crime scene were a Bible and Christian wedding literature.
"In the beginning, we thought it might be a persecution murder," Cutshall said. "They were bold about their faith. They didn't ram it down their (people's) throats. They were tactful. At the same time, it wouldn't take much for someone to realize these people were Christians and love the Lord."
At least two men who claimed to harbor ill will toward Christians have been checked out by investigators and cleared of any involvement in the case.
One was a Sonoma County parolee who, shortly before he was killed in October in an alleged robbery attempt gone awry, reportedly told a friend that he had killed Cutshall and Allen after making them renounce their faith.
That lead fizzled when detectives learned the man was in the Sonoma County Jail on a parole violation and en route to San Quentin State Prison the weekend of the slayings.
Authorities also interrogated a Wisconsin drifter who reportedly had been seen with the couple prior to their death and, according to his family, held animosity toward religious people.
Reached by phone recently, Nicholas Scarseth, 21, confirmed his dislike of Christians and gave conflicting statements about whether he had any involvement in the deaths.
"That Christianity stuff is interesting," Scarseth said. "You know, I thought about it. What if I got drunk and blacked out, but I would never do that. I was 97 percent sure I didn't."
Scarseth said detectives interviewed him for about 12 hours Aug. 24 and took samples of his hair and bodily fluids before letting him go.
Freitas said Scarseth never expressed any doubt about his innocence during that interrogation, and reiterated that he isn't considered a suspect.
"He didn't say anything like that to us," Freitas said. "He gave us a good alibi where he was, and he wasn't in Jenner at the time of the murders."
Freitas said the FBI is close to finishing a profile of the suspected killer and their findings will likely match detectives' own theories.
"Basically our track is to work the tips," Freitas said. "We're looking for the gun, big time, and waiting for the (possible DNA) evidence to come back."
Cutshall said he's convinced his daughter's death was the work of one man who "stalked" the couple. He's never been to the beach, but hopes to go this summer when he comes to California to lead a memorial service at the rafting camp.
"There isn't a day that goes by that we don't memorialize Jason and Lindsay's lives," he said. "I was looking forward to him being my son-in-law. They're incredibly special to us."

Trusting in God's Sovereignty...

2005-03-01T12:16:00.000-05:00

I just found the article below online today. Although much of this is general information that has been posted previously, I thought it was well worth including. I am continually humbled by God's grace in light of what has happened to Jason and Lindsay. To those who do not know Jesus as their personal Savior, I'm not sure this would make much sense. In fact, I'm sure it would not. My entire perspective on life has changed ever since God became a part of it. Quite honestly, I cannot imagine trying to live without God in my heart. He gives me so much hope and peace, without which I would not be able to cope. When I found out about the murders of Jason and Lindsay, I felt like I couldn't breathe. I was completely in shock and deeply heartbroken over the senselessness of it and the pain that it was causing to such wonderful families. But very quickly, God revealed to me that even in horrific situations such as this, His Plan is at work. I do not pretend to know what God's Plan is... if I knew, I would be more than human... and I am not. But I believe with 100% certainty that God has a plan for all of those who believe in Him... and even if evil touches your life... it has a purpose. I have seen so much GOOD come from the tragedy that took Jason and Lindsay's lives. Not that I don't wish for them to still be here... but God has brought more people into His Kingdom through the tragedy. Evil did not triumph. It never will. God is GOOD and His Will is always better than ours.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Parents of slain couple still hope killer will surface.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005

By JESSI MARTIN, Staff writer
Mountain Democrat Online
Some belongings have been returned to the Cutshalls since their 22-year-old daughter Lindsay and her 26-year-old fiancé Jason Allen, river guides in El Dorado County, were found murdered on a beach in Sonoma County in August 2004.
Other possessions were taken into evidence and have not yet been released to the family in the case that Sonoma County sheriff's detectives continue to investigate.
"We're still working the case full time," said Steve Freitas, supervisor of the violent crimes unit for the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department. "We still have leads we are working; we are still analyzing evidence, but we have not identified a suspect at this time."
The couple, who planned to marry in September 2004, were working as outdoor youth ministry counselors at the Rock 'N Water Camp in Coloma when they went on a weekend trip and failed to return. They were later found shot in their sleeping bags on a lonely stretch of beach near Jenner. Their bodies were found Aug. 18, but authorities said they probably were killed between Aug. 14 and 16.
Now Lindsay's father, Chris Cutshall, a pastor at the Fresno Bible Church in Fresno, Ohio, has been taking the time to sit down with one of the items that has been returned to him and his wife, Lindsay's Bible.
As he began to thumb through it, Cutshall said, he found that the book of Phillipians had the most underlines, highlights, circles and notes in his daughter's handwriting, but one note in particular struck home for him.
Next to Phillipians 3:20, which states that "our citizenship is in heaven," Lindsay, 22 when she was slain, had written, "I'm just a pilgrim," Cutshall said.
For her father it has brought both consolation and inspiration in the wake of the six-month anniversary of his daughter's death.
"There's a deep sense of loss, of longing and desire to see her and be with her," Cutshall said. "We cry a lot, and we still grieve a lot."
But, in his Sunday preaching, Cutshall has begun a series of sermons from the book of Phillipians as a tribute to his daughter, her fiancé, and their desire to make a difference in people's lives.
"God is still using their lives and deaths to influence people," Cutshall said. "It certainly has impacted our church family. When we lost a daughter, they lost a sister."
The counselors at Rock 'N Water, 23 of whom traveled to Ohio for the couple's memorial, have also felt the loss of Cutshall and Allen, and are also continuing to honor the memory of the couple.
Plans to dedicate and unveil a memorial to Cutshall and Allen at a central location at Rock 'N Water sometime in mid-June are being discussed, and a non-profit memorial fund called "Kids in Creation" has been set up in their memory, a camp director who asked to remain anonymous, said.
"Both in their life and in their death they have inspired many of us to be more dedicated in our commitment to the outdoor youth ministries," the camp director said. "The last thing we want to do is forget about what happened last fall."
At Rock 'N Water, Lindsay Cutshall and Jason Allen were known for their dedication.
Cutshall was known for the selflessness with which she prayed for others, while Allen was known for the attitude of "go big or go home," a philosophy Allen applied to his rafting as much as his spiritual life, the camp director said.
"They were very clear about their mission," he said.
Though the murder of the couple is seemingly without motive, both family and friends of the couple continue to keep their faith.
"We trust in God's sovereignty," Chris Cutshall said. "There are reasons for this, even if we don't understand them."
And, despite the fact that the person responsible for their daughter's death still has not been brought to justice, Cutshall praised the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department for its dedication and persistence in working on the murder case.
"We only ask these guys do their best, the rest we leave to God," Cutshall said.

Six months...

2005-02-20T10:46:00.000-05:00

February 15 marked the 6-month "anniversary" of the day that Jason and Lindsay were killed. I think about them every day. Although I want so much for Jason's and Lindsay's families to have the kind of closure that comes with capturing the one responsible for their murders and putting him behind bars for life... I know that God is in control and no matter what, His Will will be done. And when it comes down to it... that is all I truly want. I have learned that even in the midst of a tragedy of this magnitude, God can bring great GOOD from it. Not that I don't wish for circumstances to be different... I wish that this never happened. I wish that Jason and Lindsay were enjoying married life together at this very moment. I can't tell you how heart-wrenching it is to watch Jason's family, whom I have known and loved my whole life, go through this. Sometimes I just don't know what to say or do. None of us wished that we would be experiencing a loss such as this. (I consider the pain that is in my heart over this tragedy... and it is profound. I can hardly imagine what it is truly like for Jason's and Lindsay's families.) But when all is said and done... Jason and Lindsay did die at the hands of a monster... but God used this tragedy to change the hearts of many. My faith is stronger now than it ever was before. Because of what happened, I turned to God for help in understanding it all, and my relationship with God has strengthened dramatically. Furthermore, many people have come to know Jesus because of this tragedy as well! Their eternities have been changed because they witnessed the deep faith of Jason's and Lindsay's families and wanted that kind of faith for themselves. This tragedy has been turned into triumph by our Holy God! The person that killed them only killed their earthly bodies, but couldn't touch their spirits. Their spirits are in the presence of God at this very moment... and there is no better place to be!

Read the latest article that comes from our local newspaper:

Slaying of counselors stumps police...
Zeeland native, fiancee were found dead 6 months ago on California beach.
Saturday, February 19, 2005

The Associated Press
JENNER, Calif. (AP) -- On the remote beach where two camp counselors were murdered in their sleeping bags last summer, there is no memorial to the young couple and no sign of where they died.
Twice a day for the past six months, high tides have remade this place, erasing footprints, stealing away driftwood that surrounded their campsite and rearranging the sands where former Zeeland resident Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall spent their last night.
Their killer or killers also have apparently vanished, stumping Sonoma County sheriff's investigators and leaving family members of the two Midwesterners anguished and wondering what went wrong last August along the rugged coastline.
"I haven't a clue. I have no idea. It's a mystery to us," said Delores Allen, Jason Allen's mother. "I would like very much to see it solved, but it's not something that I worry about. I don't carry it around like a burden."
Allen, 26, and Cutshall, 23, who were to be married in September in Ohio, had been working all summer at a Christian camp in the Sierra Nevada foothills when they headed to the coast for a weekend getaway before their final week of work.
A search and rescue team in a helicopter discovered the bodies Aug. 18 while plucking a stranded hiker from a bluff above the rocky shore in this area that draws tourists along undulating Highway 1. The two had each been shot once in the head as they lay in their sleeping bags, a few hundred yards from the highway.
While more than a dozen officers once scoured the beach just north of this seaside village of fewer than 200 residents, only one officer is assigned to the case full time, said Lt. Dave Edmonds.
Officers have said very little publicly about the case. In September, they revealed that the murder weapon is probably a .45-caliber Marlin rifle, a relatively rare gun. Edmonds said they had found some models of that firearm, but he refused to say if the actual murder weapon was recovered.
In November, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the killings. The governor's rewards, which have been paid 18 out of 165 times they've been offered since 1967, are only offered when other means are exhausted.
The state doesn't offer the reward if police are about to make an arrest, Edmonds said. The reward, along with $10,000 posted by a private foundation, may inspire a tipster to come forward with evidence that solves the crime, he said. In any case, they haven't given up.
"It's not lost on us the gravity of the case. So that gives us greater impetus to push harder," Edmonds said. "We're also familiar with statistics about success rates diminishing with the passage of time. We can't pay attention to that."
The six-month anniversary of the bodies being found arrived Friday without any special attention in Jenner, although residents said the killings remain fresh in their minds.
Jim Daly, a local plumber and crab fisherman, said he used to camp on the beach frequently. "We don't think about doing that any more.
"Spooky," Daly said of the murders. "I mean, they never caught the guy."
Investigators believe the killings happened sometime after sunset Aug. 14 and before the morning of Aug. 16, when they were due back at Rock-N-Water, a Christian adventure camp in Coloma, Calif., about 50 miles east of Sacramento.
A scholarship program named Kids in Creation to help send children to such camps was set up in honor of Cutshall and Allen.
The camp, which teaches youths about the Bible and leads them on whitewater rafting on the American River, plans to dedicate a memorial to the two sometime this summer in a private service, a spokesman said.
Kathy Cutshall, Lindsay's mother, said her family privately acknowledged the passage of time earlier in the week.
"It's a difficult day, but not any different than any other day," she said by phone from her Fresno, Ohio, home. "She's always in our hearts and our minds."
The parents of both counselors are devout Christians and say their faith has seen them through the ordeal.
The Rev. Chris Cutshall has been preaching a series of sermons dedicated to his daughter and Allen. The sermons are based on scripture that Lindsay had marked up extensively in the Bible they found among her belongings at camp.
Recently Chris Cutshall read a letter from the pulpit that was written by a 17-year-old girl Lindsay had counseled. In the letter, the girl said she now understands things she didn't understand before and that Lindsay's death had brought her closer to God. If she had a daughter, she said she would name her after their daughter.
"I broke down," Chris Cutshall said. "There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Something so precious about the letter is that it reminded us what a beautiful girl she was."
He said investigators have shared some of what they've learned about the case, but he was not going to discuss those details other than saying that investigators have indicated they're looking for a killer, not multiple suspects.
"Detectives refer to the person as 'he,' Chris Cutshall said. "They've never said, 'they."'
The two families are confident the killer will be brought to justice eventually.
"This person is really sick and needs to be taken off the streets and the beaches before he hurts someone else," Chris Cutshall said. "At the same time, I can honestly say that my wife and I have prayed for this guy's soul because we know he's under the wrath of God."

Remembering Lindsay...

2005-01-11T19:48:00.000-05:00

I apologize for not posting this sooner. I tried looking for Lindsay's obituary earlier without any luck but I just found it a couple of days ago. This, like Jason's obituary, was very beautifully and eloquently written:

Lindsay Christine Cutshall, 22
Obituary
FRESNO -- Around Sunday, Aug. l5, 2004, Lindsay Christine Cutshall of Fresno, along with her fiance, Jason Scott Allen of Zeeland, Mich., was called home to live eternally with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Lindsay was born Sept. 9, 1981, in Coshocton.
She was a member of Fresno Bible Church, where her father has been the pastor for 18 years. She attended Fresno Elementary and graduated high school as a home school student in 2000.
In 2003, she was a graduate of Appalachian Bible College in Bradley, W.Va., obtaining an Associates Degree in Bible. While at ABC Lindsay became involved in outdoor adventure sports like backpacking, rock climbing, rappelling and white water rafting. She was a Class V River Guide. Lindsay and Jason worked this past summer as camp staff at Rock-N-Water, a Christian adventure camp in California.
Lindsay felt God's call early in life to be in full-time ministry, and while at college that call moved more specifically to an adventure camping ministry where she could work with children and youth using her love for the Lord to help them find hope and peace in this life.
Lindsay had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Savior at a young age. She grew in her love for Him and was very committed to her relationship with Him. She was a woman of high moral and spiritual character and had a heart for serving the Lord by serving others. She was known by her fellow staff members at Rock-N-Water as a great encourager who would stay up long into the night ministering God's healing grace to hurting campers. She lived her life with a passion to please and glorify her Lord. Her parents could not be more pleased with her.
Lindsay and Jason were to be married Sept. 11, 2004 in Fresno. They were known as a couple who were "made for each other." They shared a love for the Lord, for the church, for people and for Christian ministry and the Lord chose to allow them to enter heaven together.
Lindsay is survived by her parents, Chris and Kathy (Knisely) Cutshall of Fresno; sister and brother-in-law, Kerry and Ben Croghan of Fresno; maternal grandparents, Russell and Jo Ellen Knisely of West Lafayette; and paternal grandmother, Roberta Cutshall of Chattanooga, Tenn.
Her paternal grandfather is the late Sam Cutshall of Chattanooga, Tenn.
A joint memorial service for Lindsay and Jason will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, 2004, at the First Church of the Nazarene, 1058 Orange St. in Coshocton. This will be a public worship celebration of their godly lives on earth and their glorious entrance into heaven.
In lieu of flowers, the Cutshall family requests that donations be made to Fresno Bible Church, P.O. Box 67, Fresno, OH 43824. Envelopes will be available at the Coshocton Nazarene Church or Free Funeral Home in Coshocton, who is handling local arrangements.

Transcript of Memorial Service...

2005-01-08T14:39:00.002-05:00

I just came across this last night. On Jason and Lindsay's memorial ministry site, Kids in Creation, there is a copy of the transcript (in PDF format) of the message given by Chris Cutshall, Lindsay's father. There is also an audio clip available (21.1 MB). I printed off the 7-page transcript and read it last night. I was moved to tears... not just by the fact that I feel such a loss in my heart that Jason and Lindsay were taken from us at such a young age... but moreso by the fact that I suddenly realized God's Hand in all that happens in every aspect of life. God knew that Jason and Lindsay were ready to come home and that it was their time to go. It made me realize how much I need to get my own spiritual life back in order. I have spent so much time... wasted so much time... worrying about things that do not matter. I have let Satan lead me astray in some ways that have damaged my heart and my walk with God. But that all ends now. Jason and Lindsay left a legacy and I am going to learn from how they lived their lives. It's time for me to renew my faith and to get things straight. I have always had faith and I have understood the reality of God and what He offers us... but I have also allowed myself occasionally to be tempted and manipulated by Satan who will do anything to cut us off from God. All that does is bring pain and suffering. God's Way is the only way to live a life with peace in your heart. Truthfully, I am SO much looking forward to the day that it is my turn to go home to see Jesus. I don't like how damaged and abused this world has become. It just breaks my heart! This world started out as a perfect Creation from God. It started out perfect and our (humanity's) choices have completely destroyed it. And yet God uses what He can... what we have left here... to show us what He's all about. He used the horror and tragedy of the murder of Jason and Lindsay to show us how to live by their example.

Please take the time to either read this transcript or listen to it. I promise it'll change your life. God knows what He's doing. Please learn from this that a Godly life is the only one worth living. We only have one chance to live on this earth... and how we live here determines where we end up for ETERNITY. Don't let worldly things and "values" to drive who you are and what you want. You can't take "things" with you when you die. The only way to live that is worth anything is to live for God and to let others know too.

Note: If you read the transcript, there are parts where things are in parentheses like (Baby Lindsay) or (Young Jason). I haven't confirmed this but I think those were descriptions of the photos that were being shown at the moment that Pastor Cutshall was reading that portion of the message. Just a "heads up." :)

Retracing last steps...

2004-12-28T13:06:00.000-05:00

Here is another article that I recently found. Toward the end of it, many statements are made from Jenner locals indicating the possible last plans/moments of Jason and Lindsay. I really don't know what to believe because none of these things can be factually proven, but I want to insist and encourage people to keep Jason's and Lindsay's integrity intact. I know in my heart that Jason and Lindsay had pure hearts and pure intentions in every aspect of their lives. They were/are great people and deserve to be respected as such. This article is from August 29, but it also has some information and quotes from Lindsay's family that I had not before heard or read. Please continue to keep the families in your prayers as well as the families and people throughout the world recently devastated by the tsunamis in Asia... yet another tragedy through which God can do His miraculous works in the hearts of people both saved and unsaved. I will pray that this will be an opportunity for Christians to step up and make a difference for God's Kingdom.

Retracing the [doomed] couple's steps...
Slain Christian camp counselors spent some time in S.F. before heading to Jenner.
Sunday, August 29, 2004

By Demian Bulwa, Chronicle Staff Writer
San Francisco Chronicle
They were about to complete a summer of rafting, rock climbing and Christian ministry in the Sierra foothills, and so the engaged young couple from the Midwest set out for a tried-and-true Northern California weekend jaunt.
They bought a cheap souvenir at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. They snapped pictures of each other in front of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. And they headed north for the Sonoma coast, past wineries and goat farms and Russian River hideaway towns, until they reached the ocean.
That's where the rather ordinary story of Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall changed, as sharply as the weather must have changed as they drove their last few miles on Highway 1 and pulled into fog-soaked Jenner, a postcard village Allen had passed through five years earlier.
Allen, 26, of Zeeland, Mich., and Cutshall, 22, of Fresno, Ohio, died there, on damp gray sand near the ocean's edge, sometime between Saturday, Aug. 14 and Tuesday, Aug. 17.
They were found that Wednesday, tucked inside their sleeping bags on an isolated, unmarked beach, shot in the head from close range while they apparently dozed to the sound of the wind and the surf.
And nobody knows why.
Nobody can understand how two people drawn together by an intense devotion to scripture, a love for the rugged outdoors and simple needs -- their wedding registry was at Target -- could be executed so coldly, and in a place they probably felt was a patch of paradise far from home.
"It's just absolutely senseless. They were two innocent people, with no enemies, having an enjoyable weekend together before their marriage," said Cutshall's father, Chris Cutshall, who was to officiate at the ceremony in a parishioner's garden.
The longtime pastor of a nondenominational evangelical church in Fresno, Ohio, Chris Cutshall said his family is at peace with the slayings: "I believe that after they saw the sun set and went to sleep that night, they woke up and saw the Lord."
Mystery on the coast
The killings have captivated and frightened coastal residents -- so much so that some have brought up the infamous Zodiac killer. And they have perplexed detectives who appear to be trying to talk to every person who was recently near Jenner, a bend-in-the-road hamlet where residents pull up to a trailer to retrieve their mail from the postmaster.
Those questioned include everyone from a local who lives in a van adorned with photos of sunsets, to a 21-year-old drifter from Wisconsin cited for skateboarding in nearby Fort Bragg, to tourists who dine on racklet of elk and creme brulee at the River's End restaurant -- named for its view of the mouth of the Russian River.
Cops have studied graffiti on driftwood, called bus drivers who pass through Jenner and watched hours of surveillance tape gathered from convenience stores. Helicopter pilots have used infrared cameras to search for nighttime campfires up and down the coast. No lead seems too small.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department ruled out motives including murder-suicide, sexual assault and robbery. It has considered various other theories: that Cutshall and Allen could have been killed by a hitchhiker they helped; or someone set off by the couple's religious fervor; or someone already camping on the beach where they died.
"We're not giving up on anything,'' Sonoma County Sheriff Bill Cogbill told Jenner-area residents during a community meeting Wednesday night. "We had some good leads that didn't turn out as good as we had hoped, but we're still pursuing other scenarios. Anything is possible."
Dissecting final days
Authorities are also retracing the couple's steps during their final weekend -- in some cases sorting through conflicting statements from potential witnesses -- to determine how, and when, Cutshall and Allen met their killer. That is, if they met their killer at all.
The trail begins when Cutshall and Allen finished their duties at the Rock-N-Water adventure camp in the El Dorado County town of Coloma at 7 p.m. on Aug. 13.
This wasn't just a summer job; Allen had saved $2,000 for the couple's rafting-guide training on the American River. The couple -- who met two years ago while he was a guide on the Gauley River in West Virginia and she a student at nearby Appalachian Bible College -- told their parents they dreamed of someday directing their own camp as a way to spread their love of God.
No, this was far more than a job. Cutshall was known to spend hours counseling the camp's adolescent girls, at times staying up well past midnight despite a 6 a.m. wakeup call.
Allen, whose kindred relationship with the wild was developed during childhood hunting and fishing trips, worried he might never find a woman who shared his love of God and the outdoors -- until he met Cutshall.
City by the bay
They had a gratifying summer, but before leaving California, Cutshall wanted to see San Francisco, her father said.
And so she and her fiance departed in Chris Cutshall's red 1992 Ford Tempo with a kayak rack, telling fellow staffers only that they were off to visit friends. Where the couple spent Friday night is a "puzzle to us," Chris Cutshall said, but he figures they might have found a place to camp. He said detectives haven't located thefriends the couple mentioned.
At 1 p.m. the next day, a Saturday, Cutshall's credit card was used to buy a set of miniature Tabasco sauce bottles at Pier 47 in San Francisco. Cutshall and Allen were seen at the California Gourmet Market in the Cannery building, according to a receptionist at the store, which is famous for its collection of souvenir hot sauces.
The purchase doesn't surprise family members. Jason Allen was a practical joker. While his fiancee and her mother selected housewares for the wedding registry at Target several months ago, Jason screamed by on a child's bicycle, blaring the horn.
Photographs recovered from the couple's camera show them enjoying San Francisco and mugging in front of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.
Heading north
Later Saturday, police said, Cutshall and Allen stopped for gas along Highway 116 in Guerneville, suggesting they might have also driven winding roads through downtown Sebastopol and Forestville.
At River Gas in Guerneville, clerk Dustin Gooler remembers Allen walking in and buying a few items. Gooler marks the first of several contacts with the couple -- many disputed -- as they approached Jenner.
The front desk manager at the Jenner Inn, who asked that her name not be used, said Cutshall had called several days earlier and booked a room before calling to cancel the same day. She said Cutshall and Allen walked through the front door of the old redwood lodge either Friday or Saturday night.
Told that the inn was booked, they said they would camp. The next morning, the manager remembers chatting with the couple as they ate breakfast in the dining hall of the Jenner Inn.
"I asked them if they were having fun. They said they stopped in San Francisco ... they were just a happy couple trying to get away for the weekend," the manager said. She said the couple told her they planned to move to a new camp site.
More than 10 miles to the south on Bodega Highway, which connects Highway 1 to Freestone and Sebastopol to the east, Nick Marlow says he also saw Cutshall and Allen. The owner of Northern Lights, a Bodega surf shop, said they came in either Saturday or Sunday to ask where they could camp for free in the area -- ideally at a spot they could hike to.
"We were told to go up north of Jenner," Marlow quoted Allen as saying. Marlow said he warned Allen that it was illegal, but that the area north of Jenner was probably a "good idea."
Sighted in Jenner?
Two other alleged sightings are the talk of Jenner: Bert Rangel, the owner of the River's End, said he is certain he saw the couple sometime between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 16, when they walked in and asked whether any cabins were available. Rangel said the couple was turned away because there was no vacancy.
However, Rangel described Allen as having a distinctive goatee. That has thrown Rangel's sighting in doubt. While Allen was known to wear such a goatee in the past, he did not have one when he died, police said.
And Julie King, a part-time employee at the Jenner Inn's Mystic Isle Cafe, said she saw Cutshall and Allen outside the cafe on Tuesday, the day before their bodies were found. The business was closed, and Allen shouted something like, "Open up in there, people are hungry out here," according to King.
The couple's family members are suspicious of many of the sightings, though. Chris Cutshall said the couple's Christian values and frugal ways would have kept them from sharing a cabin and splurging in a restaurant. Bob Allen, Jason Allen's father, said his son made about $8,000 a year and saved $5,000.
Even more significantly, the couple was due back to the Sierra foothills at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 15. It was a deadline that they wouldn't have chosen to miss, according to their parents, particularly because Lindsay Cutshall was planning to fly home just a week later to begin planning her wedding.
Red flag
Their absence on Sunday caused immediate alarm; by the next afternoon, friends at the camp in Coloma had filed a missing-persons report and the parents were on their way to California.
"When we got the call Monday (from the camp), our hearts sank," Chris Cutshall said. We knew something was wrong."
Though it's not clear when, at some point the couple appears to have parked their car on a Highway 1 turnout less than two miles north of Jenner.
They might have seen a sign reading, "How to Survive this Beach" before they walked a few hundred feet along a lightly traveled path through dry brush and bushes, and finally down a moderately steep hill to the beach.
There, they would have found three crude driftwood shelters that appear to have been constructed recently, with black inscriptions that range from love notes ("Julie + Phil") to friendly messages ("Make yourself at home") to what seem like warnings ("My beach" and "Don't f -- this place up"). One structure is titled, "The Driftwood Sinn."
Chris Cutshall believes one of the recovered photographs may show this very beach -- where on Aug. 18 the couple was found, side-by-side. Their possessions and their car were apparently undisturbed.
And now two families are planning a memorial service rather than a wedding.
"Sin is real to all of us," Chris Cutshall said this week, after returning home from Northern California. "Even though God loves us, this isn't heaven and we aren't immune to suffering. And we do suffer."

Gov. Schwarzenegger offers reward...

2004-11-27T22:10:00.001-05:00

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the killer(s) of Jason and Lindsay. That is music to my ears. I pray that this might get someone interested in talking. There is already one reward for $10,000 being offered by the Carole Sund/Carrington Memorial Reward Foundation. Please continue to pray for more leads in this case. But most of all... pray for the families... as this holiday season is going to be difficult for them, for obvious reasons.

Governor Schwarzenegger Offers Rewards for Information in Three Unsolved Murder Cases
11/24/2004

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the issuance of rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for three unsolved murder cases in California.
The following is a brief description of each crime and the reward amount offered:
On August 18, 2004, Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall were found dead in sleeping bags on a beach near the town of Jenner. Both were shot in the head. The Governor is offering a reward in the amount of $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individuals or individual responsible for this double murder.
On January 8, 2002, Cecilia Garcia was found dead in her Livermore home by family members. The Governor is offering a reward in the amount of $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individuals or individual responsible for this murder.
On August 1, 2003, Tong Lo and his four children drove to the family's grocery store in Stockton. Upon their arrival at the store, two masked individuals approached Lo, shot him, took the money bag he was carrying and shot him again. Lo died at the scene with his four children looking on. The Governor is offering a reward in the amount of $25,000 per perpetrator, for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the individuals responsible for this murder.
Anyone with information in any of these cases should contact local law enforcement officials in the city or county where the crime was committed.
Under the Governor's Reward program, 165 rewards have been offered since 1967 and 18 have been paid. The reward process is initiated when the Governor receives a written request from the chief of the law enforcement agency with investigatory jurisdiction over the matter. This request informs the Governor that (1) those responsible for the investigation have pursued all leads and believe, in their independent judgment, that a reward will help them in their efforts, (2) the crime is one for which a reward may be offered under California law, and (3) the victims' families support the reward. The Governor's legal affairs unit processes the request and ensures statutory compliance. The Governor makes the final determination regarding the request.
Rewards may be offered for specified crimes under the California Penal Code and subject to statutory maximums. Rewards do not expire and are only paid if the information leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals charged with the crime.
The Governor's proclamations describing these rewards in more detail can be linked to below.
Reward for Information in the Double Murder of Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall
Reward for Information in the Murder of Cecilia Garcia
Reward for Information in the Murder of Tong Lo

Still waiting for answers...

2004-11-21T11:03:00.000-05:00

There haven't been any groundbreaking developments in this case since last August, however, I wanted to share an article that ran in my local newspaper today about Jason and Lindsay. My mom recently met up with Jason's mom and talked about the loss with her. However, I chose not to share because I didn't know if I should publicly release everything I hear on this weblog. My first priority is to not do anything to upset Jason's family, as they are obviously experiencing something tremendously difficult and they do not yet have the closure of having identified and prosecuted the perpetrator(s). But since this article was published in our newspaper, I wanted to include it.

Please continue to pray for the Allen and Cutshall families as they try to move on after having so senselessly lost their beloved family members. It still breaks my heart to think about this. Jason was such a sweet, genuine, and funny person. I have so many memories of him... especially from my childhood. I never would have imagined his life would end as it did. It is hard for me to understand why this happened, but it is remarkable to see the good that God can bring from something as tragic as this.

Family waits for answers in double murder...
Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall were shot in their sleep while camping in California.
Sunday, November 21, 2004

By RICHARD HARROLD
Staff writer
There are moments when dealing with her son's death becomes more difficult than at other times, says Delores Allen.
Her son, Jason, and his fiancee, Lindsay Cutshall, were shot to death three months ago on a California beach where they slept for the night. Their bodies were discovered Aug. 18. Their killer's identity remains unknown.
"Hunting season is here and Jason and his father hunted together," Allen said. "And the holidays are coming. We miss him so much."
But overall, the Zeeland resident said that she and her husband, Bob, are doing well as they await news to come from Sonoma County, Calif., where the murders occurred.
"They want this case solved, too," she said.
Lt. Dave Edmonds, lead investigator for the crimes at the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department, said his team is keeping all options open.
"This case is a big deal for us," Edmonds said.
Edmonds wouldn't say if police have a suspect or a suspect profile, but he said investigators have collected a tremendous amount of evidence and information that is slowly filling in the many blanks the case presents.
"This case is a peculiar one," he said. "It has very sinister markers to it. The case is absolutely disturbing."
What police have released is that Jason Allen, 26, and Cutshall, 23, of Fresno, Ohio, were shot to death, probably in their sleep, with a .45-caliber rifle. Their bodies were found on a remote beach near Jenner, Calif., side by side in separate sleeping bags after a sheriff's helicopter crew was sent out to rescue a hiker who had fallen down a nearby bluff.
Edmonds said that investigators have been in contact with the FBI about the case.
"If we have to gut this thing out, work consistently on it, we will," he said. "My feeling is, from experience, it's very uncommon that there isn't someone out there who can deliver to us information about this."
In the meantime, Delores Allen said she's been going through the many cards and letters she's received from people who knew her son and his fiancee, both friends and students who attended the Rock-n-Water camp in the Sierra Nevada foothills east of Sacramento, Calif., where the couple worked last summer.
"I'm trying to answer all of them," she said. "It gives us a lot of comfort that their death was not in vain, that their ministry is going on."

Another site about Jason & Lindsay...

2004-10-06T21:00:00.002-04:00

I just found another site that has been compiling information regarding Jason and Lindsay's murder case. I wish I had news to report, but there just isn't any. Keep checking back. I am regularly searching for new information to post.

God bless!

Incoming tips from rifle press release...

2004-09-19T14:16:00.000-04:00

Here is a recent article published by the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. (Just updated information, nothing substantial in the news at this point)...

DOZENS OF TIPS IN JENNER RIFLE ALERT
Published on September 16, 2004

By DEREK J. MOORE
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Authorities said about 30 people phoned in Wednesday with tips about a rifle that may have been used to kill two campers on a Jenner beach, but so far none has led to the weapon or a suspect.
Some people reported that they hadn't checked guns stored in closets or other out-of-the-way places in years, and that when they went to look found the weapons missing, Sheriff's Lt. Roger Rude said.
But none was a .45-caliber Marlin rifle, the weapon investigators have connected to the slayings of Lindsay Cutshall and Jason Allen, a young Ohio couple whose bodies were discovered Aug. 18, two days after they failed to show up for work at an El Dorado County camp.
Since the description of the rifle was released by the Sheriff's Department on Tuesday, speculation has run high as to who might own such a rifle and what use they might have for it.
Theories range from ranchers to commercial fishermen, to gun enthusiasts who dress up like cowboys and participate in target shooting competitions.
But sheriff's officials caution that they aren't necessarily looking at one particular group of people in their search for Cutshall and Allen's killer.
"The individual who is responsible for this may not be the individual who legally bought the weapon," Rude said. "We don't know."
Detectives said ballistic evidence revealed that one of two .45-caliber rifles manufactured by the Marlin Firearms Co. in North Haven, Conn., was likely used to kill Cutshall, 22, and Allen, 26.
The rifles are a lever-action type known as the Model 1894 and the Model 45, which is semiautomatic and more commonly referred to as a "camp carbine."
Bill Bohan, who grows grapes and raises cattle on a 1,000-acre ranch near Jenner, said he lay awake the night the rifle descriptions were released thinking about who might have one of the guns.
"That whole thing just got me shook up," Bohan said of the killings. "My girlfriend keeps her horse in Jenner and has to go down there at night to feed her. It makes me nervous. Someone is still out there."
Sheriff's officials said the Marlin rifle is popular with ranchers. But Bohan, 41, said he's never owned one and doesn't know anyone who does, adding that a .45-caliber rifle is too much gun for hunting pigs or keeping coyotes at bay on his ranch.
"It's a relatively oddball gun," he said.
Others have speculated that commercial fishermen might use a Marlin rifle to shoot sea lions that steal their catch.
But Chuck Wise, president of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, said a Marlin, which can cost as much as $600, is basically too nice a gun to expose to the elements.
"You just don't put anything like that on a boat because it immediately turns to a pile of rust, no matter how good you take care of them," he said.
Roy Torres, a special agent for the National Marine Fisheries Service, said he's never had a case where an animal was shot with a .45-caliber weapon.
"I've never seen a Marlin rifle on a boat," said Torres, whose territory spans Half Moon Bay to Santa Barbara. "I have seen shotguns or .22-caliber rifles."
Rude said investigators have ruled out the possibility that the couple, who were found zippered in separate sleeping bags, might have been mistaken for marine animals and shot from the high bluff overlooking Fish Head Beach. He said the fatal shots were fired at close range.
Investigators haven't revealed what kind of ballistic evidence they found at the beach.
Some gun enthusiasts said they were baffled as to why two rifle models are being sought, as the weapons normally use different ammunition -- Automatic Colt Pistol, or ACP, in the case of the semiautomatic, and Long Colt in the case of the lever-action model.
The Long Colt was introduced in 1873 along with the single-action army revolver. Both the gun and cartridge are popular with "cowboy action shooters" as they hearken back to the Old West.
The ACP was originally introduced in the early 1900s for Colt's Model 1911 semiautomatic pistol that was carried by U.S. armed forces for more than 75 years.
Dan Bergmen, a Ukiah resident and member of the gun club there, said the only way the two rifles can share the same cartridge is if they are hand-loaded by someone who makes his or her own ammunition.
"If they're looking at both guns, they're somehow suggesting that they don't know about the bullet that was used in the murders," he said. "Typically, they would be able to narrow it down."
One Bodega Bay man whose Marlin semiautomatic rifle and .45-caliber Model 1911 pistol were tested by detectives said he was asked if he owned a hand-loading device. He doesn't, and the weapons eventually were returned to him after they were cleaned, the man said.
Bergmen said a hand-loaded shell casing would have tell-tale signs. Both rifles eject the casings, but detectives haven't said whether they recovered any at the beach, raising the possibility that the killer took them with him.