Julie Harris

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Stevens County Sheriffs Office And Colville Police Department (WA)

Offense Location:

Colville, Washington

Summary:

Julie Marie Harris was a 12-year-old girl from Colville, Washington who was reported missing on March 3, 1996 and found murdered when her skeletal remains were discovered in 1997. Born June 10, 1983 to Sherri Odegaard and Clifford Robinson as her brother, Julie developed a hobby for various outdoor activities and sports, including bike riding from an early age. The case was classified a homicide when her purse and two artificial feet were found about a month later, near where the Colville River flows into Lake Roosevelt at Kettle Falls.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

On March 3, 1996, 12-year-old Julie Harris vanished from outside of her house in Colville, Washington, while waiting for a ride to church. When her loved ones could not locate her, they reported her missing immediately. The Special Olympics champion got up early that day, grabbed four slices of pizza and vanished, according to a runaway report filed with police. Colville police announced that Julie Harris' artificial feet were found at the mouth of the Colville River over the weekend. A witness claimed that they saw Julie walking down Main Street with a tall man in a trench coat. About a year later, on April 26, 1997, the rest of her remains were discovered by a group of children three miles southwest of Colville, but the cause of her death could not be determined. A check of dental records confirmed the identification.

Additional Details:

During the homicide investigation, the detectives suspected that Sherri's then-live-in boyfriend had something to do with Julie Harris' disappearance and murder, as he was reportedly one of the last individuals to see her alive. In an interview, he said Julie was in bed when he left to go fishing early March 3, and was gone when he returned. Sax also said he argued with Julie the night before she disappeared, trying to persuade her that she needed to do her homework. However, according to Sherri, he could not be responsible for the murder as her daughter had a close-knit relationship with him. She was convinced that the authorities were wasting their time and resources by considering him a person of interest. About 15 years after Julie's murder, in 2012, the authorities learned that the notorious serial killer, Israel Keyes, could be responsible for the 1996 killing. He too has never been cleared as a 'person of interest' in Julie's murder. Keyes and his siblings were homeschooled before the family moved in 1983 to a remote plot of land north of Colville, Washington. The family lived in a one-room cabin on Rocky Creek Road that lacked electricity and running water. The Stevens County Sheriff's department recently asked a retired detective to pour over everything they have on Julie's case. They say he spent months reviewing it. They are continuing to hold out hope that Julie's case can be solved.

Case Last Updated:

Aug 02, 2026