$1 Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013 Reaching 110,000 Readers in Print and Online — www.chronline.com 2013’s People Closers of the Year Pete Caster / [email protected] From left: Lewis County Sherif Steve Mansield, Lewis County Sherif’s Detec- tive Bruce Kimsey, Dennis Hadaller, Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead, and Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer pose for a portrait in the Lewis County Courthouse. Kimsey, Mansfield, Halstead, Meyer and Hadaller Saw Murders Solved By Stephanie Schendel parents, the holiday season was often so men were all together since the sentenc- About the Award [email protected] unbearable that he would leave the area ing hearing two weeks prior, when Lewis In 2010, The Chronicle created a new for Christmas. County Judge Richard Brosey sentenced At the funeral of Ed and Minnie Mau- But Hadaller did eventually fulfill his Riffe to 103 years in prison — the maxi- annual honor for people who go out of rin, Dennis Hadaller laid his hand on their comfort zone, going above and promise to his parents. It took nearly 28 mum sentence possible. his mother’s casket and swore he would beyond the parameters of their regu- years of faith and patience, and came as The Chronicle’s group photo shoot lar duties in a major effort to help the find the person responsible for their mur- a result of a combination of people who for People of the Year, which took place community. ders. As the years went on, Hadaller, who felt as passionately about it as he did: inside the courtroom, was coincidentally This year, instead of choosing one Per- is now older than his mother was at the Bruce Kimsey, a tenacious detective who scheduled on the anniversary of the slay- son of the Year, The Chronicle decided time of her death, worried he would not made sense of the decades-long investiga- ings. For most of the afternoon, the sig- to recognize the five men responsible be able to fulfill that promise. tion; Will Halstead, a deputy prosecutor nificance of the date went unnoticed, as for closing one of Lewis County’s most The elderly couple were abducted who loves pursuing high-stakes cases; the men patiently posed for a series of notorious unsolved murders: Sheriff from their Ethel home and forced to and two elected officials, Lewis County portrait photos, joked with one another, Steve Mansfield, Detective Bruce Kim- withdraw $8,500 from the bank on Dec. Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer and Sheriff and chatted about the upcoming holidays. sey, Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan 19, 1985. They were then fatally shot in Steve Mansfield, who were both willing It was the events of the day exactly 28 Meyer, Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead the back and their bodies were dumped to dedicate the extensive resources from years prior that ultimately brought these and Dennis Hadaller — the 86-year-old on the side of a rural logging road, where their respective offices, as well as assume five men together in the challenge to son of Ed and Minnie Maurin, the elderly a passing logger found them five days the political risks of failure. close one of the most difficult and com- couple who were kidnapped, robbed later on Christmas Eve. plicated murder cases in Lewis County and murdered in 1985. Hadaller said he has thought about ON DEC. 19, 2013 — the 28th anniversary history. It was the extraordinary teamwork his parents’ deaths every day since. of the double-homicide — the five men A month prior, the jury had returned between the sheriff’s office and pros- Their murders remained unsolved for gathered in the same courtroom where guilty verdicts on all seven felony counts ecutor’s office, combined with Hadaller years, plaguing their family with memo- Kimsey, Halstead and Meyer spent six Riffe faced, including kidnapping, bur- and his family’s resilience, that finally ries of grief, loss and fear every holiday weeks convincing a jury that 55-year-old glary, robbery and murder. It was a brought a case that had haunted the season. For Hadaller, who shouldered Rick Riffe was responsible for the 1985 powerful moment, all the men said, as it community for decades to a close. the commitment to find justice for his murders. It was the first time the five please see CLOSERS, page 8 Tigers Attacked: Rochester Holds Off Pool Party Groundbreaking Ceremony Held in Chehalis / News 3 Napavine / Sports 1 The Chronicle, Serving The Greater Weather Mile High State Deaths Lewis County Area Since 1889 TONIGHT: Low 36 Colorado Prepares for Palmer, Mae Verna, 96, Oakville Follow Us on Twitter Tomorrow: High 45 Smith, Norma Lee, 76, Chehalis @chronline Partly Cloudy First Dip into Legalized Dunham, Edith R., 100, Centralia see details on page Main 2 Marijuana Sales McDonald, Adam Ross, 23, Winlock Find Us on Facebook / News 14 Lane, Sadie Mae, 89, Salkum www.facebook.com/ Weather picture by Joe Welch, fourth Foster, Jack Wesley, 81, Curtis grade, Onalaska thecentraliachronicle Main 2 The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash., Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013 COMMUNITY CALENDAR / WEATHER Community Editor’s Best Bet Celebrate Safely If you’re partaking in some New Year’s Celebra- Calendar tions tonight, please choose Today to celebrate responsibly. WHAT’S HAPPENING? We have listed the local Bingo, Chehalis Moose Lodge, doors taxi services in the area for open at 4:30 p.m., game starts at 6:30 If you have an event you your convenience. p.m., food available, (360) 736-9030 would like included in the Afforadable Taxi Health and Hope Medical Outreach, Community Calendar, please (360) 324-8315 free medical clinic, 5:30-8:30 p.m., email your information to Northwest Pediatrics, 1911 Cooks Hill Quality Taxi [email protected]. (360) 807-3923 Road, Centralia, for those whose income Include a daytime telephone is less than 200 percent of the poverty or (360) 740-9639 number where you can be level, (360) 623-1485 All Around Taxi reached. Chris Guenther and the Honky Tonk (360) 464-4183 Drifters, doors open at 7:30 p.m., music There is no charge for these listings. Go Taxi at 8:30 p.m., Swede Hall, Rochester, $30 (360) 785-4774 per couple, $18 for individuals, (360) For questions about 280-7531 calendar items, call Doug Blosser at The Chronicle, (360) Open mic, 6:30 p.m., Matrix Coffee- Friday, Jan. 3 Public Agencies 807-8238. house, Chehalis, (360) 740-0492 “Global Warming Fraud,” talk by Bob Garcia and Melodies Recycled Chehalis-Centralia Airport Govern- Heather Glenn, 6:30 p.m., Lewis County Band, 7-9:30 p.m., Twin Cities Senior ing Board, 12:30 p.m., Airport Board cakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, juice, Tea Party, Lewis & Clark Hotel, 117 W. Center, $5, (360) 262-3041 Room, Airport Administration Building, coffee, $6 all you can eat, kids under 12 Magnolia St., Centralia, www.Lewis- Dakota Poorman Band, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., 909 NW Airport Road, Chehalis $3, (360) 330-0969 CountyTeaParty.org Scatter Creek Grill, Lucky Eagle Casino, (360) 273-2000, ext. 301 Libraries Libraries Public Agencies Jeff Evans: Science Magic, for all ages, All Timberland libraries closed for Lewis County Mental Health Coali- Libraries 2 p.m., Tenino New Year’s Day tion, 10-11:30 a.m., Lewis County Public PageTurners book discussion, for Early closure, 6 p.m., all Timberland Health building, second-floor confer- adults, “Why Be Happy When You Could libraries ence room, (360) 740-1430 be Normal?”, by Jeanette Winterson, Thursday, Jan. 2 Reducing Underage Drinking Coali- 12:30 p.m., Winlock tion, 2 p.m., Lewis County Public Health Organizations building, second-floor conference Senior Song Birds, 9:30 a.m., Twin Cit- AAUW Talk to Focus on building, (360) 740-1424 Support Groups ies Senior Center, Chehalis Queen Elizabeth II H.O.P.E., all addictions, 7:30-9 p.m., Pool tournament, 1 p.m., Twin Cities Libraries Heritage Baptist Church of Tenino, 1315 Senior Center, (360) 748-0061 The American Association Sussex Ave. E., Tenino, (360) 480-0592, Music, 11 a.m., Twin Cities Senior of University Women, Lewis Family Story Time, for children age [email protected] 3-third grade, 11:45 a.m., Randle Center, (360) 748-0061 County Branch, will start its Life Recovery Group, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Centralia Bridge Club, 6:30 p.m., 2014 “New Year” on Thursday, PageTurners book discussion, for Dayspring Baptist Church, 2088 Jackson Unity Church, 800 S. Pearl St., Centralia, Jan. 2, at 6:45 p.m. in The Gath- adults, noon, “Bossypants,” by Tina Fey, Highway, Chehalis, (360) 748-3401 (360) 748-1753, [email protected] Chehalis ering Place at Stillwaters Estates, Library Movie Matinee: Monsters 2899 Cooks Hill Road, Centralia. University, for all ages, 2 p.m., Centralia Support Groups AAUW member Jan Snider Saturday, Jan. 4 will explore the life of Queen Survivors of sexual assault/abuse, Organizations Dancing, Country Four, 7-10 p.m., 5:30-7 p.m., 125 NW Chehalis Ave., Che- Elizabeth II, the “Diamond South Union Grange, 10030 Tilley Road halis, sponsored by Human Response Queen,” now in her 61st reigning Oakview Grange, 7 p.m., 2715 N. S., Olympia, (360) 352-2135 Network, (360) 748-6601 year. She will talk about how the Pearl St., Centralia, (360) 736-5639 Games Day, traditional and modern NAMI Lewis County Connections young Princess Elizabeth, who Lewis County Robotics Society, 6 board games, card games, 1 p.m., Matrix Coffeehouse, Chehalis, (360) 740-0492 Support Group, 5:30-7 p.m., Twin Cities no one imagined would ever be- p.m., room 128, Kemp Hall, Centralia Senior Center, (360) 880-8070 or sher- College, (360) 304-9660 CFA All Breed Cat Show, Responsible [email protected] come queen, eventually became Chehalis-Centralia Cribbage Club, Cat Fanciers of the Northwest, 10 a.m.- the heir-apparent and took the 6:30 p.m., Chehalis Moose Lodge, 1400 4 p.m., Southwest Washington Fair- throne at the age 26.