Skip to main content

Foster mom recalls Oregon woman found in suitcase

By WTOP Staff

M.L. JOHNSON
Associated Press

ELKHORN, Wis. (AP) — An Oregon teenager identified Monday as one of two women whose bodies were found in suitcases in Wisconsin had a hard time after giving up her son to his father, but she was turning her life around and had won a college scholarship before she disappeared, her foster mother said.

Investigators believe Jenny Gamez was killed in Wisconsin in late 2012 or early 2013, when she was 19. Steven Zelich, a 52-year-old security officer, was arrested last week and charged with two counts of hiding a corpse, though prosecutors say they expect homicide charges to be filed.

Gamez had moved from her home in Cottage Grove, Oregon, to be closer to a community college about 20 miles north in Eugene. She lived with friends and visited her family, but eventually fell out of touch, said her foster mother, Lorraine Ericksen.

“I was surprised that I didn’t hear from her,” Ericksen said. “I knew she spent some time in California with friends, but her friends in Cottage Grove said she stopped texting with them, and after that we could not get in touch with her.”

She said Gamez, who had been in foster care with numerous families since she was 5, “was a joy to be around.” Gamez came to live with her about three years after she relinquished her parental rights of her son, and Ericksen said she helped her get through high school.

Ericksen said she was shocked when police showed up at her door Friday, looking for a hair sample and telling her Gamez might have been murdered.

“We were all wondering what had happened to her,” she said.

Zelich was arrested after highway workers discovered the two suitcases while cutting grass June 5 along a highway in Town of Geneva, about 50 miles southwest of Milwaukee. The other body previously was identified as Laura Simonson, 37, of Farmington, Minnesota.

“It is one of the more horrific crimes I’ve been involved in,” said Geneva Police Chief Steven Hurley, who has worked for 36 years in law enforcement. “It has taken a lot of twists and turns in the past few weeks.”

He said one reason for the delay in identifying Gamez was that she had never been officially reported missing. Ericksen said she last saw Gamez more than a year ago, when Gamez visited and brought her a plant.

“She was an upbeat kid who wasn’t afraid of trying new things, she even took a sculpture class. Other kids all loved her. We were pretty close and it was devastating what happened to her,” Ericksen said.

“I’m also surprised she was involved with a man that age, it wasn’t what she would do here,” Ericksen added. “She never ran around with kids that were more than a year or two older than her.”

According to a criminal complaint, Zelich told investigators he met the women online. He said he killed Gamez in late 2012 or early 2013 in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, and Simonson in November in Rochester, Minnesota.

Rochester police have said they believe Simonson died in a hotel there because she checked in with Zelich on Nov. 2, and he left alone the next day.

Gamez was identified through dental records, said Kurt Picknell, undersheriff in Walworth County, which includes Town of Geneva. He declined to detail how investigators linked Gamez to the bodies in Wisconsin.

Walworth County District Attorney Daniel Necci has said he expects homicide charges to be filed in the counties where the women were killed. But Zelich’s public defender, Travis Schwantes, said the deaths may have been accidents and perhaps something that happened during consensual sex.

Zelich had been working as a licensed private security officer for Securitas Security Services USA when he was arrested last Wednesday. He worked for the police department in the Milwaukee suburb of West Allis, Wisconsin, from February 1989 until his resignation in August 2001, a few months after a prostitute told police the two had struggled when she tried to flee Zelich’s home. According to a police report, Zelich told investigators the two struggled over money the woman tried to steal from him.

___

Wozniacka reported from Portland, Oregon.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote