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LTM Editorial: A candle for BethanyA sad anniversary silently passed last week. Jan. 29 marked the one-year anniversary of the last time anyone saw 21-year-old Bethany Decker. There were no tearful pleas from the family, no solemn reminder from the Sheriff’s Office and no candlelight vigils praying for this young mother to return home.
Bethany lived in Ashburn. An Army wife with a husband serving abroad in Afghanistan, the young woman had enrolled in George Mason University. While Decker was enrolled at George Mason University, her mother was caring for the couple’s 17-month-old son. Standing at only 4 fee 11 inches tall, she weighed approximately 130 pounds and had brown hair and brown eyes. Still working at a Carrabba’s restaurant in Centreville, she was pregnant at the time of her disappearance.
Bethany was reported missing Feb. 19, 2011, when her family began to become concerned and her grandparents visited her apartment to find her car, but no sign of their granddaughter. A media and law enforcement frenzy ensued, with one press conference and an examination on “Nancy Grace.” But over time, interest in the story withdrew because no new evidence has been obtained.
In August 2011, law enforcement re-circulated photos of Bethany from a prior pregnancy, near the time that she was due to give birth to her second child, hoping that someone would notice her in her current state. But no one located her and there have been no updates to the ‘Find Bethany Decker’ page on Facebook since August as well.
 The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office released this photo of Bethany Decker in August 2011 around the time she was due to give birth to her second child. It was the last correspondence the media heard from anyone on her case. |
Where is Bethany? And why has her disappearance failed to cause a ripple?
There should be outrage. And there should be calls for safer streets and the return of this young women to her home and family.
During the investigation, it was determined that Decker had a boyfriend, a young man who had stayed at her apartment and might have been the father of her child. But this lapse on her part could never justify harm brought to this young woman or her unborn baby.
Every year, near the anniversary of their deaths, we receive a call from the family of Erica Smith. In memory of their own loss, the family of Jammie Lane holds a remembrance service on the anniversary of his death, calling for answers in that slaying. There has been little recognition of Bethany’s disappearance.
Several calls to Bethany Decker’s family’s attorney have gone unanswered, as have requests to interview her family. Inquiries with law enforcement receive the same response, that the case is still under investigation.
And while we hope for Bethany Decker’s safe return, it is not only her safety that we’re hoping for. In a worst case scenario, the person or persons responsible for her disappearance are still at large. Why hasn’t there been more outreach to potentially vulnerable women living in the Ashburn area? Certainly the residents of Orchard Grass Terrance will feel uneasy until the final truth about Bethany is known.
Like many other sad stories, the disturbing part of her tale was the length of time between the last time anyone saw her and the time she was reported missing. That a disappearance can go unnoticed for so long is a sobering fact that we hope is enough to make you call some of your own loved ones.
And after you reassure yourself by listening to the sound of their voice, take a moment and remember Bethany Decker. Light a candle and remember this young woman. Someone should.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator Mack Halley at 703-777-0475 or Investigator K. Poland at 703-777-0475. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may call Loudoun County Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919.
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