Family of woman found dead near Ridgefield looking for more tips in case

CLARK COUNTY, Wash. (KPTV) - FOX 12 spoke with the family of 32-year-old Joanna Speaks, who was found dead near Ridgefield in April.

Ariel Hamby and Robyn Speaks said their sister could light up a room and had an obnoxious giggle they wish they could hear one more time. They said they see their sister in her three kids, who share the same laugh and look just like Joanna.

Their whole family is devastated and won’t stop sharing her story and saying her name until investigators can find out who did this.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office said they’ve received dozens of tips since they’ve asked for the public’s help. The hope of Joanna Speaks’ sisters is these tips keep coming in, no matter how small they may seem.

“A lot of the tips that we’ve got that actually have some sort of substance whether true or not,” Robyn Speaks said. “Whether fact or not, most of them stemmed from people we don’t know and generally they start with ‘I don’t know if this helps, but…’ All of those ones really help. They’re generally filled with information we didn’t already have so literally everything, anything helps.”

Joanna Speaks’ sisters said they also want answers for the other five women who have been found dead around the greater Portland metro area in the last several months. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office said it’s been in contact with other agencies to discuss those cases.

They say they’ve been in contact with the other women’s families, who now all share a horrific, unimaginable pain whether the cases are linked or not. Hamby and Speaks are hoping to help bring attention to their cases too, as hard as it is to share their own grief so publicly.

“It kind of consumes you,” Hamby said. “I think that we kind of almost feel responsibility now to be like ‘Hey, look at these other girls’ cases.’ If you recognize anything or have any kind of recollection, reach out to those counties. Send your tips in.”

If you know anything about any of these cases, you’re encouraged to reach out to any of the involved sheriff’s offices or police departments with information. Hamby and Speaks also have set up an email account for tips at justiceforjoanna@outlook.com.

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