Wendy Aughe Missing Since 1987 -- NamUs #MP67484

By: Shane Lambert

Time of writing: December 6th, 2020

Wendy Aughe went missing on April 25th, 1987. Her vitals, according to NamUs, are those of a white female that was 29 years old as of the date of her disappearance. She was 5'6" and 105 pounds. She was last seen in Bellingham, Washington, a small city in the Pacific Northwest.

NamUs offers the following information on her disappearance:

"Aughe was last seen April 25, 1987 leaving a restaurant in Bellingham, WA. Her car was found a short time later in Eugene, OR but she has never been located. Aughe was a beauty school student and the mother of two young children in 1987. It was uncharacteristic of her to leave without warning."

These are details from this description that I would like to elaborate on my readers or any websleuths working on this case. I read about her disappearance using newspaper archives.

Three points that I would like to make from the onset have to do with the description above. The "restaurant" may have been more like a bar or tavern according to the at-the-time journalism I read. Furthermore, the car being found "a short time later" is several days later. It was found on May 1st although one online source said May 2nd. Lastly, from what I read Aughe may have disappeared on April 24th as opposed to April 25th. 

One name that was mentioned in conjunction with this disappearance is Darren Dee O'Neall. The Spokane Chronicle's May 28th, 1987 newspaper called him "a suspect in the...disappearance of Wendy Aughe." The same source says that O'Neall was a suspect in the murder of another woman, one Robin Smith. The article indicates that O'Neall met Aughe at a tavern on April 24th. O'Nealle, at the time of writing, is a known serial killer but back in the 1980s, the authorities were simply trying to question him.

Another article in the Hartford Courant from May 27th, 1987 states that Aughe's car was found in Eugene, Oregon. The article stated that fingerprints inside the car were "confirmed as O'Neall's" (page 58). The date that the car was found was May 1st, 1987 according to an article in the Spokane Chronicle (June 22, 1987; Page 2).

Another article from the Spokane Chronicle (October 8th, 1987; Page 27) states that blood was found on the wall of Aughe's house (not clear if that's inside the house or outside of it). An article in the Bellingham Herald (Page A6; September 11th, 2013) says that "Officers found blood on her bed sheets." Furthermore, fingerprints that were inside the house also matched O'Neall's. This article also states that O'Neall made the FBI's top ten for most wanted criminals.

The fate of O'Neall is known. He was apprehended in October of 1987. As a former name in the top ten, the FBI has his fate posted at their website. Furthermore, The News Tribune from September 26th, 2017 called O'Neall "a convicted rapist and serial killer." I didn't find any information on whether he is living, deceased, or still imprisoned at the time of writing, however, convicted rapists and serial killers usually don't see much time out of prison.

As far as missing person's cases go, the case of Wendy Aughe isn't the most mysterious in my opinion. She is known to have been in the company of a serial killer in the time frame leading up to her disappearance. Her blood was spilled in her home significantly. That fact and the fact that she has been missing for 33 years means, in my opinion, that she is dead with just short of 100% certainty. 

On the matter of finding her remains, O'Neall seemed to have a fascination with the outdoors. The article from the Bellingham Herald says that Aughe's earrings were "found at a campsite off Mount Baker Highway." A Jane Doe found in a rural location or near campsites with an estimated time of death that includes 1987 in its date range would be a great candidate for a rule out.

One article I read suggested that Aughe's stolen car may have entered Canada at one point so Washington, Oregon, and British Columbian Jane Does are all worth looking at. I also found quoted material at Websleuths.com, material that may have originated from the Charley Project website:

"An all-points bulletin was issued for O'Neall. He had worked for the La Paloma Restaurant for only two days before he disappeared after emptying the cash register and stealing liquor. The United States Customs authorities reported photographing him driving across the border into Canada in Aughe's car. He was apparently alone in the vehicle at the time."

My hunch is that he had the remains of Aughe in the trunk and was attempting to rid himself of them in Canada so that the investigation would enter a different legal system. Then again, maybe he just wanted to dump the car there but I'm still wondering if Canadian Jane Does are what should be looked at here.