Amber Dubois' remains found north of Escondido

Authorities have discovered the skeletal remains of Amber Dubois, the 14-year-old girl who disappeared last year on her way to Escondido High School.

Police had re-focused attention on the case this week after a registered sex offender was arrested in the murder of Chelsea King, a high school senior from nearby Poway.

Amber's remains were discovered Saturday afternoon in a remote area near Pala in northern San Diego County, Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher said.

Investigators were following up on an unspecified lead and did not say if her death is connected to Chelsea King's. John Albert Gardner, 30, faces murder charges in that potential death penalty case.

[Update 5:40 p.m. Amber was last seen walking to school at 7:10 a.m. Feb. 13, 2009, carrying a $200 check to purchase a lamb for her 4-H project. Family and friends have described Amber as a bookish, sheltered girl who loved animals, including wolves. 

Family and friends had spent months distributing fliers seeking information about Dubois’ disappearance. The FBI’s website sought anyone who might have seen a red pickup truck in the school”s parking lot, near where Amber was last seen. 

The teen was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants and two rings, a blue sapphire ring worn on her middle left finger. She was also wearing a silver claddagh ring, which is a traditional Irish ring given in friendship or worn as a wedding ring.]

-- Richard Marosi

Photo: Amber Dubois. Credit: FBI

RELATED: No clues found about missing Escondido teen

Park is searched for clues about girl missing for a year

Among the gated enclaves, anger and fear over Chelsea King's killing

Search for San Diego County girl ends in grief

Comments

[John, MD]

More needs to be done in order to prevent these incidents.

[syscom3]

Good work finding her. Now I hope they have evidence linking her to John Gardner.

[canyongirl]

May your family find peace.
Good night sweet angel.

[Correction]

This title is misleading; Pala is NOT in Escondido, but rather another 20 mins or so north of the city. The closest bordering towns would be Pauma and Valley Center.

[AnnaDrew]

To the parents of Amber Dubois,

I am so heavy hearted for you and have been all this past year! I just want you to know that I care and am saddened for you and your loss. I have 3 daughters so I can imagine how you must be feeling.

You have been a class act with every opportunity to speak of your daughter, to find her and to help with Chelsea's search. I am sure your daughter would be proud of you through all of this.

So today as you finally have found her body I pray more answers to your questions will provide you some closure to this very painful tragedy.

I will keep you in my prayers and think of you everyday!

Lovingly,

Anna Drew

[annymonus]

is it possible that the case of christina williams who vanished and her body was found in 1999 is connected to this man too

[Ned]

Pretty despicable that it took another teen to die before the cops did their jobs.
Her parents told them she didn't run away, but "there was no evidence of foul play". What's that, code for we don't feel like putting in the effort? Seriously. Maybe if they'd lifted a finger Chelsea would still be alive.
How many more bodies are they going to find before this creep is executed?

Can anyone say Serial Murderer?

[erika]

this is for amber parents.... all i can say that she is an angel know, and that GOD is with u every moment....

[Olivia]

I wish someone would listen. A man looking like hell invited me to his home the other day, so I could ride his "ponys" and he said it was near a indian reservation. This was in a red pickup truck

I got the chills and I feel like this is a big coincidence. I'll post the other story I have to tell in a second

[jojo]

Please remember Amber Dubois in our prayers, Rest in Peace Amber.

[Denny]

Two things have to be done, and done soon. First, for sex-offenders preying on anyone under the age of 21, we need a ONE Stike law. It's proven time and time again, these guys can't be rehabilitated. They'll just repeat but the risk of murdering their victim rises if they feel the victims survival will lead to their identification and arrest again. The second thing is that cops are proud to claim their "gut feelings", or perception of things not being "right" when they want to question someone. It's about time that when a teen is reported missing, they look at the evidence as to whether it makes sense. Neither of these lovely girls fit the profile of a runaway. Good family lives, excellent students, evidence of later plans. For the police to wait 24hrs just give the bad guys a head start...if police would act quicker rather than simply taking a report and then going for coffee, some of them might be found alive.

[Fellow North County Parent]

To the Parents of Amber Dubois,

I am a parent of two daughters in nearby Rancho Santa Fe. I wanted you to know that I have never stopped thinking about Amber for the whole year she has been missing. Although she didn't get as much media attention as Chelsea King, I feel Amber's loss just as acutely. My heart is broken for you as it is for Chelsea's parents. I don't have the words to express how furious I am that some inhuman, soulless, psychopathic idiot was allowed to snuff out the lives of these two beautiful and beloved children. We set these predators free so that they can take away the freedom from the rest of us to walk the streets safely. Our current system of dealing with the John Gardners of the world is a clear and utter failure. Gardner should have been locked up forever after his first 13 year old victim - the benefit of any doubt as to whether or not he would have repeated his crimes should have gone in favor of his potential victims, not him.

[lorrainesgr45]

I am sorry for your loss, my prayers and my heart goes out to you. she is god angel now. I can imagine how you must be feeling.I hope that they find the evidence they need to convict or find the killer. may god send his angels to comfort you and find peace in your heart, god bless, love yah.

[judi]

I just read the artical about finding ambers remains, but then I read anothe artical from the same paper saying that as of yesterday she has not been found. somebody need to figure out the truth about this. was she found or not. If you clinck on related news you will see the artical about her not being found. If anyone has any info. I would like to know.

[DP]

It is kind of coincidental that one day they are looking in Kit Carson Park for her and then all of a sudden they find her on the Pala reservation.

I can tell you right now that they have already cut a deal with him that would take the death penalty off of the table if he tells them where Amber is. As much as it hurts to see that happen, you have to consider those who have lost and the closure they seek.

Once this poor excuse for a human gets his deal, he can spill his guts and not worry about it because the deal has been done.

Do not be surprised to find out that he is connected to several other murders of other teenagers.

I would have settled for beating the information out of him but laws are laws so once again we have to rely on his jail mates to provide justice for us all.

[Chris]

I am sad that your family has had to go through such ordeal this past yr. I am mother of 3.I pray that now you will have closure .remember that you were blessed to have her for 14 yrs. our family prayers are with you all . we greve with you both god bless you

[Julio]

I'm so sorry that they found Amber dead
all I can say is RIP Amber

[just sayin']

The police have already stated elsewhere that the red truck had nothing to do with Amber's disappearance. It was the truck of a parent dropping off a student at the school.

[smither]

"Family and friends had spent months distributing fliers seeking information about Dubois’ disappearance."

No. Family, friends, and community volunteers have spent over a year conducting on the ground searches for Amber, and doing just about anything they could think of to find her. After an initial search organized by the Laura Recovery Center and Klaas Kids, Amber's family and community have continued the search and have been tireless and innovative in looking for her.

"Authorities have discovered the skeletal remains of Amber Dubois ..."

No. As is often the case, an observant citizen has finally brought some resolution to Amber's family. Please keep them in your prayers.

Let's hope the authorities can find the person responsible for taking Amber from her family.

[my condolences]

so sad,
this is a sad story , these poor young women.
condolences to the families.

[marvin]

No race is immune from heinous crimes or crime in general for that matter. We are from the human race and some of our species just need to be locked away from the rest

[Christian Hansen]

Stupid to say, "I hope they have evidence linking her to John Gardner." Let's hope they catch who did it.

[Sadness]

Rest in Peace Amber

[golfdoc]

we must shorten the time for appeals before death penalties are applied. seeing the spate of these crimes, isn't there a better way to mark these people so we the citizens have a fighting chance.

[Joanne]

Living not too far from where these girls were murdered, fills me with fear for my children as well as every child. My thoughts and prayers go out to Amber Dubois' and Chelsea King's family and friends. My hopes are with the law enforcement to bring a swift and severe punishment to the person or people who are responsible for this heinous act. I pray one day this kind of evil will be a thing of the past, that no parent or child should have to live in fear.