A man arrested earlier this week on rape, abduction and related charges could possibly be linked to the death of Lindsey Baum, a Washington girl who disappeared in 2009.
Grays Harbor police arrested and booked 50-year-old Paul James Bieker into the Grays Harbor County jail on Tuesday. He’s accused of abducting and sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in 2003, The Olympian reports. Detectives are now looking into a possible link between Bieker and the murder of 9-year-old Lindsey.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Grays Harbor County Sheriff Rick Scott announced in 2018 that detectives discovered a DNA match on human remains belonging to Lindsey. Her remains were found in a remote area in Eastern Washington. Police said the area was primarily used for hunting.
“The case is no longer a missing persons case, but a kidnapping-homicide investigation,” Scott said at the time.
No one has yet been charged with Lindsey’s murder. She was just shy of her 11th birthday when she vanished near her home in McLeary, Washington.
“Due to the nature and circumstances of the crime investigators are also looking into the kidnapping and murder case of Lindsey Baum who went missing on June 26, 2009, in the city of McCleary,” the sheriff’s office stated.
In 2003, Bieker was living in McCleary when he allegedly abducted the 17-year-old from her own home.
“A 17-year-old female was abducted when she returned home to her residence in her vehicle,” an arrest statement read, according to The Chronicle. “The suspect bound the female and loaded her into her own vehicle. The female was taken to an undisclosed location and sexually assaulted.”
After the attack, the teen went to a hospital and allowed evidence to be taken from his clothing and body. Using genealogy testing, police got a DNA match that ultimately led to Bieker.
Bieker pleaded not guilty this week to the charges of rape, kidnapping, burglary, harassment, and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Anyone with credible information on either case should call 360-964-1799 or email baumtips@co.grays-harbor.wa.us.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Hear Lindsey’s mom speak to Nancy Grace in a 2017 interview below.
[Feature Photo: Lindsey Baum/Handout]
