A woman has opened up about her close call with a serial killer, including how she managed to escape.
The story centers around the then-15-year-old Norma Countryman, who escaped the clutches of a suspected serial killer after he bound her, leaving her for dead in the woods.
The story is the topic of a new true-crime podcast series, Stolen Voices of Dole Valley, created by KSL Podcasts and Lemonada Media.
The series dives deep into the case of Warren Forrest, a convicted double murderer whose crimes have haunted Washington for decades.
The Mystery of Warren Forrest and His Crimes
Forrest, who has been behind bars since 1974, was convicted of killing 20-year-old Krista Blake in 1978. In 2023, he was also found guilty of the 1974 murder of 17-year-old Martha Morrison, per Fox News.
However, his crimes are far from over. Investigators are currently revisiting other unsolved cases believed to be linked to Forrest, including the 1974 murder of 20-year-old Carol Valenzuela, whose remains were discovered near Morrison's.
As the podcast’s host Carolyn Ossorio reveals, Forrest’s reign of terror went unnoticed for years. "Warren Forrest got away with so much," she told Fox News Digital.
"He flew under the radar for years. The survivors and the victims’ families want this reckoning. They want justice."
Norma Countryman’s Nightmare
Norma Countryman’s terrifying encounter with Forrest began in July 1974, when she was just 15 years old.
On a hot day, Countryman was sitting by the side of the road in Ridgefield, Washington, smoking a cigarette.
According to Ossorio, Countryman had been experiencing abuse at home and was looking for a way to escape. As she sat there, a shiny blue van pulled up, and Warren Forrest, with piercing blue eyes, offered her a ride.
Although Countryman initially declined, remembering her mother’s warnings never to talk to strangers, Forrest didn’t give up.
He continued to press her, eventually convincing her to get in. “He just kept slowly pressuring, pushing, manipulating,” Ossorio recounts. “But he didn’t appear threatening. And it was a ride that would forever change her life.”
Once inside the van, Forrest pulled a knife on Countryman, driving her to a secluded area near Tukes Mountain.
There, he punched her, gagged her with her bra, and tied her up between two trees. "He took her glasses," Ossorio says, noting the brutal nature of the assault.
The Incredible Escape
As Forrest left her alone, Countryman feared he would return to finish what he started.
Using sheer determination, she chewed through the ropes binding her.
"The first thought that came to me was, if he comes back and finds me like this, he really will kill me," Countryman recalled in the podcast.
She managed to escape into the woods, surviving the night in the wilderness. The next morning, a park employee found her.
However, when police arrived, Countryman’s story wasn’t believed. Ossorio explained: “The police were called, and she wasn’t believed. And if she had been, two other women most likely would not have been murdered. Norma had to live with that."
A Life of Trauma
For nearly two decades, Countryman kept her story to herself.
When she eventually spoke out, it was revealed that one of Forrest’s known murder victims was found near the very spot where Countryman had been bound.
“You can really see the damage it caused Norma,” Ossorio said. “She lived with it her entire life and was never offered therapy. You can see the layers of trauma.”
In 1974, Forrest was apprehended after he kidnapped, raped, and attempted to kill a 19-year-old woman near Lacamas Lake.
The woman survived, helping investigators identify Forrest, who worked for the Clark County Parks Department at the time.
Over the years, detectives connected Forrest to several other disappearances and murders from 1971 to 1974.
A Relentless Pursuit for Justice
Despite the passage of years, the families of Forrest’s victims continue to search for answers. Ossorio emphasized the determination of loved ones in their fight for justice.
"Listening to these stories will make you sad, but they will also inspire you," she said. "These are people who are fighting for justice, for answers. And through trauma, they’ve leaned on each other. It’s a story of not giving up."
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office remains steadfast in its commitment to bringing justice to the victims and their families, ensuring that Forrest’s crimes are not forgotten and that those affected by his actions continue to fight for closure.