On a tragic spring day in Clearview, Washington, the life of 8-year-old White/Caucasian Shannah Wicklund was brutally cut short. On April 14, 1982, Shannah, a third-grade student described as a sweet and shy child, returned home from school to a scene of unimaginable horror. That afternoon, she, her mother Renae Wicklund, and their neighbor Barbara Hendrickson were found murdered in the Wicklund family home.
The discovery was made by Barbara Hendrickson's husband, who became concerned
when his wife didn't return home. Upon entering the Wicklund residence, he found a gruesome scene. Renae Wicklund had been beaten and killed. In her daughter's bedroom, he found young Shannah, who had also been violently killed, her throat slashed with such force that she was nearly decapitated. Barbara Hendrickson was found in the hallway, having also suffered a fatal knife wound.
Investigators quickly focused on a single suspect: Charles Rodman Campbell. The motive for the horrific crime was determined to be revenge. Years prior, in 1974, Campbell had sexually assaulted Renae Wicklund at knifepoint, threatening the life of a then-infant Shannah. Renae and Barbara had both testified against him, which led to his conviction and imprisonment. At the time of the murders, Campbell was part of a work-release program, a fact unknown to the Wicklund and Hendrickson families.
The evidence against Campbell was overwhelming. A bloody handprint was found at the scene, and jewelry belonging to the victims was discovered in his possession. He was arrested on April 19, 1982, just days after the murders. In November of that same year, a jury found Charles Campbell guilty of the three murders. He was subsequently sentenced to death and was executed in 1994.
