Name: Stephanie Anne Warner
Age: 43 years old
Last seen: July 4, 2013
Location: Ashland, Oregon
Status: Still Missing
Case Information
43-year-old Stephanie Anne Warner was last seen in Ashland, Oregon on July 4, 2013. She disappeared while returning home from Ashland’s 4th of July parade with her boyfriend, Lennie Ames.
Background
Stephanie “Steph” Anne Warner was born on July 17, 1970. She previously lived in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Warner formerly owned a restaurant called Magnolia Grill. She was a volunteer for the Jackson County Fuel Committee, an organization dedicated to help low-income families have access to heating fuel.
At the time of her disappearance, Warner lived in a house in the unincorporated community of Ruch, Oregon.
Disappearance
On July 4, 2013, Warner left home and drove to Ashland, Oregon, to attend the Independence Day parade with her boyfriend, Lennie Ames.
Warner was captured on camera walking alongside the float for the Jackson County Fuel Committee. When the parade ended, Warner left with her boyfriend and drove back home to Ruch.
Later that afternoon, Warner was seen at Stewart Market, a mini-market on Lozier Lane in Medford, Oregon. According to Ames, Warner later dropped him off at the Ruch Country Store, where they parted ways around 5:00 pm.
Warner never returned home that day and has never been heard from again.
A few days later, her mother filed a missing persons report with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office when she couldn’t contact her.
Investigation
Warner left behind all her personal belongings at home, including her untended pets. Her vehicle, a dark green 2004 Nissan Xterra SUV, was found parked in her driveway along Highway 238.
Authorities found no signs of forced entry or foul play in the vehicle or at her home.
Lennie Ames
In 2013, 61-year-old Lennie Ames was in a romantic relationship with Stephanie Anne Warner. His primary residence was at a campsite on a mountain.
Ames told investigators that Warner dropped him off at Ruch Country Store, a convenience store on 7350 Highway 238, about two miles from her home. Soon after, he reportedly paid a group of young men in a pickup to drive him back to his campsite
The next day, Ames claimed he went to Warner’s house but he did not see her. He borrowed her car and drove to the Williams Store, further along Highway 238, before returning it later that day.
Ames subsequently returned to his campsite and stayed there for several days. He did not file a missing persons report for Warner.
Missing woman’s Boyfriend Named Prime Suspect in Her Disappearance
On July 8, 2015, authorities officially named Lennie Ames the prime suspect in Stephanie Warner’s disappearance. They believe she never left the area and was likely the victim of foul play.
Ames was the last person to see her and reportedly gave inconsistent statements about her disappearance. A few weeks after she went missing, he stopped cooperating with investigators and subsequently left the state of Oregon.
Case Reopened in May 2023
On Monday, May 1, 2023, a mushroom hunter found what is believed to be human hair and tissue near Stephanie’s home in the 9000 block of Highway 238. The tissue was sent to the Oregon State Police Forensics Laboratory for identification.
Whereabouts
Foul play is strongly suspected in Stephanie Anne Warner’s disappearance and authorities believe she was the victim of homicide.
Lennie Ames, considered the prime suspect in Stephanie Warner’s disappearance, has never been charged in her case.
The circumstances of Stephanie Warner’s disappearance remain unclear and her case is currently classified as homicide. Her case remains unsolved.
Appearance
Physical Description:
Caucasian female born on July 17, 1970. She has red/auburn hair and brown eyes. Stephanie is 5′-2″ – 5′-3″ tall and weighs 115-135 pounds.
Distinctive Physical Features:
Stephanie has several tattoos; a tree branch with an owl on her ankle and foot, a woman’s head on her thigh, a colorful bird and flowers on her thigh, and a mermaid on the left side of her chest.
Stephanie’s left and right ear, nose, and abdomen are pierced. She has a faded scar on her chin, and a red birthmark on the middle of her back.
Clothing and accessories:
Stephanie was last seen wearing a pink sleeveless blouse or tank top, black jeans, and black lace up boots.
She wore a black 27 inch leather like cord with a cross made of nails and wire 1 inches X 1.5 inches with bronze colored wire holding nails together. She sometimes wears eyeglasses.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Stephanie Anne Warner please contact the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 774-6800.
Resources & Further Information
Stephanie Anne Warner #MP21345 – National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
Stephanie Anne Warner – Facebook
Stephanie Anne Warner – National Missing Person Directory
News & Media Links
Mystery of Oregon woman who vanished without a trace on her way home from Fourth of July celebration – Daily Mail 07/13
Last to See Missing Woman Tell Us More – Kobi 5 07/13
Missing in America: Stephanie Anne Warner – NBC News 12/14
Stephanie Warner’s Boyfriend Named Prime Suspect in Her Disappearance – NBC News 07/15
Boyfriend named suspect in 2013 disappearance of Jackson County woman – Oregon Live 07/15
Moultrie Man Named Suspect in Oregon Murder Case – WTXL 07/15
Eight years later, there’s still no answers for missing woman Stephanie Anne Warner – Kobi 5 07/2021
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