Unsolved and Unforgotten: The Cold Case Murder of Jama Harms in La Grande
By Joe Hathaway on Friday, April 12th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE — The community of La Grande was rocked to its core on the morning of October 27, 1995, when Jama Harms, a 19-year-old Eastern Oregon University student, was found brutally murdered in her apartment.
Nearly three decades later, the mystery surrounding her death remains unsolved, but not forgotten.
Harms, originally from the Klamath Falls area, had moved to La Grande to pursue her studies. Described by those who knew her as a friendly and outgoing person, she worked at a local restaurant, Skippers, and lived in a modest apartment on Adams Avenue. Despite her friendly nature, The La Grande Police Department (LGPD) say Harms found herself surrounded by a circle of acquaintances involved in illicit activities.
“At the time of her death, she had a live-in boyfriend who was incarcerated in the Union County Jail after being involved in a large burglary ring,” says Lt. Jason Hays of the La Grande Police Department. “Although Jama was not involved in criminal activity, most of the persons she hung out with were involved in illicit drug activity and associated criminal activity like burglaries and thefts and many of her friends had criminal records.”
The discovery of Harms’ body by two friends, who found her apartment door ajar and immediately alerted authorities from a nearby gas station, marked the beginning of an exhaustive investigation led by the LGPD, with assistance from the Oregon State Police, OSP Crime Lab, and Union County Sheriff’s Office.
The autopsy report chillingly noted “Severe Head Injuries Secondary to Sharp Trauma to the Head” as the cause of death, a violent end to a young life full of promise.
Even more tragic, police discovered that Harms was pregnant at the time of her death.
In the ensuing investigation, LGPD say over 116 individuals were interviewed, and 13 polygraph tests were administered. Despite the collection and forensic examination of more than 130 pieces of evidence, the case grew cold with no arrests made.
“Investigators learned from those closest to Jama that there were several motives of why someone would want to kill her including, but not limited to jealousy issues and knowledge of suspects involved in criminal activity,” says Lt. Hays.
The advancement of DNA analysis technology breathed new life into the case in 2014, as evidence was submitted to the OSP Crime Lab for further examination.
In 2019, a grand jury secured an indictment against Robert Teeter, a friend of Harms’ boyfriend and her coworker at Skippers who had already been in prison for crimes unrelated to the murder since the 90’s. But La Grande Police say more information was discovered and there was not enough proof beyond a reasonable doubt to move forward with murder charges against him.
The La Grande Police Department continues to revisit the voluminous case files, now filling six three-inch binders, in the hope of uncovering a breakthrough that will finally bring closure to Harms’ family and friends.
LGPD says the nearly 30-year-old case remains open and they remain committed to finding her killer. If anyone has information that could assist with this case, they’re encouraged to contact Sgt. Ryan Miller at the La Grande Police Department.
The Union County District Attorney’s Office is also actively investigating the case. They ask anyone with information call DA Investigator Mike Harris at 541-963-1007.
