THE GIRL ON HIGHWAY 14: A TRUE SCARY STORY
Lisa Marie Kimmell was born to parents Sheila and Ron on the 18th of July, 1969, in Covington, Tennessee, where her father was stationed with the U.S. Marine Corps. She was the eldest child of the couple, and her grandmother had named her Lisa Marie. She said that she always wanted a granddaughter with that name, and Sheila and Ron obliged.
While growing up, her grandmother nicknamed her "Lil Miss" which was shortened from "My Lil Miss Lisa Marie." The name suited her – she was said to be sweet, outgoing, brimming with a lightness that made people smile. It was a name that would, years later, become known across the nation, but for all the wrong reasons.
The Kimmells eventually settled in Billings, Montana, where Lisa grew up alongside her two younger sisters. There had been a younger brother too, Ricky, but he died at just three years old in a tragic accident. The loss carved something permanent into the family, a grief they carried quietly.
Sheila remembered: “It never gets easier. It was the hardest thing we’ve ever gone through. In retrospect, you deal with it differently as time goes by. We thank God that we had him for at least three years. And the memories – I still remember his tonka trucks.”
By 1988, Lisa was 18-years-old and just on the cusp of adulthood. The year before, she had graduated from Billings Senior High School, and she set her sights on Aurora, Colorado. She got a job at an Arby's restaurant, where her mother Sheila was a regional manager.
Those who knew her described Lisa as fun-loving and outgoing. She collected teddy bears and had rows of them lined up in her apartment. She enjoyed playing the piano and decorating cakes. She also had a soft spot for animals, especially cats.
She had a life split between two cities. During the week, she and her mother lived in separate apartments in the same Denver complex, a modern arrangement that gave Lisa independence while keeping family close. On weekends, they would make the long drive back to Billings to see Ron and the rest of the family.
Lisa also had a boyfriend. His name was Ed Jaroch, and he lived in Cody, Wyoming, a small town tucked between Denver and Billings. The relationship was young, full of that particular optimism that comes with being 18 and in love. They made plans the way young couples do - visits, phone calls, stolen weekends.
Ed worried about her sometimes, especially when she drove alone. Wyoming is a vast, empty place. The kind of place where you can drive for an hour and see nothing but sagebrush and sky. He didn't like the idea of her making that drive by herself, but Lisa was independent.



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