Earth Salt

July 1, 2017, was the date the file was last updated.

Joe Gere described his death as occurring on the afternoon his twelve-year-old daughter Brenda went missing. Following Brenda's disappearance, it was left to her mother Elaine to support her grieving family, search for her missing daughter, and pressure the authorities for justice. Michael Kay Green, a steroid-abusing "Mr. Universe" hopeful, was immediately suspected by investigators, but there was no evidence of a crime, leaving law enforcement and prosecutors at a standstill.

As law enforcement and volunteers scoured the Cascades forest in the largest search in Northwest history, numerous tips and sightings came flooding in. Despite years passing without any sign of Brenda or the bright clothes she was wearing when she disappeared, Elaine remained undeterred.

"Salt of the Earth" chronicles the true story of how one woman battled and ultimately overcame life-shattering violence, as well as how she restored her family and herself. This courageous woman managed to survive through a hellish twentieth-century nightmare of mob violence, injustice, kidnapping, murder, and suicide. She had to summon the courage to endure to honor her beloved dead and rebuild her shattered family. While Jack Olsen has been recognized for his psychological insights into violent criminals in his previous works, he has never overlooked the victims. By examining the Gere family's world through their eyes, he discovers their core values that enabled them not only to survive and prosper but ultimately emerge victorious.

In "Salt of the Earth", Joe and Elaine Gere are portrayed as a relatively ordinary boomer-age couple who moved between California and Idaho several times due to financial ups and downs, raising three children. Joe, disabled during a mob confrontation in his previous career as a cop, is depicted as experiencing a downward spiral, grappling with addiction, and demonstrating abusive behavior towards Elaine, who remains loyal. Their lives take another tragic turn with the kidnapping and murder of their 12-year-old daughter. Olsen presents a dispassionate yet compassionate account of the Gere family, delving into the suspect's life, the investigation's course, and the ultimate resolution of the case. In this era of mass media, many women may find solace in Olsen's powerful portrayal of the Gere family.

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