Lori Taalid, a 43-year old Minnesota native with two daughters, found herself disabled and experiencing homelessness for over a year prior to her death. Lori, who was experiencing homelessness for the first time, had been living on the streets of Vancouver, WA from some time in 2003 until her death in 2005. She was receiving mail at Share House Shelter, which was located a few blocks from where her body would later be found. On December 2, 2004, a newspaper photographer captured the moment a good samaritan offered Lori a coat as she sat shivering outside; this would be the last time that Lori was accounted for.

"Nobody would choose the circumstances that put her there. I think, for a moment, she felt like someone cared." - Kelly Gorby, the woman who gave Lori the jacket.

On March 3, 2005, Lori’s body was found under a freeway underpass next to the railroad near the Columbia river off the I-5. Four days later, her body was officially identified by her tattoos and her fingerprints. Officials quickly labeled her case a homicide investigation in the days following her body being found.

“She was my sister, she still is my sister. She’s warm, she’s not cold, she’s up there with our mom.” - Jim Mjor, Lori’s brother.