The Disappearance of Rio Boyd

 

Rio Boyd has been missing since October 17th, 2022. The then-21-year-old was last seen in Spanaway, Washington. On the evening of her disappearance, Rio left her home around 6:00 PM - presumably to walk to a friend's house - and seemingly vanished into thin air. She never returned and has never been seen or heard from again.

Later that evening, a man walking his dog approximately two blocks away from Rio's home located a cell phone on the side of the road. It was later determined that the phone belonged to Rio. The phone was brand new, and Rio's loved ones do not believe she would purposely leave it in the spot where it was found. 

Family and friends have never believed that Rio left on her own accord. She left behind many personal items such as her wallet, identification, and house keys. Rio also left behind her pet dog, whom she loved. By all accounts, it appears that Rio intended to return home that evening. Whatever happened that prevented her from doing so remains a mystery to this day. 

During the early stages of the investigation, detectives asked residents in the area to check their surveillance cameras for footage between October 17th and 19th to see if any clues could be provided. It's unclear if any footage was uncovered that was significant to the investigation. Rio's family continues to keep in touch with investigators; her father has praised the lead detective for following up on leads.

Unfortunately, at this time, none of those leads have led to Rio's whereabouts. The young woman remains missing today. She is described as a white woman, approximately 5'6" inches, with brown hair and blue eyes. She also has a tattoo of a car on her left forearm. 

If you have any information that could help solve the disappearance of Rio Boyd, please contact the Pierce County Sheriff's Office at 253-798-7530 or submit a tip online.

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Sources:
Charley Project

King 5 News
KOMO News

MPIA

More:

• Unsolved disappearances from 2022
• Unsolved disappearances from Washington

The Disappearance of Giovanna Tyler

Source: FBI.gov

Giovanna Tyler has been missing since March 28th, 2004. The then-29-year-old was last seen at her home in Tacoma, Washington. Giovanna was reported missing by family members on April 15th, 2004, after it was determined that nobody in her circle had seen or heard from her in over two weeks. 

Prior to vanishing, Giovanna was reportedly in a rocky relationship with her husband. Reports note that she would often leave him for short periods of time to stay with friends. In August 2003, Giovanna filed for an order of protection against him. The couple seemingly had a pattern of splitting up and coming back together.

Giovanna's husband and their four children moved to Neah Bay, Washington after Giovanna's disappearance. The move was reportedly planned before Giovanna went missing. Still, this, amongst the other aforementioned factors, has created inevitable suspicion against Giovanna's husband. However, reports state that he has been cooperative with police throughout the investigation. 

In 2024 - twenty years after Giovanna's disappearance - her case was added to the FBI's kidnappings/missing persons list. The FBI bulletin states that "investigators have been unable to locate her or any persons who have had contact with her." The bureau is also offering a monetary reward of up to $10,000 in exchange for information that leads to Giovanna's whereabouts and/or the persons responsible for her disappearance.

If you have any information that could help solve the disappearance of Giovanna Tyler, please contact the Tacoma Police Department at 253-591-5506 or submit a tip to the FBI.

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Sources:
Charley Project
FBI
The News Tribune
Uncovered

More:

• Unsolved disappearances from 2004
• Unsolved disappearances from Washington

The Disappearance of Kit Mora

 

Kit Mora has been missing since November 2021. The then-16-year-old teen was reported missing to authorities in Omak, Washington during April 2022. However, Kit's family and friends stated that they have not seen or heard from Kit since November 2021. 

Kit is indigenous and identifies as nonbinary. They were adopted by a family from Yakima at the age of 4 after Kit's mother, Lorie Sue Mora, lost custody due to reports of abuse and neglect. Years later, when Kit was 16, they reconnected with their biological mother. In June 2021, Kit decided to move in with Lori Sue and their biological siblings. 

According to reports, Kit's loved ones soon became concerned with the way Lori Sue treated them. A 2023 report from The Cooper Point Journal states that "Kit reached out to their friends about how Lorie Sue wasn’t respecting their transgender identity or sexual orientation." Various other reports state that Kit became the sole caretaker to their younger siblings, leading some to question if Lori Sue had invited Kit to move in so they could care for the kids rather than reconnect as a family unit. 

Additionally, Kit and Lori Sue were reportedly fighting often in the months leading up to Kit's disappearance. A Facebook page dedicated to spreading awareness about Kit's disappearance states that Kit contemplated moving back in with their adoptive family after arguments with Lori Sue, but Lori Sue always convinced them to stay. 

Suddenly, in November 2021, Kit fell out-of-touch with their family and friends. A wellness check was conducted, but the Omak PD officers who completed the check fell short in many ways. No body camera footage was recorded, and the officers left without seeing Kit in person. Lori Sue told police that Kit was okay and that they had blocked their adoptive family because they were abusive towards them. The police apparently accepted this story, and no missing persons was filed.

Finally, in April 2022, Kit's missing persons case was finally opened. At that time, Lori Sue reportedly told police that Kit ran off with a significant other. However, Kit's loved ones do not believe Lori Sue's story. A lot of online speculation points to Lori Sue knowing what happened to Kit, but at this time, she has not been charged with anything related to their disappearance.

Kit remains missing today. Their loved ones are searching for answers. There is a monetary reward available for anyone who can lead to Kit's whereabouts. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Omak PD at 509-826-0383.

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Sources:

Charley Project
The Cooper Point Journal
Finding Kit
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Yakima Herald

The Disappearance and Death of Danielle Griffith

image source

The morning of May 17th, 2019 began as a fairly typical day in the town Tumwater, Washington. It was a partly cloudy day, and the temperatures ranged from the high fifties to the lower 60s. It seemed like as good of a day as any for the property owners on Sapp Rd. SW to do clearing on their land. An excavator was used, and at some point, the machinery unearthed something unexpected: a human skeleton. Police were called, and investigators began working to identify the remains.

Forensic examination of both the remains and the area where they were found revealed a few things early on; namely that the remains belonged to a female ranging from the ages of 13-19, and whoever buried her did so with the intention of hiding her body. DNA from the body was sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification to undergo testing. It took months, but in February of 2020, the remains were identified as Danielle J. Griffith of Olympia, Washington. 

Danielle was one of several missing young girls in the surrounding area. She was reportedly last seen alive by her family members in August of 2014, when she was just 17 years old. Danielle was classified as a runaway, and her disappearance did not receive a lot of attention from the public. The discovery of her remains has left both her loved ones and the community with more questions than answers. Namely, the main questions that remain are: What happened to Danielle? How did she die? Who buried her on the property in Tumwater?

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Danielle's disappearance.

Source: Justice for Danielle Griffith Facebook page.

As previously stated, Danielle went missing in August 2014. Reports state that she left her home with "nothing but a cell phone" and never returned. Danielle was subsequently reported missing as a runaway. 

Both Danielle's cell phone and Facebook page became inactive after she vanished. Her case continued to be classified as a runaway case, despite the fact that her family had not heard from her or seen any sign of her. Then, in early 2016, it was reported that Danielle had "possibly been seen at a medical facility". Though it appears this was never confirmed, the police closed her case after this reported sighting. 

Later that year, Danielle's family members filed another missing person's report. Then, the case seemingly went cold. Years passed without any updates in the case. The news never reported about her disappearance.

Finding and identifying Danielle.

After it was determined that the remains found buried on the property in Tumwater belonged to a female aged 13-19, detectives were tasked with identifying the person. They opted not to report about the discovery of the body in the news at first. Tumwater Police Public Information Officer Laura Wohl explained that they did not appeal to the public when they found the remains because they wanted to "to confirm an identity and inform the family."

Still, the case was posted on the website for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and the listing could be viewed publicly. A forum for the unidentified remains was created on Websleuths, and the users began to discuss the potential identity. In the months that followed, users posted about the various missing girls in the area that could possibly be the deceased person. Danielle's name was not mentioned until February 2020 - just a day or two before it was confirmed that the remains did, in fact, belong to her.

As mentioned before, the remains were finally identified after DNA was tested at University of North Texas Center for Human Identification. According to Officer Wohl, it took a long time due to a "specific type of DNA testing" that needed to be done. After it was confirmed that the remains belonged to Danielle, investigators finally spoke about it publicly.

Seeking help from the locals.

In February 2020, it was reported that the Tumwater Police were seeking help from the public to solve Danielle's case. Investigators were reportedly unable to determine how Danielle died or whether or not foul play was involved. They labeled Danielle's death as "suspicious" - especially because it was clear that she had been purposely buried. 

Police stated that they also were not sure when Danielle died. The 2020 report said that investigators were "attempting to piece together a timeline that led to the girl’s death and contact people who may have known Griffith between 2014 and 2018."

It appears that investigators believe that Danielle might have been alive for a few years after her initial disappearance in 2014. If that is the case, there are many unanswered questions about what Danielle might have been doing or where she stayed during those years. 

Where the case stands today.

Danielle's case still remains unsolved. Her sister runs a Facebook page dedicated to the case called Justice for Danielle Griffith. Meanwhile, investigators are still seeking information that could help determine what happened to Danielle. 

If you have any information that could help the investigation, please submit a tip. 

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Sources:
The Chronicle 
King 5 News
Kiro 7 News

Websleuths

The Murder of Tyliah Young

 

Tyliah Young (22) was found murdered in Tacoma, Washington on January 13th, 2013. That afternoon, a local homeowner called police after spotting the body of a female in an alleyway near S. 12th and Ainsworth. When authorities arrived on the scene, they discovered that the victim's body was frozen - and there were pools of frozen blood surrounding the young woman. The woman was later identified as Tyliah - a young mother who had been reported missing just two days earlier. Her case marked the first homicide in Tacoma that year. 

Tyliah's father reported her missing on January 11th after the family had not seen or heard from her for several days. Tyliah was raising two young daughters, and it was unusual for her to fall out of touch. Her loved ones were inevitably devastated when they learned she had been found dead. Tyliah's cause of death was even more disturbing: she had been shot several times in the head. Police labeled her death as a homicide.

Tacoma detectives initially remained quiet about the investigation, and the case seemingly went cold. Then, in 2015, the detectives appealed to the public for help with solving Tyliah's murder. At that point, it was revealed that detectives had chased several leads and had a few possible suspects, but they still wanted more information. Tacoma detective Loretta Cool told reporters, "we've worked a couple of possible different suspects and hopefully it's just going to take that one additional tip that gets us what we need in order to make an arrest." Cool also stated that detectives specifically wanted information about who Tyliah was with and what she was doing between the dates of January 5th and January 13th. 

Since then, there have been very few updates on the investigation into Tyliah's murder. No suspects or persons of interest have been publicly named, and the case remains unsolved. There is a monetary reward available for anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of Tyliah's killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please submit a tip. 

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Sources:
Crimestoppers
Oregon Live
Q13 Fox
Tacoma Stories

The Disappearance of Angel Wilson

17 year-old Angel Wilson disappeared from her home in Spokane, Washington on August 10th, 2007. According to her father, Angel had been a habitual runaway since she was in middle school. Once she turned 13, Angel began dating older men and abusing drugs. She dropped out of high school in 10th grade and rarely ever stayed at her father’s home after that—she often stayed with friends and other various people, but she never stayed in the same place for very long. However, by time Angel turned 17, she got permission from her father to marry 21 year-old Will Wilson. By then, it appeared that Angel would have a more permanent address with her new husband.

Angel’s husband Will is the last known person to have seen her on the day she disappeared. Will stated that when he returned from work on the evening of August 10th, 2007, he caught Angel smoking methamphetamine inside their home. An argument ensued, and Will gave Angel and ultimatum for her to quit the drugs, or their relationship would end. This angered Angel, and she stormed out of the house. When Will awoke the next morning, he found Angel’s wedding ring on the table. According to various reports is the last known trace of her, and she has not been seen or heard from again.

In more recent years, social media posts about Angel's case have surfaced. On one particular Facebook post, a person who claimed to see Angel after she vanished commented. This person stated that they believe Angel is dead, and a new boyfriend is responsible. This information has not been verified by police or any news reports, but it is certainly a possibility. It's unclear if police have identified this "new boyfriend."

Due to Angel’s history of leaving home, authorities classified her as a runaway. Still, she was considered at-risk due to her history of drug use and associations with older men. Even though she was married at the time of her disappearance, Angel was still legally considered a minor. She remains missing and is still considered an endangered runaway to this day. If you have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please contact the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office at 509-456-2233.

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[List Series: Missing Person Cold Cases Classified as Runaways]

The Disappearance of Precious-Grace Tago

 

Precious-Grace Tago has been missing since July 2020. The then-28-year-old was last seen in Tukwila, Washington. Reports state that the last confirmed sighting of Precious-Grace occurred on July 18th, 2020. She had plans to see a friend on July 25th - but the plans never came to fruition. The friend received a text from Precious-Grace on the morning of the 25th that stated she could no longer meet up. She has never been seen or heard from again. 

Precious-Grace's family members were initially not worried, as they thought she was simply "doing her own thing". However, as months passed without any word from her, they began to worry. Those concerns were heightened after Precious-Grace did not show up or contact anyone over the holidays. Her family members finally filed a missing persons' report in January 2021.

After police began investigating Precious-Grace's disappearance, they determined that she had not been seen since July of 2020. The last known sighting occurred on Tukwila on July 18th, and the last communication from her phone occurred on July 25th. After that, it appears that Precious-Grace vanished into thin air. Once family members realized that it had been months since anyone had seen or heard from Precious-Grace, they began to fear she met with harm. While it may not have been unusual for Precious-Grace to fall out of touch with some members of her family, it is not believed that she would voluntarily abandon her children. 

Tabitha Ativalu is the last known family member to communicate with Precious-Grace. Tabitha is Precious-Grace's older sister, and the siblings last spoke via text on June 18th, 2020 - a whole month before Precious-Grace's disappearance. Tabitha said she received messages from Precious-Grace saying that she feared for her life. The reports available to date do not elaborate on why she might have been feeling that way. 

Precious-Grace black hair, brown eyes, and usually wears glasses. She is described as 4'11" and approximately 130 lbs. She has several tattoos. If you have seen her or have any information that could lead to her whereabouts, please contact the King County Sheriff’s Office at 206-296-3311 in reference to case C21000961.

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Sources:

B-Town Blog
Charley Project
Fox 13 Seattle

The Shooting Death of Danielle Nemetz

(source:cbsnews.com)

 

Danielle Nemetz was only 19 years-old when she was shot to death by her husband, Skylar Nemetz, on October 16th, 2014. Skylar shot Danielle with her own AR-15 rifle inside an apartment they shared in Lakewood, Washington. The couple was living in Lakewood while Skylar was stationed by the Army at Fort Lewis. 

Skylar and Danielle (cbsnews.com)

Skylar has always maintained that he shot Danielle on accident while checking to see if the rifle was loaded. He told police that the gun went off as he lifted it. Danielle, who was facing a computer just five feet away, was struck by the bullet and killed instantly. 

The computer monitor Danielle was using at the time of the shooting. (cbsnews.com)

Police found Skylar's recollection of events to be questionable from the start. As a member of the U.S. Army, Skylar was well-trained in how to properly use firearms. Both Skylar and Danielle enjoyed going to shooting ranges together, and neither of them were unfamiliar with how to safely handle guns. Police also found it odd that Skylar was not the one who called 911 to report the shooting. Instead, he put all the firearms inside the apartment away and hid two empty bottles of alcohol. Police showed up to the home after a neighbor called to report hearing gunfire. 

Additionally, many of Danielle's loved ones had concerns about her relationship with Skylar. The couple was married within months of meeting each other, while they were just teenagers. Those closest to Danielle felt that Skylar was controlling, jealous, and had a temper. As details about their relationship and the events leading up to Danielle's death began to unravel, detectives found more and more information that made them suspicious of Skylar.

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A rushed romance.

Danielle and Skylar met in October 2012 while Danielle was just a junior in high school. At the time, she lived in McKinleyville, California. Skylar lived in a neighboring town and had recently graduated from a nearby high school. The pair initially connected on Facebook, and then met in person at a high school football game while Danielle was cheerleading. The two quickly got into a serious relationship.

After just a month of dating, Danielle moved in with Skylar at his mother's house. Danielle's loved ones thought the relationship was moving quickly, but Danielle was happy--so they tried to be happy for her. Danielle was always described as a bubbly, friendly young girl, but her friends noticed that Skylar seemed to be the opposite. One of Danielle's closest friends noted that whenever she brought Skylar around, he did not engage in conversation or make any effort to get to know any of the people in Danielle's life. 

Three months into their relationship, Skylar proposed to Danielle. She accepted, and then dropped out of high school very shortly thereafter. Danielle and Skylar got married the day Skylar graduated from bootcamp--just five months after they met. 

Danielle's loved ones continued to have concerns about the speed of their relationship, but they tried to remain optimistic. Danielle had a rough upbringing. Her mother passed when she was just a toddler. She and her siblings then moved in with their grandmother. When Danielle was 14, her grandmother passed away as well. She then moved in her with stepfather. Danielle's loved ones believe that Danielle was always seeking out the close family relationship that she lacked while growing up--which is perhaps why she rushed so quickly into a marriage with Skylar. 

Life as an Army wife.

Danielle and Skylar moved to Washington after Skylar was stationed at Fort Lewis. Skylar's Army job forced him to be away from home often. During the times he was in town, Skylar and Danielle would often spend time together at shooting ranges. Skylar had been familiar with guns his whole life and he had a collection of firearms at the home he shared with Danielle. Danielle herself also became interested in firearms, and Skylar gifted her with a blue AR-15 rifle for her 19th birthday.

Eventually, Danielle began to come into her own in Washington. She enrolled in a local school so she could finally finish her high school degree. She enjoyed spending her free time at home taking care of her new puppy and making makeup tutorial videos. Danielle also got a job at a granite counter company.

Anger and jealousy issues.

Danielle regularly kept in touch with her friends and loved ones back home. It was during these conversations when her loved ones began to notice even more red flags about Skylar. At one point, Danielle told James Peltier that Skylar had smashed her iPhone in an angry rage and then immediately went out to buy her a new one.

James, a former neighbor and father figure to Danielle, was very concerned after that conversation. He asked her if she was afraid of Skylar, to which she said no--and that she forgave him for the incident. Still, there were numerous other examples of Skylar's behavior towards Danielle that raised suspicions. While investigating Danielle's death, investigators found texts that Skylar sent to her that seemed both controlling and verbally abusive. The messages included name-calling ("you're an idiot") and criticisms about how Danielle spent money ("Danielle what the fuck we have amazon you don't need that prime shit").

Skylar also sent text messages to Danielle that indicated he had issues with jealousy. At one point, he sent her a text accusing her of going on a date with a male friend from high school. Danielle denied having any romantic feelings for said friend. Prosecutors eventually came to believe that jealousy may have been the catalyst that led to Danielle's death. 

The alcohol bottles. 

In late September 2014, Skylar was sent to Yakima for battlefield training. Days before he was due to return, he texted Danielle and asked her to get him a bottle of Fireball and Sailor Jerry's so he could drink them when he returned home. Both Danielle and Skylar were under 21 years-old at this point, so Danielle knew she'd have to rely on someone older to purchase the alcohol. 

Anthony Faas--a friend of Skylar's from the Army--seemed like the perfect person to help obtain the liquor. Anthony returned home from the battlefield training a few days before Skylar, so they arranged for him to buy the bottles and bring them to Danielle and Skylar's apartment, so they'd be there by time Skylar got home. 

The arrangement did not go as planned. Anthony ended up being too busy to pick up the alcohol. Danielle, who wanted to make sure her husband got what he wanted, asked two other guys to purchase the alcohol instead. One of the guys was the high school friend that Skylar had accused Danielle of dating behind his back. 

Danielle never ended up telling Skylar how he got the alcohol. According to Anthony Faas, Skylar later reached out to thank him for the purchase. At that point, Anthony reportedly told him that he was not the one who bought the bottles. Anthony said that Skylar got visibly angry after that admission. 

The shooting.

Skylar returned from Yakima on October 16th, 2014. By his account, he and Danielle were very excited to see each other. He told police that they ordered pizza to celebrate, and that he also drank some Fireball and Red Bull. Skylar maintained that he was not intoxicated, but slightly buzzed.

Shortly after Skylar returned home, Danielle FaceTimed with her best friend Michayla Yingling. Michayla would later tell investigators that Danielle seemed happy that Skylar was home. Skylar was also seen during their FaceTime call, and Michayla said that he seemed to be in a good mood as well. Michayla had no idea that Danielle would be dead just minutes after they hung up.

Danielle and Michayla on FaceTime

By Skylar's account, Danielle asked him to clean and put away her AR-15 rifle while she sat down at her computer to get some work done. Danielle was facing away from Skylar went he lifted the gun and it fired. Instead of calling police, Skylar then hid all of their firearms in a closet and dumped out of the bottles of Fireball and Sailor Jerry's before throwing them off a balcony. Skylar also seemingly did not make any effort to revive Danielle.

As previously stated, it was a neighbor who ended up calling police-not Skylar. When police arrived on the scene, they put Skylar in the patrol car. He continuously cried and called out for Danielle while in police custody.

Once at the police station, Skylar was questioned about why he did not attempt to help Danielle or call police. He said that he was absolutely certain that Danielle was dead, which is why he did not render aid. The police were skeptical of Skylar's story. After hours of questioning, Skylar was booked on murder charges and held on a $1 million bail. 

The trial.

The prosecution argued that Skylar was a jealous and controlling husband. They showed the jury the abusive text messages that Skylar sent to Danielle. They also noted that it seemed unlikely that Skylar would accidentally set off a firearm, especially since he continuously described himself as well-versed in gun safety. 

Anthony Faas was called to testify for the prosecution. While on the stand, Anthony described Skylar's anger when he learned that Danielle had asked other guys to purchase the alcohol. It was Anthony's testimony that helped drive the prosecution's case. The prosecution believed that Skylar shot Danielle in a rage after learning that Danielle had not been honest about how she obtained the bottles. While Michayla said that Skylar seemed to be in a good mood when she saw him during her FaceTime with Danielle, the prosecution stated that it was an act. They believe he waited for Danielle to hang up the phone before he acted.

Skylar's defense team continued to maintain that Danielle's death was an accident. They called upon witnesses who ended up contradicting Anthony's testimony. A mutual Army friend of both Skylar and Anthony stated that he did not see Anthony on the base at the time Anthony claimed to have the conversation about the alcohol with Skylar. Skylar himself also took the stand and denied speaking to Anthony at all that day.

The jury.

The jury deliberated for days before they reached a verdict. Members of the jury would later tell reporters that they did not see Skylar as a reliable witness--they felt his testimony was very rehearsed and over-exaggerated. However, Anthony Faas did not appear to be a reliable witness either. In addition to other witnesses contradicting his testimony, Anthony was the prosecution's only witness that claimed to see Skylar in an angry rage that day. Other witnesses-including Danielle's friend Michayla-all stated that Skylar seemed fine that day.

Due to the fact that Anthony was the only person to testify to Skylar's anger, the jury ultimately felt that the State did not prove that Skylar had intent to kill Danielle. They ended up finding Skylar guilty of first-degree manslaughter. However, certain jurors have stated that if the prosecution had an additional piece of evidence to prove intent, the verdict might have been different.

Sentencing.

The judge gave Skylar the maximum sentence: 13 and a half years in prison. During the sentencing, Skylar addressed the court room, saying "I'm sorry to everybody here. Most of all I'm sorry to Danielle. I'm sorry that she was ripped out from this world and ... I'm sorry to her friends and family and I accept any punishment that you give me."

Despite saying he would accept his punishment, Skylar is currently appealing his sentence.

The Disappearance of Courtney Holden

 

Courtney Holden was only 26 years-old when she vanished from her adoptive family's home in Spokane, Washington. At the time of her disappearance, Courtney and her young son lived in the Heroy Avenue residence with Judy Holden, her adoptive mother, and Joshua Holden, her adoptive brother. Police were alerted about her disappearance on October 8th, 2019, after a woman named Autumn Schatz requested for a welfare check on Courtney. Autumn was dating the father of Courtney's son, and she told police that they had not seen or heard from Courtney in two years. She stated that she and her boyfriend had visited the Holden residence several times over the past two years to visit the young son. The child was reportedly present each time they visited, but Courtney was not. 

When police went to perform the welfare check, Judy and Joshua were reportedly uncooperative. They both said that Courtney and her son had left on foot a few days earlier, but they would not offer any further information. Judy reluctantly allowed police to see Courtney’s room—and it appeared that nobody had been in there for quite some time. 

After the police were unable to locate Courtney themselves, they filed a missing persons’ report. That same day, police received a phone call from a woman claiming to be Courtney—who said she was alive and well. They would later learn that the caller was actually Courtney’s adoptive sister. Additionally, shortly before this phone call was made, Judy and Joshua withdrew $600 from Courtney's bank account.

There have inevitably been suspicions about Judy and Joshua ever since Courtney was reported missing. According to neighbors and friends, Judy and Joshua both mistreated Courtney. The two reportedly referred to Courtney as "Cindy"-short for Cinderella-because of all the chores they made her do. Courtney confided to neighbors that Joshua was physically abusive, and she was afraid of him. Neighbors noticed several bruises on Courtney's body on different occasions, which she stated were a result of Joshua's abuse. The neighbors described Joshua as violent and unpredictable. He reportedly has a criminal record that includes sexual assault charges. In 2005, he was charged with rape, but the charges were dropped after the victim stopped cooperating with the investigation. 

While investigating Courtney's disappearance, police were eventually able to determine that Courtney has not been seen since July 2018—over a year before she was actually reported missing. This was determined after investigators learned that Courtney was taking a prescription medicine that was required daily, but she had not picked up the prescription since July 2018. Neighbors also corroborated that they had not seen Courtney since July 2018 as well. The last known sighting of her occurred at some point during that month. A neighbor reportedly saw Courtney exiting the house carrying a large duffel bag. Judy called after her for her to come back to which Courtney replied, "I'm not staying here anymore." Moments later, Joshua forcibly picked Courtney up and carried her back into the house. Courtney has never been seen or heard from again. 

--

When Courtney was finally reported missing in October 2019, Judy and Joshua Holden became suspects almost immediately. In addition to being dodgy towards investigators, Judy and Joshua had also continued to use Courtney's food stamps and bank accounts from July 2018-October 2019--after Courtney had gone missing. Both continued to maintain that they were not involved in her disappearance. After initially saying that Courtney and her son had left their home on foot, they later would claim that Courtney had run off with a boyfriend. 

Investigators executed a search warrant for the Holden's house on October 24th, 2019. However, when detectives arrived, they found that Judy and Joshua had moved. They took the DVR storing their home surveillance footage with them. Investigators were still able to collect some evidence from the house, including some of Courtney's personal belongings. Cadaver dogs were also sent through the house, but nothing of significance was found.

The Holden home on Heroy Avenue. (source:spokesman.com)

About a month later, police were called after a neighbor noticed activity at the Holden house. When police went to the house, they were met by Judy's daughter and her husband. The couple told police that they had flown in from Texas to check on the house. They also told police that they had not seen Courtney in two years. When asked about Judy's whereabouts, the couple said she was on a retirement road trip. They reportedly gave conflicting stories about the whereabouts of Courtney's son. Judy's daughter said that the child was with Courtney, while her husband said he was living with Judy and Joshua. It is believed that Judy and Joshua were raising the child to believe that Judy was his mother and Joshua was his father. Neighbors in Spokane seemingly confirmed this, as they told police that they noticed the child had referred to Judy as "mommy" and Joshua as "daddy". 

In December 2019, police tracked Judy and Joshua down in Plano, Texas. They were living with Judy's daughter, and they had Courtney's son with them. Judy and Joshua were arrested and charged with identity theft and custodial interference. Courtney's son was placed in custody of his father, where he remains today. 

Despite their aforementioned charges, Judy and Joshua have still not been charged with anything related to Courtney's disappearance. Many still believe they know exactly what happened to Courtney. In addition to Joshua's known violent behavior, he also has been overheard saying that he could kill someone and successfully hide the body from police. Investigators believe that Courtney is deceased, but they have yet to make any arrests in her case. 

Courtney remains missing today. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Spokane Police Department at 509-755-2489 or Crime Check at 509-456-2233.

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Sources:

[Charley Project]

[Stories of the Unsolved]

[KHQ]

The Murder of Esperanza Vicente Mestizo

 

Esperanza Vicente-Mestizo was only 28 years-old when she was killed in front of her home in Mattawa, Washington on February 11th, 2012. The young mother was unloading groceries from her minivan around 11:00 PM when a man in a black hoodie and sweatpants approached and began shooting. Esperanza, who was just weeks away from giving birth to her fourth child, was struck several times in the torso. 

A neighbor ran outside after hearing the gunfire and saw Esperanza lying on the ground. The neighbor also reported hearing Esperanza's daughter calling out for her father, shouting "dad, dad, my mom was shot!" By this point, the shooter had fled on foot and was nowhere to be found when authorities and paramedics arrived. Esperanza was transported to a hospital in Othello, but unfortunately both she and her unborn child died shortly thereafter.

During the early stages of the investigation, detectives stated they were unsure about a motive for Esperanza's murder. Esperanza's common law husband was inside their home with their children at the time of her murder, and he is not considered a suspect. Grand County Chief Deputy Ryan Rectenwald said that detectives were "certain this was not a domestic violence situation." However, Rectenwald also said that they were unsure if incident was gang-related, and they also could not be certain that the shooting was not random.

Friends and neighbors of Esperanza are also baffled by her murder. Those who knew her maintain that she did not have any enemies. Esperanza's friend Lola Cruz reporters that she believed Esperanza's murder was premeditated. Lola and Esperanza had been friends for 15 years before Esperanza's death. Lola described her late friend as "a quiet mother who was not involved in crime." Esperanza's neighbors agreed that Esperanza and her family were not known to have any issues with anyone.

Over a decade has passed since Esperanza's murder, and her case still remains unsolved. Very little news has been reported on the case since 2012. No suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly announced. 

Anyone with information that could help solve Esperanza's case is asked to contact Grant County Sheriff’s Office at 509-762-1160.

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Sources:

The Criminal Journal

KIMA TV

Columbia Basin Herald

The Disappearance of Kaitlynn Munson

 

image source: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Kaitlynn Munson has been missing since January 21st, 2019. She was only 14 years-old when she vanished, but she had already been through many hardships in her life. Kaitlynn's parents both passed away, leaving her in the care of the state of Washington since she was just 11 years old. At the time of her disappearance, Kaitlynn was living at the Spruce Street Inn, a group home for at-risk youth in Seattle.

On the day she went missing, Kaitlynn walked away from the group home and never returned. Shortly after she was reported missing, there were various sightings of her around the Seattle area - but these sightings were never confirmed. Since then, there have been no other reported sightings of Kaitlynn. 

It is believed that Kaitlynn left the group home voluntarily, however due to her young age and developmental disabilities, she is considered to be at risk. She is described as 5'8" and approximately 120 lbs. When she vanished, she had brown hair and wore glasses. 

The picture on the right is an age-progressed photo and may reflect what Kaitlynn looks like today. If you have seen her or have any other information that could lead to her whereabouts, please contact the Seattle Police Department at 206-625-5011.

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Sources:
Charley Project
KIRO 7
Uncovered
Washington State Police

The Disappearance & Murder of Lindsey Baum

Lindsey Jo Baum was only 10 years old when she disappeared on June 26th, 2009. The night before she vanished, Lindsey told her mother, Melissa Baum, that she was frightened that something bad was going to happen to her very soon. When Melissa asked Lindsey what she meant, she replied “I don’t know, I just have a feeling.” This puzzled Melissa, but she did not worry for long; as Lindsey appeared to be back to her normal, happy self the following day.

That day, Lindsey and her brother Joshua spent the afternoon swimming at a friend’s house, located close to their home in McCleary, Washington. The two of them returned home briefly before heading towards another friend’s house located five blocks away. However, on the way there, Joshua and Lindsey got into an argument and Joshua went back home. Lindsey made it to her friend’s house and hung out there for a few hours. 

The two girls hoped to have a sleepover that night, but the friend’s mother said no, and Lindsey began to walk home around 9:15 PM. She was expected to be home by 9:30pm—her curfew. Based on the distance between the two homes, Lindsey should’ve made it home just in time. Unfortunately, she never made it there, and was reported missing by her mother by 11:00 PM that night.

An immediate search provided no sign of Lindsey, nor did it provide any clues to her whereabouts. News about Lindsey’s disappearance garnered national attention. In fact, Lindsey was on the cover of People magazine in November 2009, five months after her disappearance. Despite this, Lindsey remained missing, and there were no reported sightings.

Eight years later, Lindsey's remains were found in a remote area 20 miles west of Ellensburg, Washington. The case then shifted to a homicide investigation. 

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The investigation while Lindsey was missing.

While Lindsey was still missing, there were several different tips, theories, and persons of interest for detectives to investigate. In 2010, the FBI searched the home of a 47-year-old man who had provided “inconsistent” statements to police, but no arrests were made. 

Two years later, investigators searched the home of local jewelry/pawn shop owner Tim Hartman. Throughout the search, investigators found ropes and handwritten notes about Lindsey’s disappearance. After this, Hartman was listed as a person of interest in the case, but he was not ever arrested or charged with anything in connection to Lindsey’s disappearance.

The Emery brothers.

During the summer of 2017, three elderly brothers known as the Emery brothers were arrested in Mason County, Washington and charged with possession of pornography. Mason County is located approximately 17 miles from Lindsey’s home in McCleary. Investigators searched their home for a possible connection to Lindsey but did not reveal if the found one.

Remains found unexpectedly.

During September 2017, a hunter found human remains in a remote area of Eastern Washington. News about these remains were not spread in the media. At that time, it is unclear if investigators even pondered the idea that the remains belonged to Lindsey, due to the fact that they were found over a three hour's drive away from Lindsey’s home in McCleary. 

The remains were sent to Quantico, Virginia for forensic testing. Months later, on May 10th, 2018, investigators announced that the remains had been positively identified as Lindsey Baum. Her death was classified as a homicide.

2021: Paul Bieker is identified as a person of interest.

In June 2021, authorities named a McCleary local named Paul Bieker as a potential person of interest in Lindsey's case. Bieker, then 50, had recently been arrested on unrelated kidnapping and rape charges from a 2003 case. The victim of the 2003 case was a 17-year-old girl who was kidnapped outside of her residence in McCleary. 

Bieker then forced the teen into her own car, drove her to an undisclosed location, and sexually assaulted her. Bieker reportedly then drove to another location before fleeing the scene - leaving the girl in the car. The girl and her father immediately reported the crime once she returned home. 

Authorities were able to collect DNA belonging to the suspect, but they were unable to match the DNA to anyone in their database. Years later, in 2020, the same DNA was submitted for genealogy testing. According to investigators, the results "revealed a short list of possible suspects that were believed to be related to the source of the suspect DNA." From there, authorities were finally able to match the DNA to Bieker. 

Bieker also lived in McCleary in June 2009 - when Lindsey was abducted. Due to this, authorities identified him a potential suspect in Lindsey's case during 2021.

2023: a new search for evidence.

In April 2023, it was reported that "the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s office plus volunteers and several agencies including the FBI and The Attorney General's HITS Investigators searched a 10-acre piece of land in Mason County." The search was in relation to Lindsey Baum's case. 

Lindsey's remains had been found in a completely separate location by this point - but investigators decided to search for other physical evidence based on an old tip. Specifically, it was reported that the Sheriff's Office said that "the department circled back to a tip it received in that area shortly after Lindsey’s disappearance." 

It's unclear what made investigators decide to revisit the tip. However, the same report stated that "up to 25 items were recovered and are being looked at as possible evidence." Since then, though, very little information has been revealed about what was found. No further updates have been provided.

Where the case stands.

In 2023, investigators stated that Lindsey's case is still active. It appears that details of the investigation are being held close to the vest. Still, there is still a public appeal for anyone with information that could help solve the case.

There's a monetary reward available for information that could lead to the conviction of Lindsey's killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please submit a tip.

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Sources:
Crime Online
Crime Wire
King 5
KOMO News
NBC News