SNOHOMISH COUNTY: Does
I was recently invited to take a tour of the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office and I got to interview investigator, Jane Jorgensen. We talked about the details of her job, Snohomish County’s unidentified and recently identified cases, and how much of a role genealogy plays in finding out who someone was. You’ll hear a lot of names, dates, and locations on this special episode as we try to bring more attention to folks who either still need help to solve the mystery of who they were or to help figure out who killed them.
PINNACLE LAKE: Mary Cooper and Susanna Stodden
It’s no secret that nature is one of the things people love most about the Pacific Northwest. And the outdoors are supposed to be a peaceful place, where you can go to clear your head and escape from the real world. So when two avid hikers, who spent a lot of their time outdoors, were seemingly executed on a trail in 2006, it was a harsh reality check for people here in Washington State. And it was a complete nightmare for the victims’ family. On this episode of Washed Away, I’m covering the unsolved murders of mother and daughter, Mary Cooper and Susanna Stodden.
BONUS: The Twin Peaks Murder
There’s an unsolved murder that took place almost 3,000 miles away from Washington state and yet it remains linked to this part of the country because of a cult TV show from the 90s. This special episode of Washed Away for the North Bend Film Festival is all about Hazel Drew, the woman whose mysterious death was used as inspiration for Twin Peaks.
TACOMA: Ann Marie Burr
The case I’m covering on this episode of Washed Away comes from Tacoma, Washington and involves a missing little girl, a DNA scavenger hunt, and a possible serial killer suspect. Oh and this case has been cold for almost 60 years. Let me tell you about the disappearance of Ann Marie Burr. Plus retired detective Lindsey Wade not only discusses her work on this mystery, but also how she managed to track down Ted Bundy's DNA.
TUMWATER: Logan Schiendelman
A teenager from Tumwater woke up one morning, told his grandmother he had an epiphany, and then seemingly vanished off the face of the earth. He left his phone and wallet behind and his car was spotted several times on I-5, sometimes parked on the side of the road, but eventually drifting across several lanes of traffic. On this episode of Washed Away, I’m gonna tell you about one of the strangest missing persons cases that Washington state has seen in a long time. What the heck happened to Logan Schiendelman?
KENNEWICK: Sofia Juarez
On February 4th, 2003 - a little girl left home on a quick trip to the store, just a few blocks away. She was supposed to be getting in the car of a family friend who had just left, but when he later returned without her… the family realized that there had been a huge miscommunication. It’s the case that triggered the first-ever Amber Alert here in Washington state… This episode is all about the disappearance of Sofia Juarez.
BONUS: The Hahn Mansion
Spooky season is by far my favorite time of year, so I wanted to release a special episode of Washed Away to celebrate. You’ll hear me talking to a paranormal investigator out of Spokane, Amanda Paulson, as she tells me about her experiences at some of Eastern Washington’s most haunted locations. There’s some history, mystery, ghosts, and… even a little bit of murder… consider this your content warning, though truly this episode is much more casual and lighthearted than usual in my opinion. Hope you enjoy it and Happy Halloween!
KALAMA: Helen Doe
This is an interesting and unique case because it doesn't involve a murder or a suicide - there wasn’t necessarily anything nefarious going on at all - it was just a tragic accident that became an ongoing mystery. Who was the hitchhiker that died in a truck collision near Mount St. Helens in 1991? Let's try to find out on this episode of Washed Away.
WEST SEATTLE: Pearl Kongsle
On this episode of Washed Away I’m gonna tell you about what could possibly be the oldest and coldest, unsolved case in Seattle’s history. It involves dynamite, a widow, and 60 years of mystery. Actually 61 years as of earlier this month. This is the truly bizarre story around the bombing of Pearl Kongsle.
QUEEN ANNE: Thomas Wales
One of the FBI’s major case files is an unsolved murder of Assistant United States Attorney, Thomas Wales, that happened in Seattle back in 2001. This is a case that had all the resources imaginable to solve it, all the press attention, plus A MILLION DOLLAR REWARD, and yet… almost 19 years later… there are still so many unknowns. The Bureau recently charged someone in this case, the first indictment in almost 2 decades, but it wasn’t the murderer. This is Washed Away.
MINERAL: Diana Robertson
A young mother was murdered in December of 1985 near Mineral, Washington. Her case has remained unsolved for over 3 decades… along with the murders of a couple that took place just four months earlier… these cases have been tied together somewhat by location but mostly because of tube socks found at the crime scenes. Are these cases actually connected? Well, that depends on who you ask. The show Unsolved Mysteries couldn’t even figure this one out, but now in 2020, DNA might finally reveal the truth… about what happened to Diana Robertson. This is Washed Away.
SEATTLE: Mary Anderson
On this episode of Washed Away, I'm going to tell you about the unusual death of Mary Anderson, a mysterious woman who claimed to have no relatives, no one to care about what happened to her and yet she's made a lasting impression on dozens of strangers, including myself. I'm Ashley Smith and I've been researching this case for so long that I now feel closer to Mary than anyone... both literally and figuratively. Because I've never been able to give up on a good mystery without learning every single detail available and because she was buried just a few blocks from my house in Crown Hill Cemetery.