MUS-2026-0659
Archive card
MUS-2026-0659
Unidentified victim
- Incident
- 1996
- Indexed
- Nov 4, 2026, by MuseUnsolved
- Agency
- King County Medical Examiner's Office
- Location
- Seattle WA
Public record. Index entry.
Index entry. Case details compiled from public reporting; our researchers have not verified this file yet.
Summary
What happened, as the record shows.
A woman reserved a room at Seattle's Hotel Vintage Park by phone on October 9, 1996, arrived by cab, paid cash for two nights, and checked in under the name Mary A. Anderson, giving a false New York address and phone number. On October 11 staff found her dead in the room, and the medical examiner ruled the death a suicide by cyanide poisoning, with a note stating she had decided to end her life and no one was responsible. Every identifier she gave was fabricated, and fingerprints, dental records and DNA produced no matches. In 2021 the King County Medical Examiner's Office partnered with a forensic genealogy firm, and 2023 DNA testing suggested Persian heritage. She remains unidentified and is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Seattle. She is NamUs UP12916.
Timeline
What the record establishes.
- Oct 9, 1996
She checks into the Hotel Vintage Park under the name Mary A. Anderson and pays cash.
- Oct 11, 1996
She is found dead in the room. The death is ruled a suicide by cyanide poisoning.
- May 2021
The King County Medical Examiner's Office partners with a forensic genealogy firm to identify her.
Key people
The people in the file.
Woman, estimated 30 to 50 years old, 5 feet 8 inches, short auburn hair. Found dead in Seattle on October 11, 1996. NamUs UP12916.
Contact details change over time; confirm the current assignee before publishing.
Investigating agency
Where tips go.
This case is with the King County Medical Examiner's Office. If you know something, say something to them. For public-record leads for our researchers, use the tip line on any open file.
Coverage
Coverage and further reading.
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