WA WA - Seattle, WhtFem 30-50, 159UFWA, alias 'Mary Anderson', copper IUD, breast surgery scars, Oct'96

[Kodiak]

Okay, I'm excited! I just remembered that I had started a family tree on a family I had found through my unclaimed property searches...this is where the other promising "Mary" is connected.

I found a Mary C Anderson as the executrix of Clarence and Leona Bevensee....but I never figured out exactly how she would be related to them....but whomever she is, she never settled these estates and that is indeed strange!

Very intriguing find!

They lived up in Arlington, just north from me.

Is this the family tree you you created?
http://records.ancestry.com/Clarence_Bevensee_records.ashx?pid=80733945

It shows that He died 11/01/89 and then she died a little over a month later on 12/05/89. Do you know the cause of death for each? That is very strange that Mary C. Anderson did not settle the estates. If she did not, do you know if anybody else did... such as a next of kin family member? If they did, then they could have just bypassed her as the executor of the will. Unless the next of kin purposely never contacted Mary C. Anderson after their deaths. Or perhaps they had updated wills after the one mentioning Anderson as executor. Did the Bevensee's have children? On the genealogy site is says, "Private." Not sure what that is about. But looks like he was married to a first wife and did have a child.

 

[momtective]

Very intriguing find!

They lived up in Arlington, just north from me.

Is this the family tree you you created?
http://records.ancestry.com/Clarence_Bevensee_records.ashx?pid=80733945

It shows that He died 11/01/89 and then she died a little over a month later on 12/05/89. Do you know the cause of death for each? That is very strange that Mary C. Anderson did not settle the estates. If she did not, do you know if anybody else did... such as a next of kin family member? Did the Bevensee's have children? On the genealogy site is says, "Private." Not sure what that is about. But looks like he was married to a first wife and did have a child.

Yes, Clarence was married first to Iva Grace Larson, they had one son Ronald who died in 2003. His 2nd wife was Leona Dare Butler Lewis. Lenora and Butler had children, they are Mary C., Jack G., Rosetta Pearl and Alta Myrtle (all from 1940 census) Mary C. was listed as 6 years old in this census. So Mary would have been Clarence's step daughter and would have married an Anderson.

The property of both Clarence and Leona has still not been claimed and is on the Washington unclaimed property site.

 

[Kodiak]

Yes, Clarence was married first to Iva Grace Larson, they had one son Ronald who died in 2003. His 2nd wife was Leona Dare Butler Lewis. Lenora and Butler had children, they are Mary C., Jack G., Rosetta Pearl and Alta Myrtle (all from 1940 census) Mary C. was listed as 6 years old in this census. So Mary would have been Clarence's step daughter and would have married an Anderson.

The property of both Clarence and Leona has still not been claimed and is on the Washington unclaimed property site.

This is very peculiar. Are these children still alive? I was thinking that maybe Anderson had died before the Bevensee deaths. But then if that was the circumstance, why wasn't the estate handled by the other children? Something about this is odd.

Looks like their home last sold in 04/24/2005: http://www.homes.com/Home-Prices/ID-300018973891/6516-211TH-PL-NE/

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6516-211th-Pl-NE-Arlington-WA-98223/38442958_zpid/

If no one didn't execute their wills for the process of their estates, then the bank must have seized the home after that time. The listings don't go that far back to see.

Do you know what the "C" stood for in Mary's middle name?

 

[GloSeattle]

Hi, brand stinkin new here... been following this case for a couple of years though. I had read through all the information posted here and elsewhere about "Mary Anderson/Jane Doe" ... some are saying here that she requested that room number. But it's my understanding that the hotel just assigned that room to her. Can you point me to the document that states she called and requested that room number? Thank you - and I hope something shakes loose on this case.

 

[Kodiak]

Hi, brand stinkin new here... been following this case for a couple of years though. I had read through all the information posted here and elsewhere about "Mary Anderson/Jane Doe" ... some are saying here that she requested that room number. But it's my understanding that the hotel just assigned that room to her. Can you point me to the document that states she called and requested that room number? Thank you - and I hope something shakes loose on this case.

Welcome to the thread, GloSeattle. Majority of research states that she called for the room one hour ahead before arriving. A few years after her death, some independent researchers claim that the hotel staff routinely assigned it to her. Throughout the years, I mostly heard that she did indeed call for the room. Even this 11 page Seattle P.I. article from 2005 also mentions the last minute reservation.

"The Cipher in Room 214"
Who was Mary Anderson and why did she die?

Thursday, October 6, 2005
By CAROL SMITH
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

http://www.carollsmith.com/pdf/cipher.pdf

 

[GloSeattle]

Thank you so much! So, it was later information like from the one writing back in 06 by wahme.com that said she called for a room but not that room, it was assigned by desk staff - hmmm a little bit of a discrepency... Thank you, I didn't read anything about her requesting that room, I didn't think, in the Seattle PI account, but I will go back and re-read.

My own personal take on what I've read is that she used the Crystal light to make the Metimucil go down better (lord knows how bad cyanide would taste). But... Metimucil makes drugs not absorb as well. Since cyanide works on the kidneys, and the laxative would work on pushing water drank into the upper and lower intestine rapidly... she must have been doing something before laying down to die. Stripping the sheets in case she got sick? I think the bowl and iron were best described as she had a dog or cat she was watering and feeding, and the iron a second way to committ suicide in the tub should she not get the cyanide. I think she deliberately over plucked her eyebrows thin and agree with her changing her look a little bit. Her hair color was natural though according to the ME. Her eyes might not have been brown as he said the color changes after death. The IUD's numbers were not all there and impossible to trace. In the 90's IUD's were not being used because of problems. Paraguard is a hormone free IUD and lasts 10 years. I would guess she would have had it inserted in 84-88 when they were popular. I am still leaning toward Canada or the Northeast for her location. In New York it was 49-50 degrees on October 9th, 1996, in Anchorage Alaska it was 34 degrees. That jacket and her clothes match cooler weather. And given her age she was probably pre-menopausal which she'd have hot flashes and wouldn't be able to bear 80 in leggings and a sweater. I wish we could get this back on television for some more eyes!

 

[Kodiak]

Since we've all been talking about Mary Anderson's room. Something came to mind last night that really strikes me as odd. If the hotel was a nice boutique hotel that it is, and was in 1996... why didn't the hotel staff ask to see her I.D. when checking in? They just let her sign (what they thought was her name) in the hotel registry... and let her pay with cash. I think that is very strange for a hotel to do so back then. I remember traveling back and forth numerous times to L.A. in 1995 and 1996. They weren't boutique hotels, just the average Ramada resort styles, nothing fancy, nothing slummy, but even these hotels asked me for my I.D. at check in and even a credit card. So my question is, why did they not do the same for guests at this hotel? If they didn't ask for a credit card before hand, how did they not know Mary Anderson wasn't going to trash the room?

So it makes one wonder if the theory that she had gotten rid of all her ID and credits beforehand, before her arrival, what would she have done if they asked for her ID? She would have probably left and found another hotel. This lack of ID issue may confirm that she did indeed stayed there before and knew that she would not have to show and give any ID to acquire a room.

 

[Kodiak]

Thank you so much! So, it was later information like from the one writing back in 06 by wahme.com that said she called for a room but not that room, it was assigned by desk staff - hmmm a little bit of a discrepency... Thank you, I didn't read anything about her requesting that room, I didn't think, in the Seattle PI account, but I will go back and re-read.

My own personal take on what I've read is that she used the Crystal light to make the Metimucil go down better (lord knows how bad cyanide would taste). But... Metimucil makes drugs not absorb as well. Since cyanide works on the kidneys, and the laxative would work on pushing water drank into the upper and lower intestine rapidly... she must have been doing something before laying down to die. Stripping the sheets in case she got sick? I think the bowl and iron were best described as she had a dog or cat she was watering and feeding, and the iron a second way to committ suicide in the tub should she not get the cyanide. I think she deliberately over plucked her eyebrows thin and agree with her changing her look a little bit. Her hair color was natural though according to the ME. Her eyes might not have been brown as he said the color changes after death. The IUD's numbers were not all there and impossible to trace. In the 90's IUD's were not being used because of problems. Paraguard is a hormone free IUD and lasts 10 years. I would guess she would have had it inserted in 84-88 when they were popular. I am still leaning toward Canada or the Northeast for her location. In New York it was 49-50 degrees on October 9th, 1996, in Anchorage Alaska it was 34 degrees. That jacket and her clothes match cooler weather. And given her age she was probably pre-menopausal which she'd have hot flashes and wouldn't be able to bear 80 in leggings and a sweater. I wish we could get this back on television for some more eyes!

Great post post, GloSeattle. The room reservation is mentioned on the first page of the article. Yes! I also believe that she was pre-menopausal. A person on the facebook page remarked today they thought she might have been full-fledged menopausal. Either way, it would put her age much older than her being in her 30's and early 40's So glad that you brought it up. I don't think she stripped the sheets as she was found propped up on the bed with pillows. I never came across that the bed sheets were altered in any other fashion.

 

[GloSeattle]

2nd paragraph author mentioned bed sheets were stripped. But also acknowledges that she was up on some pillows in the bed.
http://www.wahmee.com/misc_kcmeo.pdf

 

[GloSeattle]

Also just re-read the PI article. It states she "called to reserve the room" perhaps that's the confusion as that statement could also lend itself to be a very vague general statement. ex: She went to the car rental and reserved the car. Just thinking...

 

[Kodiak]

2nd paragraph author mentioned bed sheets were stripped. But also acknowledges that she was up on some pillows in the bed.
http://www.wahmee.com/misc_kcmeo.pdf

But I wonder when it refers to sheets, is it referring to the layered coverings/blankets and or the actual sheets (meaning everything was removed but the pillows?) Because if it was the case, why wasn't this mentioned among other previous sources mentioning the room and the things therein?

 

[Kodiak]

Also just re-read the PI article. It states she "called to reserve the room" perhaps that's the confusion as that statement could also lend itself to be a very vague general statement. ex: She went to the car rental and reserved the car. Just thinking...

"She had called an hour or so earlier to reserve the room."

 

[Kodiak]

Here is the original Seattle Times article. It wasn't reported to the public until Monday, December 23, 1996. They describe Mary Anderson as the "dark-skinned white woman."

Public's Help Sought In Identification

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961223&slug=2366526

 

[GloSeattle]

Interesting... and it says she arrived on the 10th, not the 9th. Also, said her mode of transportation was unknown and the other articles state a taxi dropped her off. There are definately some discrepencies.

I'm in her age range, and my overall impression of her posessions was:
Estee Lauder is an old woman's fragrance...my grammy used Estee and it was way too heavy scented for me to wear and I didn't know many in my age group that would use it. Also the velour outfits... I wouldn't have been caught dead (pardon no pun intended) in those. Again, those were old lady duds and I didn't know many people in my life that wore them except for a much older woman. Tearing the label off the perscription she must have had a script for something. So while her overall health was good, she might have been being treated for depression, an infection - sinus, or taking a sleep aid. Another fashion no no would be the blue eye shadow with brown eyes. And looking at her eye brows even though they are well manicured they are too thin. Her choice of pink lipstick - bright colors is wrong too. Her men's jacket goes back to her self esteem issues, and the climate she probably came out of as well as her other clothing. Wasn't it 6 "half a dozen" outfits hanging up plus what she was wearing? So, she had in her posession 7 days worth of clothing. She was here for 2 days, so that meant she was somewhere else for 4-5 days before arriving here. I know I pack an outfit a day plus 1-2 in case something gets spilled that I can change into. I feel pretty confident in the "bowl" theory and her having a pet at one point before this, that she gave water/food too in the bowl. And I feel pretty confident based on her clothing that she grabbed and packed that iron or purchased it for a bathroom electrocution in case she had doubts about the cyanide. If she did choose the room number 214 is also the area code for the Dallas Texas area. Using numerology it's the number 7. If she was in the medical field suggesting "use" of her body would have been a gross oversight as the organs would be damaged from the poison. Since she didn't have jewelry I would say that is a big red flag. And a boob job back then cost big bucks so she did have money. In addition IUD's fell out of favor by the time she was found in Seattle so she no doubt had it inserted back when they were in favor more in the mid to late 80's which explains why the id numbers were worn off or not traceable. So at some point she had breast enhancement, and was sexually active and "did care" about her appearance.

Headlines in 96 just prior to her suicide that I found noteable:

•Valujet crashes in Everglades; all 110 aboard killed (May 11).

•747 airliner crashes in Atlantic off Long Island, N.Y.; all 230 aboard perish (July 17)


I'm going to look into this lead as a possible "trigger" for her. Bottom line, I think the clothing and makeup were all wrong. I think her being in the jewelry industry is a good bet, since she had none in her room. I think everything she left remaining was the opposite of how it was if that makes any sense. But then, nothing really does - suicide is a senseless act. Anyway, those are some of my impressions.

 

[JillyNJ]

Interesting... and it says she arrived on the 10th, not the 9th. Also, said her mode of transportation was unknown and the other articles state a taxi dropped her off. There are definately some discrepencies.

I'm in her age range, and my overall impression of her posessions was:
Estee Lauder is an old woman's fragrance...my grammy used Estee and it was way too heavy scented for me to wear and I didn't know many in my age group that would use it. Also the velour outfits... I wouldn't have been caught dead (pardon no pun intended) in those. Again, those were old lady duds and I didn't know many people in my life that wore them except for a much older woman. Tearing the label off the perscription she must have had a script for something. So while her overall health was good, she might have been being treated for depression, an infection - sinus, or taking a sleep aid. Another fashion no no would be the blue eye shadow with brown eyes. And looking at her eye brows even though they are well manicured they are too thin. Her choice of pink lipstick - bright colors is wrong too. Her men's jacket goes back to her self esteem issues, and the climate she probably came out of as well as her other clothing. Wasn't it 6 "half a dozen" outfits hanging up plus what she was wearing? So, she had in her posession 7 days worth of clothing. She was here for 2 days, so that meant she was somewhere else for 4-5 days before arriving here. I know I pack an outfit a day plus 1-2 in case something gets spilled that I can change into. I feel pretty confident in the "bowl" theory and her having a pet at one point before this, that she gave water/food too in the bowl. And I feel pretty confident based on her clothing that she grabbed and packed that iron or purchased it for a bathroom electrocution in case she had doubts about the cyanide. If she did choose the room number 214 is also the area code for the Dallas Texas area. Using numerology it's the number 7. If she was in the medical field suggesting "use" of her body would have been a gross oversight as the organs would be damaged from the poison. Since she didn't have jewelry I would say that is a big red flag. And a boob job back then cost big bucks so she did have money. In addition IUD's fell out of favor by the time she was found in Seattle so she no doubt had it inserted back when they were in favor more in the mid to late 80's which explains why the id numbers were worn off or not traceable. So at some point she had breast enhancement, and was sexually active and "did care" about her appearance.

Headlines in 96 just prior to her suicide that I found noteable:

•Valujet crashes in Everglades; all 110 aboard killed (May 11).

•747 airliner crashes in Atlantic off Long Island, N.Y.; all 230 aboard perish (July 17)


I'm going to look into this lead as a possible "trigger" for her. Bottom line, I think the clothing and makeup were all wrong. I think her being in the jewelry industry is a good bet, since she had none in her room. I think everything she left remaining was the opposite of how it was if that makes any sense. But then, nothing really does - suicide is a senseless act. Anyway, those are some of my impressions.

You have great observations GloSeattle! Just a side note about the surgery scars on her breasts, I think this was mentioned before but these are most likely scars from a breast reduction surgery. This surgery is not necessarily performed to make ones appearance improved but rather their quality of life. Large breasts can lead to back/neck problems and many women get them reduced to help prevent/relieve this. Its great that you pointed out the the vagueness in the articles regarding the hotel room reservation. I also feel her requesting the specific room number 214 was an assumption based on the wording. I interpreted the wording as she called ahead to reserve a room, not the specific room number 214.

Someone mentioned that they believe she possible stripped the sheets in case she vomited on them from the cyanide. Did you mean she did this as a courtesy to herself or the the hotel staff? Personally, I would feel it would be a better courtesy to leave the sheets/blankets on. Replacing an entire mattress would be much more of a hassle than just sheets/blankets. Therefore, I don't believe that was in her thought process. Either way I'm sure the hotel discarded all of the bedding and mattress. Just an observation...

momtective and Kodiac you guys might really be on to something with the credit union info! Great sleuthing, this case is so interesting.

 

[Kodiak]

Interesting... and it says she arrived on the 10th, not the 9th. Also, said her mode of transportation was unknown and the other articles state a taxi dropped her off. There are definately some discrepencies.

I'm in her age range, and my overall impression of her posessions was:
Estee Lauder is an old woman's fragrance...my grammy used Estee and it was way too heavy scented for me to wear and I didn't know many in my age group that would use it. Also the velour outfits... I wouldn't have been caught dead (pardon no pun intended) in those. Again, those were old lady duds and I didn't know many people in my life that wore them except for a much older woman. Tearing the label off the perscription she must have had a script for something. So while her overall health was good, she might have been being treated for depression, an infection - sinus, or taking a sleep aid. Another fashion no no would be the blue eye shadow with brown eyes. And looking at her eye brows even though they are well manicured they are too thin. Her choice of pink lipstick - bright colors is wrong too. Her men's jacket goes back to her self esteem issues, and the climate she probably came out of as well as her other clothing. Wasn't it 6 "half a dozen" outfits hanging up plus what she was wearing? So, she had in her posession 7 days worth of clothing. She was here for 2 days, so that meant she was somewhere else for 4-5 days before arriving here. I know I pack an outfit a day plus 1-2 in case something gets spilled that I can change into. I feel pretty confident in the "bowl" theory and her having a pet at one point before this, that she gave water/food too in the bowl. And I feel pretty confident based on her clothing that she grabbed and packed that iron or purchased it for a bathroom electrocution in case she had doubts about the cyanide. If she did choose the room number 214 is also the area code for the Dallas Texas area. Using numerology it's the number 7. If she was in the medical field suggesting "use" of her body would have been a gross oversight as the organs would be damaged from the poison. Since she didn't have jewelry I would say that is a big red flag. And a boob job back then cost big bucks so she did have money. In addition IUD's fell out of favor by the time she was found in Seattle so she no doubt had it inserted back when they were in favor more in the mid to late 80's which explains why the id numbers were worn off or not traceable. So at some point she had breast enhancement, and was sexually active and "did care" about her appearance.

Headlines in 96 just prior to her suicide that I found noteable:

•Valujet crashes in Everglades; all 110 aboard killed (May 11).

•747 airliner crashes in Atlantic off Long Island, N.Y.; all 230 aboard perish (July 17)


I'm going to look into this lead as a possible "trigger" for her. Bottom line, I think the clothing and makeup were all wrong. I think her being in the jewelry industry is a good bet, since she had none in her room. I think everything she left remaining was the opposite of how it was if that makes any sense. But then, nothing really does - suicide is a senseless act. Anyway, those are some of my impressions.

I talked to my mother yesterday. She knew about this case when it was mentioned in the papers and even saw a segment about it on local TV asking the public for help in identifying her in 1996. I asked her about Estee Lauder. She said the all their products are really expensive, even the perfume that Mary Anderson used. She said that she recently saw an EL face and neck cream for $100 and it was in a really small container. Overall, she said they were good makeup products, but too costly. From research, I take Mary Anderson had quite the EL goods and had the finances to purchase all of it.

Yes! I have never come across as to what she was wearing at the time of death! And the bed sheets... did she remove them thinking she would have gone into convulsions and might have vomited if she didn't get the cyanide dosage right? Or perhaps she might have thought she might release all her bodily bathroom functions. But, as methodical as she was, I think she would have emptied all that out right before taking the cyanide.

I looked the obituaries in Seattle Times archive last night for the 1996 year. Nothing caught my eye or really stood out.

 

[Kodiak]

momtective and Kodiac you guys might really be on to something with the credit union info! Great sleuthing, this case is so interesting.

Thanks, JillyNJ. Yes, that info is very interesting. And I'm so glad that momtective was able to remember all the info she had after her computer crashed.

 

[Kodiak]

That original Seattle Times article also stated:

But she may be from the Seattle area because she was familiar with the downtown Seattle area and arrived without any visible transportation such as a car or taxi, Arly said.

I had read that she was seen getting out of a cab, but this states no one knew how she arrived. I do remember that the door attendant saw her coming from around the corner with her bags. The statement also alludes to the possibility she might have been seen on the streets of Seattle before her arrival.

Hmm. There are lot of discrepancies and confusion... just how Mary Anderson would have wanted it!

 

[Kodiak]

Okay, I'm excited! I just remembered that I had started a family tree on a family I had found through my unclaimed property searches...this is where the other promising "Mary" is connected.

I found a Mary C Anderson as the executrix of Clarence and Leona Bevensee....but I never figured out exactly how she would be related to them....but whomever she is, she never settled these estates and that is indeed strange!

Okay... here is an update to this claim. It lists the Kimberly-Clark Corporation as reported by. This company is a personal care company that produces paper products such kleenex, toilet paper, and paper towels.

It sounds like the Bevensee party and their estates are owed some money of in the form of a check or an exchange item. For more info on the company, see Wikipedia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberly-Clark

momtective- Do you have any other info or resources, like from probate, that indicates the estates were never settled? Just curious.

 

[Kodiak]

I know I mentioned this previously in a post in 2010... but here is the original article about a pipe bomb scare at the courthouse across the street from the hotel the morning of October 9, 1996. It states the streets were closed until after 11:45 a.m. I wonder if Mary Anderson was affected by this and had to take a detour? Perhaps a cab or someone dropped her off a few blocks away and she walked to the hotel? Or she arrived long after the entire incident. The article here states October 10, 1996 because it was updated at midnight. Another source verified that (and I remember from research) it did happen on the 9th.

Suspicious Pipe Found Near Federal Courthouse

Street view