WA WA - Marilyn Kay Pratt, 30, Spokane, October 8, 1971

[Beekarina]

Also carrying this forward: Pratt had five young children. We know she had a 10 year-old daughter as well as the 11 year- old son and the 6 year-old son. I wonder how old the other 2 children were? Did I overlook? Edited: Ok I was able to view. Lori was the youngest at 4 years old.

 

[Bit of hope]

In fact, one of them adds that for years Ernie slept on the couch in case Marilyn returned in the middle of the night so he could let her in. Maybe he felt guilty that the last interaction he had with his wife was a bitter and heated argument.

I get the vibe that Ernie was really upset by her disappearance, although it happened before. He married again in 1979, my guess is this was the reason for declaring her death. But sleeping on the couch in case she would come back to let her in, seems a bit exaggerated. Not saying he didn't sleep on the couch, but didn't she have keys to her own house?

 

[Beekarina]

Perhaps she had a drug problem? It sounds possible to me. Describing her as having a possible drinking problem would have been more socially acceptable, but drugs would have been something she would have left her 5 kids and her "perfect" life for. Just a thought.

 

[Bit of hope]

Also carrying this forward: Pratt had five young children. We know she had a 10 year-old daughter as well as the 11 year- old son and the 6 year-old son. I wonder how old the other 2 children were? Did I overlook? Edited: Ok I was able to view. Lori was the youngest at 4 years old.

Obituary Obituaries

Ernest Pratt Spokane

Memorial service for Ernest M. Pratt, 65, will be at 12:30 p.m. today at Ball and Dodd Funeral Home-North.

Born in Missouri, Mr. Pratt died Wednesday.

He moved to Missoula when he was young and graduated from high school there.

In 1962 he moved to Spokane and worked in the service department at Valley Volkswagen.

For the past 10 years, he and his wife wintered in Sierra Vista, Ariz.

He served in the Army during the Korean War.

He is survived by his wife of 16 years, Marjorie Pratt; three sons, Marvin, Lance and Chris Pratt, and two daughters, Dawn Burton and Lori Pratt, all of Spokane; one sister, Esther Torrence of Mead; and eight grandchildren.

 

[Beekarina]

Are there any photos available of her that show her face without sunglasses? I'm having issues with Ancestry, but will try and look elsewhere. Feels as though she could be anyone from the images in this thread.

 

[Bit of hope]

Perhaps she had a drug problem? It sounds possible to me. Describing her as having a possible drinking problem would have been more socially acceptable, but drugs would have been something she would have left her 5 kids and her "perfect" life for. Just a thought.

There is something out there that her 10 year old daughter said she might have had or had a drinking problem. You wonder where a 10 year get that from...maybe it came to her later...remembering things.

I found it again. It's in the Charley P. file Marilyn Kay Pratt – The Charley Project

Although her husband described her as "mentally erratic" and her ten-year-old daughter said she thought she had a drinking problem, she was devoted to her children.

 

[Bit of hope]

Are there any photos available of her that show her face without sunglasses? I'm having issues with Ancestry, but will try and look elsewhere. Feels as though she could be anyone from the images in this thread.

Yes, I wondered about that too. The children seem to have a box with photo's, but I didn't see them published somewhere. Maybe there are not actively searching.

 

[Bit of hope]

Can somebody dig this clipping up?

There was a huge article in The Spokesman-Review on May 10th, 1983. It raised the question of who the real Marilyn Pratt was. She is depicted as a borderline alcoholic in that article, someone that may have cheated on her spouse. The article left open the question of whether she was alive or dead.

 

[heartanium]

Can somebody dig this clipping up?

There was a huge article in The Spokesman-Review on May 10th, 1983. It raised the question of who the real Marilyn Pratt was. She is depicted as a borderline alcoholic in that article, someone that may have cheated on her spouse. The article left open the question of whether she was alive or dead.

Pg 15/16

 

[SimsGuy67]

Pg 15/16
View attachment 397287
View attachment 397283

Didn't know someone else had dug up this series of articles. I was more interested in Michael Brixen, who was profiled on the articles the day prior to Marilyn. He isn't in NamUs, despite possibly being still missing. Couldn't find anything else though, other than a yearbook photo after he disappeared. It's him, but these articles suggest he is still missing after that photo was taken. Just figured out a thread was started on him.

 

[cmparker88]

It's sad that I stumbled across this thread after it died out. I am actually one of the grandchildren of Marilyn and Ernie. I have not had contact with the Pratt side of my family in 30+ years. I read through the theories and speculations that have been said. I will sum up the story I have heard from my mother on this subject which has left me with nothing but questions for at least 20 years. I was told that Marilyn had disappeared after a supposed meeting with Ernie. I have heard that there was a long standing abusive situation stemming from Ernie and his alcoholism and anger. My biological father had told my mother that he remembers seeing what Ernie had done to his mother when he was drunk. Details were never fully expressed, but it was a volitile situation. I cannot recall if it was Lance or Marvin that had the concern of Ernie burying Marilyn in the basement. It was a dirt basement that Ernie decided to have cemented in after the disappearance. I am unsure if the police ever followed up. From what I recall of the story as well, her car was found a day or two after her disappearance. I was informed Ernie slept on the couch after the disappearance. There was speculation that Ernie had accidentally killed Marilyn in the bedroom and that is why he quit sleeping in there. There has been so many things I have read online, to hearing from my mother from stories she heard from her ex family-in-law. I was informed too that Ernie went cold if Marilyn was mentioned. My mother told me that he made her feel uneasy and uncomfortable but she could never explain the feeling or reason until a later incident in her life. (one of her bingo hall customers was Robert Lee Yates).

 

[Tricia]

It's sad that I stumbled across this thread after it died out. I am actually one of the grandchildren of Marilyn and Ernie. I have not had contact with the Pratt side of my family in 30+ years. I read through the theories and speculations that have been said. I will sum up the story I have heard from my mother on this subject which has left me with nothing but questions for at least 20 years. I was told that Marilyn had disappeared after a supposed meeting with Ernie. I have heard that there was a long standing abusive situation stemming from Ernie and his alcoholism and anger. My biological father had told my mother that he remembers seeing what Ernie had done to his mother when he was drunk. Details were never fully expressed, but it was a volitile situation. I cannot recall if it was Lance or Marvin that had the concern of Ernie burying Marilyn in the basement. It was a dirt basement that Ernie decided to have cemented in after the disappearance. I am unsure if the police ever followed up. From what I recall of the story as well, her car was found a day or two after her disappearance. I was informed Ernie slept on the couch after the disappearance. There was speculation that Ernie had accidentally killed Marilyn in the bedroom and that is why he quit sleeping in there. There has been so many things I have read online, to hearing from my mother from stories she heard from her ex family-in-law. I was informed too that Ernie went cold if Marilyn was mentioned. My mother told me that he made her feel uneasy and uncomfortable but she could never explain the feeling or reason until a later incident in her life. (one of her bingo hall customers was Robert Lee Yates).

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