One thing I wondered about in this case was, "Where did the victim come from before checking into the hotel?" I noticed that there was something like less than an hour difference between when she made the reservation and her arrival by cab which suggests she was not from the immediate area. There is a ferry terminal (with daily service between Seattle and Vancouver B.C.) about 2 miles away and its not uncommon for taxis to be called to that area for pick-ups... So that might support the idea she came from Canada. On the other hand, if she arrived by SeaTac airport, her taxi ride could have easily been an hour... Additionally, in the baggage claim area of the airport, there is a large phone kiosk with direct connections to the area hotels - including the Vintage Park Hotel? There are also several ATM's in that baggage area where she could have withdrawn cash for the taxi ride and hotel stay.
But why that specific hotel? It is neither the largest, most luxurious or even most affordable. There are several other hotels within a 3 mile radius that could have just as easily been chosen. Maybe it was the quaint charm of the hotel that helped the decision? Maybe it was chosen not for its amenities but for its proximity to another landmark within the city of Seattle? Directly across the street from this hotel is the U.S. Federal District Courthouse property - landscaped with 4-5 very large Maple trees. During warmer months, it is not unusual for large numbers of office workers to use the adjoining lawn for a quick lunch or smoke break. The material we have indicates that the weather was unseasonably warm when "Mary Anderson" checked into the hotel and that the investigators found a maple leaf in her room pressed between the pages of the "Seattle Weekly"... a local paper found in amongst the newspaper vending machines in front of the same courthouse. So we can at least casually link her to the approximate area...
A couple other thoughts: Many folks have commented on the style, type, and volume of clothes she had hanging in her closet.... I'd suggest that these weren't "travelling clothes" but rather clothes appropriate for a public forum... She had a heavier blue coat and gloves - not something a local would packed given the warmer weather. Why so many if she only had paid for a couple night's stay? And why did she have an iron? The fabric of her clothes isn't the type to be ironed - dry cleaned more likely.
Here's my amateur theory: Mary Anderson was in Seattle to see someone who was going to be in Federal Court for a trial. She had brought along several different outfits that could be worn interchangeable (all "jewel" colors?) because she didn't know exactly how long it would last. The iron was for the clothes not in the room: A dress shirt and suit pants perhaps for a male defendant? Prisoners often rely upon their families (through their attorneys) to drop off "court clothes" to make themselves more presentable during a trial. Making sure that such clothes were neatly pressed seems to fit in with the other aspects of the orderly nature surrounding "Mary." Having such a male in her life would also fit into the findings of the worn IUD?
I wonder about the lack of identification and the lies she wrote during check-in regarding her residence. Positive ID wasn't required for either airline or ferry travel in those days but still there should have been something? Here's another (kinda) far-fetched theory: Mary was very careful about her ID because she didn't want anyone (particularly people in a courtroom - like Federal agents) to know her identity if she was stopped outside the court.... Perhaps she (mistakenly thought) she was also wanted or would be questioned? It is also a particularily common concern and tactic for suspects/groups who see the federal government as overly intrusive or controlling (Freemen, Posse Comitatus, etc). If memory serves me correctly, there were several of those types of cases being processed through that specific courthouse during the same time period. Immigration case? Border smuggling? Those are relatively common for the court, too.
Assuming she brought the poison with her, it seems reasonable that her death had been planned for some time... Can any significance be placed on the exact day/time of her suicide? Following along with the above theory, was a conviction a near certain and it ended after only the second day? The only way I think that would be possible is if the defendant decided to plead guilty on the first day (not uncommon - particularly when prosecutors offer a "last chance to plea" in exchange for a lighter sentence). Or maybe Mary knew someone who was to be sentence and she wanted to see him for one last time before he went away? That would still fit for the iron/clothes part of the theory... Did she then kill herself because she didn't want to live alone without him? Was this a case of falling in love with the "wrong guy" and that's why she wrote that it wasn't anybody's fault... that "it" (the way things had turned out) was her own fault?
Okay - that's enough speculation from this amateur!
I like this theory too... and #96 that she could have been a witness. Also the old public library was across the street back then, so why this area? Maybe she was doing research over in the library and hung out there for an hour before arriving. From what I read later, they said she did NOT take a cab to the hotel location.
She was obese, so perhaps she used this Metamucil with her eating disorder? Had a breast reduction anticipating weight loss. Perhaps she was depressed from the eating disorder (binge eating) which caused her to gain weight, had the reduction surgery but couldn't lose the weight. She could have just had the Metamucil too because obese people have digestive issues/constipation, so it could have been used solely for that and the Crystal light to mask the taste?
The outfits all being "jewel" colors is telling considering you can obtain cyanide at any gold mine. If she was a vendor, again maybe she took small samples of cyanide from each of her gold mines combined them into the one large tablespoon to commit suicide -since the properties would be of mixed values id'ing them/her would be impossible as it wouldn't have the same composition chemically. She'd have to be a vendor and know these facts - where and what lab the mine obtained it's cyanide from.
The prescription pill bottle without the label, certainly shows she had taken some sort of medication and she had breast reduction surgery, so there's some definite medical information. Since she was obese she would probably have a health issue, or at the least depression (given the suicide). Could have been a sleeping medication, depression, high blood pressure, etc...
Re-reading the posts again, her hair was natural in color...I've heard the Neville sketches are almost spot on, always - that he is a great forensic artist!
And back to the jewel colors...the colors of the velour were of the precious gem category: emerald, ruby (fuschia or pigeon blood red), and sapphire - traditionally blue but also comes in other colors. So...what's she wearing when she commits suicide but a black top and black leggings? Doesn't fit... she traveled/or died, in one type of garment but had packed a totally different type of garment(s).
And that damned kitchen bowl... again, perhaps she had a pet she parted with, maybe it was a keepsake of home, maybe she had sodium cyanide (this is the type you smell/inhale) too as well as potassium cyanide (that's the kind you put into something) and she decided to use the sodium and got rid of it once she decided on the sodium cyanide? Why else would someone take a kitchen bowl with them?
She also pulled back the sheets from the bed... concerned about a mess? Or, did she have a phobia about how clean the sheets were? Maybe along with an eating disorder she had a clean phobia? But if that were so, why no toothbrush, change of undergarments, deodorant... so many things left missing. And none of us know if the KCME left those items out deliberately or if these items were not there which makes it sound more like the entire contents of her clothing choices, iron, kitchen bowl, right down to the maple leaf were left as a complete puzzle to cause this type of confusion.
I do believe she had some knowledge of the East Coast, so if she was a vendor for mine companies, she may have traveled to the NYC area, and had to contact clients, or perhaps peers on conferences held there, or on business. She knew enough to come close to zip codes, street addresses, and area codes.
It would be interesting to know when approximately the breast reduction surgery was done - how long ago the scarring is estimated at... Still swirling idea's around... I did read there were pictures taken of the room when her body was discovered. I wonder if they've looked at those pictures again. I remember reading in the articles written that KCME at the time stated he believed they missed something in the room. With our enhancement technologies maybe those photo's (though not as complete as a homicide would be in number and type) could be looked at again for anything missing, if they haven't been already?
Bottom line - I think the only thing for sure that could be said is she cared about her appearance, so much as to have breast reduction surgery, was no doubt depressed and along with that depressed about her appearance too at this stage. I think we can all safely assume she wasn't always this big, but may have been a binge eater in her life? That might help as we are searching through these missing people, if we find one that mentions binge eating disorder or preoccupation with appearance?
Final note: there are MANY people I haven't seen in years. I don't report them as missing, so it's perfectly possible that no one realizes even now that she is in fact missing.
