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

I wonder... if it's something organic or is produced in the body and turns into cyanide, would they be able to ID it as being that? That's a good question... No where in all the documentation online do I find how they actually identify these types of cyanide...I know they have the manufacturing information, so if she was taking a plain cyanide that was manufactured in the US they would know it's composition when they ran it. But... if she created it out of an organic or hybrid (several samples of manufactured cyanide) could they id that or would it come up with their analysis; which was unknown?

And did you catch this? "...Although drug interactions are unknown, at least one case report suggests that vitamin C can increase the amount of cyanide released from Laetrile in the body." Didn't Crystal Light have Vitamin C in their lemonade flavor??? If so, she was EXTREMELY meticulous and maybe why the KCME said she was. Between starving herself a few days, drinking Metamucil and Crystal Light (probably Lemonade flavor) to increase her acidity, and then this info about Vitamin C...perhaps this IS what she used? That might put her, at least on business trips, in the Northern California area or perhaps as a former resident there? Nice find :)

She wouldn't had even had to have been from CA. All she needed was access to Laetrile on the black market or access to apricot kernels. She could have used the bowl to prep them, although then I'd expect to see apricot kernel residue in it. The main problem with this theory is that death by apricot kernel doesn't seem to be as much of a sure thing as death by other forms of cyanide. Although people have certainly killed themselves in stranger (and less guaranteed) ways than this.

Some details: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/32/5/1121.full.pdf
 
Right so they would be able to ID that source if it was consumed, in her stomach and trace elements in the glass with Metamucil and Crystal Light - it's manufactured and would have a chemical signature that would be identifiable.

My impression was that the existing supplies would have been manufactured before the chemical signatures were added. They'd have been manufactured in the late 80's and sitting around farmers' barns and sheds. In 2004, the British government made a concerted effort to get everybody to turn their supplies in, and apparently found about twice as much as they thought was around.

I was actually wondering if the bowl was because she put the stuff in the bowl and inhaled the fumes, rather than ingesting it. But I think they would have mentioned if they thought it had been used for that.

(Amusing aside: apparently amyl nitrate ("poppers") is an antidote for cyanide exposure. There were several anecdotes about the antidote being significantly harder to get than the poison.)

It also made me wonder whether she might be British. There was almost nothing about this stuff in the US.
 
I guess it all keeps coming back to "several" samples of cyanide from a variety of sources making the location of where it was purchased precisely totally impossible, or the drug was from another country of which we don't have the chemical signature on file. She didn't have an accent, so although she might have been good at faking it, no one noticed anything unusual about her. (Being only a couple of hours from Canada many people have a smidge of a Canadian accent here, but it's only really noticeable when we travel outside of Seattle to the south, or back east.)
 
I wondered if she had inhaled it too, but there was cyanide residue on the drinking glass. It might depend on the type of cyanide inhaled, but I know when people commit suicide via inhaled cyanide here (usually lab workers), it's considered a hazmat-type situation.

I was reading up on other cyanide suicides and noticed that some (not all) people either left a note or told someone that they had cyanide--as a safety warning to whomever found their body. It doesn't look like MA did that.
 
If we were to just profile her now with what we know based on KCME information and logic...
She would be a heavy set woman in her 30's/early 40's in 1996, who had access to cyanide through work - either worked in jewelry, mining, photo development, a lab perhaps even a forensic lab for LE and therefore very methodical because of her work, and had either quit or been laid off from her job in September 96 or received her last unemployment check in September, given notice at her apartment or had sold her house also in September 96, either donated, sold, or threw away her personal possessions, told friends she did have that she had to leave the area and probably wasn't returning (variety of reasons: a relative was dying and she had to handle their affairs, decided to travel, etc... it would have been a plausible story), considered Seattle being the end of the earth (she didn't want to be found or ID'd), arranged her remaining possessions to not leave a hint of where she was or who she was, yet had a Bible on her chest opened to The Pslams of David on the page where the 23rd Psalm was located (but the 22nd was also on that page stating how reviled and hated David was), brought an iron which had no use or purpose given her apparel, brought a bowl which had no use except if she had owned a pet and gave it away or if she also brought along potassium cyanide and thought of inhaling it, had researched at the public library across the street (might have been a member of ASH) how you make your stomach as acidic as possible through starvation and drinking acidic Crystal Light probably lemonade flavor with Metamucil to direct water in her body to her intestines in order to aid your cyanide if ingested so not as much was needed assuring her death (she had inside information on how to do this), wrote a note careful to mention it was her choice no one to blame (Who was she thinking of protecting? She knew if they thought it was a homicide they'd keep digging), she pressed a maple leaf into the pages of the Seattle Weekly, she brought 7 days worth of clothing, including what she was wearing, but no bra's or underwear, toothpaste but no tooth brush, she had a comb to comb her hair back, and makeup (that any auburn would tell you was NOT flattering for their coloring - you don't wear blue eye shadow with brown or dark blue eyes and auburn hair, nor do you do pinks and if she's that "stylish" she knew that rule) and the clothing she wore was different from everything else she brought which was the colors of precious gem stones: ruby, sapphire, and emerald, a pill bottle with the label torn off -so this lady either was on medication or someone in her life was, she had a partial plate, had breast reduction surgery, and at some point been sexually active as she had an old copper IUD which would have been placed there sometime in the mid 80's to late 80's as it's id numbers were worn off with age. Someone, a former boyfriend, ex-husband, girlfriend, co-worker knew this woman and was told her exit was permanent due to something that made sense to them, but they also knew she had been depressed, sad, or mournful. She more than likely had told someone, a doctor, a friend, a co-worker, ex-partner of her suicide thoughts. She planned this out for sometime, and more than likely had a trigger that set off her events in motion. Her exit from her prior life was sudden as she had to wrap up all her mail, housing, possessions in a very short period of time. Someone knows her quite well and can ID her, that's why she went to such lengths to cover her trail. Someone out there knows her, someone out there wonders what ever became of that lab worker, jeweler, distributor, or former forensic law enforcement worker and someone just MIGHT read these theories and say hey, that sounds like a gal I knew once....or some mother is saying "I'm almost at my end, I wonder if she'll ever forgive me and see me before I go?" This is what I would write if I were putting anything out there.
 
I know the prescription bottle had the label torn off, but was there any actual medication inside the bottle and what kind was it??
 
I know the prescription bottle had the label torn off, but was there any actual medication inside the bottle and what kind was it??

No medication was noted in the report per the two reporters who interviewed KCME, and none listed in the NAMus or Doe network.
 
No medication was noted in the report per the two reporters who interviewed KCME, and none listed in the NAMus or Doe network.

Thanks GloSeattle! I couldn't remember if there had been any information on that...was wondering the kind of meds to see if they were possibly for depression or an unreported medical issue.
 
Thanks GloSeattle! I couldn't remember if there had been any information on that...was wondering the kind of meds to see if they were possibly for depression or an unreported medical issue.

You're quite welcome, Shamrocker99. It would be helpful if something were listed for sure! (They may have gotten a sample of what was in the prescription bottle but not released the information so they can obtain a verified ID on her.) I'm rather suspicious that a lot of information on her may not have been released for precisely that reason. However, now that it's been almost 30 years...if they follow this page, I would pray they'd reconsider this tactic and release any and all pertinent information and perhaps other photo's of the room so that we can increase the odds of someone recognizing her and identifying her. I'm not inferring in any manner that they don't "know their jobs" or that they are not being professional. I highly respect LE, ME's, and everyone involved in this case and their expertise. However, might I suggest that doing it the way they've always done it has not yielded them a "case closed" on this and it needs to be rethought, reworked, redone, and enlist the help of the public. Again, it's almost 30 years this has gone unsolved. I hope they don't add another 30 just because she's and adult female versus a young child. EVERY life is precious! (Ok off my soapbox LoL)
 
(Almost 20)

I noticed AFTER it was too late to correct it, that I did that 3 times LoL (Well, at the rate they are releasing information for identification, it probably will be in no time, right?) Apologize for the error in typing :)
 
Still looking at the weeks before, and days before her suicide and found these news articles that might have been triggers for Mary to proceed with her planned suicide... for anyone who knew this woman these articles might help you id this woman as someone in your life as you'd know what would set her off:
A Dryden NY tragedy in the Seattle Times on October 8th, that when researched is quite possibly the worst story ever (teens all dying untimely deaths) http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961008&slug=2353123
A local shooting on October 8th: http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961008&slug=2353245
A small plane crash in Everett that kills the pilot on October 8th http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961008&slug=2353267
Suicide in an Auburn jail
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961009&slug=2353372

Woman convicted of killing her live in boyfriend will go free October 9, 1996

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961009&slug=2353359

Could she have been a former victim of rape at a young age and this triggered her to pick October 9th as "the day?"

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961009&slug=2353378

And aside from triggers, this mother and her two children went missing in 1963, and our Mary bears (albeit a heavier) resemblance to this family...what if Mary is one of the daughters? Could DNA be compared with this missing persons case? http://www.seattlepi.com/local/arti...ase-missing-persons-3442104.php#photo-2749186
 
I'm looking through children/teens or young people who went missing also, as the reason why Mary might have said she had no family is she might have been convinced by someone who abducted her at a young age or as a teen and that her family didn't care about her. Here's some possible matches...again I don't know if this is accurate but it's something to explore perhaps. These are all from the doe network (which I notice, isn't always in alignment with NAMus, as our Mary was JUST added to NAMus on the 17th of this month after all these years.) I focused on dates missing from around the 9th of October...perhaps another trigger for her deciding on this date for her suicide. Again, she may have had no trigger other than she was just done!

Looking through DOE files Missing on or around October 9th:
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1286dfdeu.html
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/907dfon.html
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/979dfca.html
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1626dfqc.html
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/889dfca.html
http://www.doenetwork.org/cases/2010dfbc.html (poss., but she may be too short - no listing of her height here)
 
Also found in the autopsy of cyanide poisoning that this person drank the solution of 13% sodium nitroprusside, so it's not necessary to be poisoned intravenously by this drug, it can be ingested as it was found in his stomach contents. Therefore even if the pill form of this drug was not available as a treatment for HBP (hypertension/high blood pressure) the liquid solution used as it's treatment could have been ingested in a small amount orally and could have resulted in poisoning. (See paragraph 10 for source of this quote)
"...Case report12 : (because the small number of victims in autopsy room at forensic department University of Indonesia, this case I downloaded from cyanide poisoning on net )
A male, 20-year-old university student, studying Chemistry. He shouted from his lodging's window that he had been poisoned, and was found in a collapsed state in his bedroom. He died two hours later in hospital At post mortem, six hours later, there was a distinct smell of almonds associated with the body. The organs of the body were congested and the stomach contents smelt strongly of almonds.The mucosa of the stomach was noted to be blue, with heavy staining of the fundus and body of the stomach, but the antrum was spared. Sometime later, a bottle with a small quantity of residual liquid was found on the premises. Toxicological analysis identified an aqueous solution of 13% sodium nitroprusside. Death was caused by cyanide poisoning. Nitroprusside contains five cyanide groups (CN) and one nitrous oxide group (NO). The latter component accounts for its therapeutic action as an antihypertensive agent. Nitroprusside in the blood reacts rapidly with haemoglobin to produce thiocyanate and cyanide, through which its toxic effects are exerted..."
Source link:
http://cyanidepoisoning.blogspot.com/2004/10/autopsy-finding.html
 
Going back to news items from the days before she died and a possible trigger for her to take her life, here are some more headlines...perhaps someone will see her in these news items, see the connection with her:
This one is an airplane crash in Peru on October 2nd, with 4 Americans on board. I can't find a passenger list...but maybe someone remembers Mary lost someone and can ID her:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroperú_Flight_603
And a closed hearing for someone determined as a violent sex offender - very odd:
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961010&slug=2353563
Could this woman have been a mentor of Mary's if she was in the scientific field?
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961010&slug=2353448
Some commented they thought Mary looked Jewish...here's some news about the temple/mosque dispute:
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961010&slug=2353562
Although the article came out the day after she checked in, he was charged prior to the official announcement - did she know this congressional aid?
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961010&slug=2353599
Did she know this family somehow, or did it remind her of something in her life?
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date
Was she discriminated against at her job and identified with this story?
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961010&slug=2353570
Did she know this family or is the story of abduction hitting home with her?
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961009&slug=2353297
Again, could she have identified with this story or did she know anyone involved in this?
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961009&slug=2353352
A pipe bomb scare a few blocks away:
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961010&slug=2353419
 
Another interesting article on cyanide poisoning and mentioning a study done in 1993 on it's benefits...one thing interesting, I thought, was to fill a capsule with the poison so there's no damage to the throat (burning sensation). The other symptoms seem pretty synonymous, nausea, retching, etc... But Mary showed none of the signs of this, she looked like she was just sleeping. Is it possible she took a capsule and also had some sleeping medication to help her sleep through any symptoms? Wish we knew more about what was found in her system other than the cyanide and what health problems she might have had. There are links at the bottom, some of which I've already used here in prior posts. Here's the article: http://exiteuthanasia.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/an-unusual-death-by-cyanide/
 
Another article on cyanide...now I understand why they thought she was in the jewelry or mining business... they know the "type" of cyanide just not where it came from, but this hints at it came from out of the country. Here's the quote and the link will follow: "...Those formulas tells us that basic cyanide formula is a carbon atom bonded to a nitrogen atom and that the cyanide couplet really likes to attach itself to other atoms.

But they also can tell us something about the source of the cyanide. Potassium cyanide, for instance, has long been used in the process of electroplating metals. Sodium cyanide (a little more poisonous) has been used for decades in gold mining and other metal extraction processes. If Chicago medical examiners can figure out the type of cyanide used here, they should be able to develop a fairly short list of sources for the poison. Interestingly enough, both Khan’s family and his wife’s family are from India, where cyanide tends to be easier to purchase than in the United States. Some years ago, in fact, The Times of India did an investigation focused specifically on the ease of buying cyanide compounds in that country..."
Source link: http://www.wired.com/2013/01/a-cyanide-murder-in-chicago/
 
Perhaps if North American mines were checked, Canadian Mining companies with interests only overseas were ignored or not taken into consideration when trying to obtain a chemical match. Here's Eldorado Gold, a Canadian company with assets in Turkey, China, Greece, Brazil and Romania. Eldorado owns and operates seven mines overseas. Could this be why the cyanide wasn't identified? http://www.eldoradogold.com/
This is just one example, however it appears that Canada is positioned to "take over the world, in mining" read this interesting article and understand this might be how she got a poison we can't identify and why she's never been reported missing - she traveled too much to connect long term with anyone - they figure she'd been assigned elsewhere, she's always gone!
http://globaljournalist.org/2013/10/when-canadian-mining-companies-take-over-the-world/
American mining overseas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo_American_plc
Also top 10 gold mining companies - they will know where to get this chemical composition - they mine overeas: http://goldinvestingnews.com/investing-in-gold/top-10-gold-producers
Also a little gold mining history: "South Africa was the world's largest producer or second largest producer of gold, diamonds, platinum, chromium, manganese, and vanadium; and it ranked high among producers of coal, iron ore, uranium, copper, silver, fluorspar, asbestos, and limestone." http://countrystudies.us/south-africa/66.htm
And finally, I really like this Taylor Mine in Ontario... it's changed hands a few times... http://www.sasgoldmines.com/s/AdvancedProjects.asp "...In 1986 through 1997 SAS drilled intermittently on the property."
 
This is not going to be a help in this very strange case, but has anyone ever thought this woman might have been in the military at one time? Some ex-military are very neat, organized people.

I have a female cousin who actually processed out of the Army in Washington state. She was a Captain in the Army. She never wore any jewelry in uniform except a watch with a black band. She dresses in very simple clothing even now. (we are in our 60's) It seems that Mary Anderson was pretty much a no frills person and not terribly feminine. You cannot get much more plain than 2 piece velour outfits, IMO.

I would like to know if LE took pics of Mary's belongings. Did the makeup appear to be new? How much cologne/perfume was missing out of the bottle? Could she have gone to a department store and had her makeup done upon arriving in Seattle, and then bought the makeup used? Was her handbag new looking? Did the man's jacket/coat look worn?

Copper IUD's were around in the 70's. I had my son at Irwin Army hospital at Ft. Riley, Kansas. The doctor's there wanted to know if I was going to use birth control and would I want the IUD or the pill. Honestly! I felt like telling him it was none of his business! That was back when you were kept in the hospital for at least 2 days after giving birth. The doctor had told me the very day I was to be discharged that if I chose the IUD, it was easier to insert right after birth. I chose it and regretted it. I kept it for several years and wound up having to have a partial hysterectomy.

Anyway; I have read this entire thread and would really like to know who this woman was. I have looked through so many cases of the missing whose age and characteristics might match and found none. If the ME was willing to say Mary could have been anywhere from 33 to 45, then I am inclined to believe she must have at least been over 40. She could possibly have had a military career. Electronic fingerprinting (AFIS) had not come into being at that time. There was no database for military fingerprints at that time either, IIRC.
Of course the military would have her fingerprints on file as well as her blood type, but we have no name.

I'm just throwing things out there. Someone had to know her.

MOO
 

Members online

Online statistics

Members online
131
Guests online
2,981
Total visitors
3,112

Forum statistics

Threads
592,176
Messages
17,964,661
Members
228,715
Latest member
hannahdunnam
Back
Top