Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Photos

Donna Gail Manson




Manson, date, approximate 1974; Ted Bundy in the 1980s
Date Missing 03/12/1974
Missing From
Olympia, Washington
Missing Classification Endangered Missing
Sex Female
Race
White
Date of Birth 06/09/1954 (68)
Age 19 years old
Height and Weight 5'0, 100 pounds
Clothing/Jewelry Description A red, orange and green striped shirt, blue or green slacks, a fuzzy black full-length coat, an oval-shaped brown agate ring, and a Bulova Caravell wristwatch.
Medical Conditions Manson was depressed at the time of her disappearance and may have been suicidal.
Markings and/or Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, blue eyes.
Details of Disappearance Manson was a student at Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington in 1974. She has never been heard from again. She was not reported as a missing person for six days, as she often hitchhiked to nearby locales and could disappear for several days at a time without notice. Friends initially believed Manson had decided to travel without sharing her plans beforehand.
Serial killer Ted Bundy confessed to Manson's murder before his 1989 execution. A photo of Bundy is posted with this summary. He claimed that her partial skeleton had been recovered by authorities on March 3, 1975 at Taylor Mountain, Washington, but had not been identified. Bundy's statement has never been confirmed.
Two fishermen discovered a human skull while walking near Highway 7 southwest of Eatonville, Washington on August 29, 1978. The area is near the foothills of Mount Rainer. Searchers also located additional bones, hair and clothing near the scene. A multi-colored shirt was among the discoveries; it was similar in style to the shirt Manson wore on the day of her 1974 disappearance.
Authorities apparently believed the Eatonville skeleton was placed at the scene after 1974. Pierce County, Washington officials did not compare Manson's records to those of the unidentified victim, although a King County, Washington investigator inquired about the possibility during the late 1970s. X-rays and additional records for the victim disappeared from Pierce County sometime afterwards. It is unclear what happened to the documents.
A forensic dentist employed by law enforcement officials ruled out seven missing persons as potential matches for the Eatonville remains in 1978. Manson remained the only possible match with the victim, although the skeleton was destroyed afterwards. Two sets of Pierce County's unidentified remains were taken to a landfill in Tacoma, Washington and another skeleton was misplaced at an undetermined location during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The accidents occurred during routine purges of the sheriff's office property room.
Manson's was revived for a short time in the 1990s after the details about the lost remains and documents were revealed. No additional evidence regarding her was uncovered.
Authorities believe that Manson was a victim of Bundy, along with Nancy Baird, Ann Marie Burr, Lynette Culver, Julie Cunningham, Susan Curtis, Georgeann Hawkins, Vicki Hollar,Rita Jolly, Denise Oliverson, Nancy Wilcox, and other girls and young women. They remain listed as missing persons and have never been recovered.
Investigating Agency
Thurston County Sheriff's Office
360-786-5500
Other
The Crime Library
CyberSleuths
The Seattle Times
The Stranger Beside Me
Washington State Missing Persons
Remembering the Victims of Ted Bundy
The Life & Crimes Of Ted Bundy

Missing Person Photos

A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are unknown. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2 to 5 percent of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. A number of organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and images of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece.

Resources for Missing Persons

According to current statistics, 4,000 people in the United States go missing every day. Sometimes a child suddenly vanishes from the bus stop or the local park or even from their own yard or bedroom. Or a teenager doesn�t return home after a walk to the neighborhood grocery store or a bike ride or a party with friends. Other times, an adult is mysteriously absent from their job or neighbors haven�t seen them for several days, and family and friends haven�t heard from them either.

Missing Person Photos