Account
May 29, 2014
May 26, 2023
Cynthia
Marl
64
45
67 inches
140 lbs
165 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the quiet city of Wenatchee, Washington, a family's life was forever altered on the evening of March 19, 2005. Cynthia Jane Marl, a 45-year-old woman, informed her son that she was heading out to run some errands and expected to be home within the hour. She departed from their residence in the 300 block of South Delaware Avenue, driving her dark green or teal-colored 1995 Plymouth Voyager van. That brief trip to the store was the last time her son, or anyone else, would report seeing her. When Cynthia didn't return that night as planned, her son grew increasingly concerned. His worry was amplified by the fact that Cynthia was a devoted pet owner to a very sick dog, and it was highly uncharacteristic of her to leave the animal unattended for any significant period. The initial days of Cynthia's disappearance were fraught with frustration for her family. When her son attempted to file a missing person's report, he was met with resistance, a common yet heartbreaking obstacle in cases involving adults. The investigation into her vanishing gained momentum when her van was discovered on May 6, nearly two months after she was last seen. The vehicle was found abandoned in Ephrata, Washington, roughly 50 miles from her home. A witness reported that the van had been parked in that location for about a month. Disturbingly, the van had been wiped down with gasoline, and all of Cynthia's personal belongings were missing, suggesting a deliberate attempt to erase any evidence. This discovery deepened the fears of foul play and left investigators with more questions than answers. Years passed without any significant breakthroughs in the case, leaving Cynthia's loved ones in a painful state of limbo. A potential lead emerged in April 2009, when a man named Scott Bates was killed during a burglary attempt. Following his death, law enforcement revealed that Bates had been a person of interest in Cynthia's disappearance for some time. An informant had come forward with unsettling allegations, claiming that Cynthia had been involved in selling prescription painkillers and that Bates had plotted to rob her of drugs and money. The informant detailed a violent plan in which Bates, who had a background in martial arts, intended to incapacitate and possibly kill her. Prior to her disappearance, Cynthia had been arrested for heroin possession. At the time she went missing, she was unemployed due to a back injury and was receiving Social Security benefits, yet she may have had a substantial amount of cash with her. Despite these revelations and her son's strong belief that Bates was responsible for his mother's fate, Cynthia's case remains unsolved. The official investigation continues, a quiet but persistent search for a woman who was a mother, a student with aspirations of becoming a veterinarian, and a cherished member of her family, whose sudden absence has left an irreplaceable void.
Mar 19, 2005
Wenatchee
Washington
Chelan County
98801
No
15339
Wenatchee Police Department
Wenatchee
Washington
Chelan County
98801
Shawndra Duke
Police Officer
140 South Mission Street, Washington
5098884200
Local
Law Enforcement
05W04361
2005-03-20
Wenatchee Police Department
Brown
Blue
Blue
No
06/15/2026
