Nicole Pietz

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The Vanishing of Nicole Pietz


By Steve Huff

LYNNWOOD, Wash. (Crime Library) — Nicole T. Pietz, age 33, was last seen leaving her Lynnwood, Washington (WA) home on Saturday, January 28, 2006. The 5'3" blue-eyed brunette was heading to an "important personal appointment" in Renton, WA. When Nicole Pietz failed to arrive, people began to worry. Speaking to Seattle, WA television station KIRO, Nicole's husband David Pietz said, "She's always in contact with almost everybody she knows It's very, very unusual."

Pietz worked for a local cell phone company. Writing in her weblog on February 2, 2006, a co-worker of Pietz's named Megan was worried:

"[My] work buddy Nici is missing. She is wonderful, beautiful, warm and funny and we need to find her"

Nicole on a nature hike


Megan went on to quote from the media release about Nicole's disappearance issued by the Major Crimes Unit at the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. The release read, in part:

Nicole's Car


"There is no known reason for her to be missing and she has not gone away in the past without letting family know where she is. Nicole was last known to be driving her 2003 Gray Volkswagen Jetta Washington License number 991 TEF. There has been little use of her cell phone and only one gas charge on a credit card. That charge was on 01-30-06 at a Chevron Station in Kent"

Nicole's License Plate


It was later discovered that the charge on January 30th had been made by Nicole Pietz prior to his disappearance, and had simply shown up a few days late on her credit card records.

Pietz, usually called Nici by those who knew her well, was a trainer at Cingular Wireless. A co-worker named Wendi wrote the following about the missing woman in her Livejournal on February 2, 2006:

"he's a trainer at Cingular wireless, she's a very sweet person... I normally post crap in my LJ, but for a change I'm serious I am worried about her as is the rest of my call center () she trained half of it. it's scary to have someone go missing, this lady never ignores her cellphone"

Nicole holding baby


Perhaps the most interesting blog entry found in a cursory search of the various weblogging domains like Livejournal and Blogger was by a friend of Nici's named Ellen.

Ellen and her husband Jason were the people Nicole Pietz was supposed to meet on the evening of the 28th:

"Nici has disappeared (sic), and Jason and I were the friends she was supposed to have dinner with Saturday night. Its the most horrible experience to be completely powerless over. Now Jason and I are on our way out of town tomorrow to get married in Las Vegas and my thoughts seem only to want to focus on Nici. I pray she's safe and pray she finds her way home soon. Nici, I love you, and miss you, please call someone and let them know where you are"

Very little evidence has turned up to indicate what happened to Nicole Pietz. News coverage seemed to slow markedly after February 2nd, as well.

A webpage has been created in the interest of finding out what happened to Nicole Pietz www.findnici.com. There someone using the screen name Priscilla posted a message venting some of the anxiety and frustration Nicole's disappearance was causing in Pietz's workplace. Priscilla's message was also a window into the hearts of many people connected to such a mystery, whether or not they are particularly close to the missing person. Priscilla's message was also a touching glimpse into how some at Cingular Wireless perceived Nicole Pietz:

"I feel like I delicate shell that is about to crack. (and I'm not even her closest family and friends) I have done whatever I can within my own limitations to assist but I feel so thwarted and helpless. I keep thinking about the last time I interacted with her which was right before she went missing and how much I basked in her smile. There is much tension around our work it is like the big pink elephant that is in the room that no one wants to talk about"

Detective Brad Pince, the investigator assigned to Nici's disappearance by the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, has stated:

"I ask that you all try to be careful about passing on rumors and misinformation. If you do come across a tip I ask that you get that information to me as soon as possible and to limit sharing the information with others. I am not trying to keep things from Nicole's friends however it's getting to the point where I am running down leads that just end up being variations of information cleared two days ago"

Though there is no evidence of foul play in this case, one theme repeated in many news stories about Nicole is doubt that she might have vanished on purpose. She had an established reputation for being happy, responsible, and competent.

Nicole smiles while on a walk


In addition to being 5'3" and 125 pounds, Nicole Pietz has an Asian symbol tattoo on the small of her back. Pietz has a large scar on her right hip and her bellybutton is pierced. Her ears had also been pierced, but the release from the Snohomish County Sheriff says that "those were torn out."

If you have information relevant to the disappearance of Nicole T. Pietz from Lynnwood, WA on January 28, 2006, call the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office tip line at [phone].

www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/0206/0601_vanishing_nicole_pietz.html

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Grim Discovery Ends Search for Nicole Theresa Pietz

BURIEN, WA. (Crime Library) — It is small comfort, but at least now, her family and authorities who have been frantically searching for 32-year-old Nicole Theresa Pietz know where she is.

Her body was found Tuesday, authorities confirmed, discovered by a hiker who stumbled across it in a wooded area just a few blocks from S. 114th Street and Des Moines Memorial Drive in Burien.

So far, investigators have released few details about the discovery, which came at about 1 p.m. Tuesday, other than to say that it appeared the woman's body had been there for several days. They have not yet disclosed a cause of death though they are expected to do so perhaps as early as this afternoon when the county coroner completes a post mortem. "The autopsy completed, but the coroner has not yet released a cause or manner of death,' King County Sheriff's Department spokesman Sgt. John Urqhart told Crime Library. "I expect that we'll get that today and that should determine whether it was murder, or suicide or what."

But even without the coroner's final determination, authorities are treating the woman's death as a possible homicide. "I would say we're leaning toward a homicide... It certainly is very, very suspicious," Urqhart said. "It was an unusual spot for her to end up, not a place you would expect a natural death to occur or a suicide, for that matter," he added.

Authorities have made no arrests and no one has been identified as a suspect.

The young woman, who suffered from chronic back pain and was reportedly under significant financial pressure after recently buying a condominium with her husband, vanished Jan. 28 after leaving home to have dinner with friends. She never showed up, and the next day, her husband reported her missing.

At first, authorities said they had found no evidence of foul play. But as the days wore on without a trace of Pietz or the late model Volkswagen Jetta she was last seen driving, friends and family expressed grave doubts about her well being. They noted — among other things — that the dedicated young employee of a cell phone company would no simply run off without calling work or her loved ones.

In the days afterwards, a website was set up where friends, and even strangers, posted thoughts and hopes for her safe return. Now the board is accepting messages of condolence.

www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/0206/0801_nicole_pietz_found_dead.html