An Indigenous woman’s remains were discovered last week in a remote part of Washington state, five years after she went missing, authorities said. An investigation into Mary Johnson-Davis’ death is still ongoing, and her tribe as well as the FBI have offered a $60,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person, or people, responsible.
Johnson-Davis, 44, was last seen on November 25, 2020, walking to a friend’s house on the Tulalip Reservation, about 40 miles north of Seattle, according to the FBI. She was reported missing on Dec. 9 of that year.
The FBI’s Seattle field office announced Friday that DNA tests had recently identified human remains that were discovered in June in Snohomish County, between Seattle and the Tulalip Reservation, and matched them to Johnson-Davis.
“With deep respect for the family and Tulalip community, the Tulalip Police Department is heartbroken to confirm that human remains have been positively identified as Mary Johnson-Davis, a member of the Tulalip Tribes of Washington,” said Shawn Ledford, the Tulalip Police Chief, in a statement. “This case remains an active and ongoing investigation, and the Tulalip Police Department will continue to work in partnership with the family and the FBI.”
Johnson-Davis’ family said they were “saddened by the news” in a statement sent via text message by the woman’s estranged husband to KING-TV. He sent the statement on behalf of her family and the family’s attorney, according to the station.
“Our hearts are heavy, also because so many loving people are feeling sadness for our sister and our family. We are in disbelief that we will never see Mary again. We all wanted her to come home. She is now being brought back to us, but not like we hoped,” the statement said. “At the same time, our family finally has closure. We are at peace and now we can rest, knowing our sister has been found and will be brought home, where she is loved and will always be remembered.”
Indigenous women go missing and are murdered at disproportionately high rates in the U.S. and Canada, compared with other groups, and experts say the crisis is rooted in historical wrongs.
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