The Snohomish County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identity of a body found Sunday afternoon to be that of Cheryl DeBoer, a 53-year-old woman who was last heard from more than a week ago.
However, the cause and manner of death are still listed as pending further investigation.
Tuesday night, Mountlake Terrace Deputy Police Chief Pete Caw confirmed blood was found inside DeBoer’s car, on the front passenger seat and inside the door.
Caw says the family has been “extremely cooperative” with the investigation. DeBoer’s husband has been ruled out as a person of interest. He took a polygraph test Friday as part of the police investigation.
Search and rescue crews grid-searched the area where her body was found Tuesday. They were looking for any evidence or any clues as to what could have happened to DeBoer before her body was found at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. Caw said nothing of interest was found on Tuesday.
“This was the third time we’ve gone through that area,” he said. “There’s nothing left, but we had to make sure we didn’t leave anything behind.”
Mountlake Terrace police spokesman Kevin Pickard said during a press conference Monday that some items were recovered in that area when DeBoer’s body was found.
Cheryl DeBoer was last heard from on Monday, Feb. 8 when she texted her work friend that she forgot her work badge and couldn’t meet her at the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center to carpool. Her friend said she would wait for her, but couldn’t reach her.
DeBoer worked as a systems analyst at the Center for HIV/AIDS Research and Prevention at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
Police said there was no activity on her phone since she went missing. The phone was not in her car, which was found Monday near the Transit Center overflow parking, located in the 23400 block of 58th Avenue West.
Mountlake Terrace police spokesman Commander Kevin Pickard calls her disappearance “suspicious.”
Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen anything suspicious between 7 a.m. on Feb. 8 and 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 to come forward with information. Specifically, they are looking into suspicious activity, people, vehicles or noises near the Mountlake Terrace Library, the Transit Center and around the intersection of 244th Street Southwest and Cedar Way. Any information is helpful to the investigation, Pickard said.
A Celebration of Life for Cheryl DeBoer is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lynnwood. A GoFundMe page was created Saturday to support the family.
Real first and last names — as well as city of residence — are required for all commenters.
This is so we can verify your identity before approving your comment.