She Was Murdered In 1999 Just 2 Months Before Her Wedding, And A Sweater Might Hold The Clue As To Who Took Her Life
In June of 1999, Cynthia Rearden was a thirty-one-year-old single mother to her eight-year-old son. They lived together in a small trailer in Monroe, Washington, near where Cynthia was employed as a housekeeper for a local motel.
The mom worked hard to support her son and, during her free time, loved fishing and going on walks. She was also engaged to be wed in two months’ time and had already picked out her wedding dress.
Then, on June 20, tragedy struck. Cynthia left her son with a babysitter to visit the Hayloft Saloon– a local bar less than one mile away from her home. The mom was last seen leaving at about 11:30 p.m. and was never heard from again.
Some bar patrons reported she left with men, while others claim she left alone. Nonetheless, Cynthia’s car had not been working– so she either got a ride home or walked home alone.
Cynthia remained missing for eight whole months. Her parents had no clue what to tell her son and refused to believe that Cynthia had just left her family behind.
Facebook; pictured above is Cynthia
“I know my daughter. I know she would not leave her son like that,” said Larry Lane, her stepfather.
Officials followed up on hundreds of leads and launched numerous searches over the months before finally discovering human remains in a marshy wooded area about five miles away from the Hayloft Saloon.
Five days later, the remains were positively matched to Cynthia using past dental records.
If true crime defines your free time, this is for you: join Chip Chick’s True Crime Tribe.
“After her remains were identified, her case changed to a murder investigation. ‘Where is Cynthia?’ was no longer the question. It became, ‘Who killed Cynthia, and why?'” said a blog created to spread awareness of the mom’s case.
Yet, twenty-three years later, Cynthia’s case has remained cold. Authorities did not have any viable leads or DNA evidence.
In 2009, the Sheriff’s office did release a photo of a sweater that was discovered near the mom’s remains and hoped the garment would illuminate what happened that summer night in 1999.
Facebook; pictured above is what the sweater looks like
“Finding someone who was in possession of that garment would be a good lead to try and figure out who the killer could be,” explained Detective Jim Scharf of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.
But, no one has ever come forward with information regarding the sweater, and the glimmer of hope authorities had in closing the case eventually faded away.
Cynthia’s son will be thirty-two years old this year. And her stepfather, Larry, would be eighty-three. In a 2008 interview with the Herald Net, he expressed his anger and hopes for justice.
“[Cynthia] was my sweetheart. Before I die, I’d like to know who the hell killed her,” Larry said.
A Facebook group and website have since been created to keep the community updated on any developments.
And if you have any information regarding Cynthia’s murder, you are urged to contact the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at (425) 388-3845.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
This Woman Booked An Airbnb In Bali That Turned Out To Be An Abandoned Building
This Study Confirmed That Imposter Syndrome Is Real And Can Be Detrimental To Mental Health
More About:True Crime