Snohomish County officials have identified the remains of an anonymous male and female in two separate cases as a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and a woman who went missing from a cabin in 1981.
In one case, the human remains were discovered nearly 45 years ago and in the other case, the remains were discovered in 2009. In both cases, officials tried multiple times to successfully build a DNA profile and find a match.
Blaine Has Tricks
Blaine Has Tricks, a 38-year-old man from North Dakota, disappeared in 1977 after living in Spokane and was never reported missing. In September 1977, a bulldozer operator found human remains in a Marysville landfill and informed law-enforcement authorities, who determined the person had been dead for about two weeks.
Because of extensive post-mortem trauma caused by transport and bulldozing at the landfill, as well as the time that had passed since Has Tricks' death, a coroner was unable to identify the cause of death. The unidentified remains were buried at a cemetery.
In 2008, with the emergence of new DNA technologies, detectives obtained a search warrant to exhume the body and perform DNA testing. After sending in bones for DNA testing and examining dental radiographs, officials failed in 2018, 2019 and 2020 to find a match or produce enough human DNA for testing.
In April 2021, Othram Inc. was able to develop a DNA profile from a section of femur (thighbone), which revealed the decedent was predominantly Native American. Using family history, newspaper archives and a DNA match at the great-niece level, the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office and Native American genealogist Martha Coleman were able to identify the remains.
"The last members of Blaine's family are thankful that he was identified and his remains are being sent home to where he belongs," said Has Tricks' nephew Verle Red Tomahawk in a statement.
Alice Lou Williams
Alice Lou Williams went missing under suspicious circumstances from her Lake Loma recreational cabin in July 1981, according to Snohomish County missing-person reports.
In 2009, U.S. Forest Service surveyors described a partial cranium in a steep, forested ravine north of Skykomish, according to Snohomish County officials. No other remains, clothing or jewelry were found. A forensic anthropologist was able to determine the cranium belonged to a woman over 40 years old. No other physical characteristics could be determined.
After sections of the cranium were sent to various agencies and companies in 2010, 2017 and 2019, the woman remained unidentified.
In 2021, Othram Inc. was able to develop a DNA profile that was uploaded to genealogical databases.
After building family trees and testing the woman's adult children, officials were able to identify the woman as Williams.
"It has been 41 years since (Williams) disappeared from my parents' Lake Loma cabin. The only person who could supply any information to the investigators was my Father, who was the last person to see her," said Williams' daughter Dona Roth in a statement. "Our family became broken over her disappearance and that wound has never healed."
Officials ask anyone with information about either case to call the sheriff's tip line at 425-388-3845.
