The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office cold case and missing persons unit is actively investigating the death of a Lewis County woman who is believed to have died by drowning in 2022 at the age of 47.
Melody Rose Dowell Mohney was found dead in the Black River near the 14800 block of Littlerock Road Southwest in Rochester on June 22, 2022, following a two-day search-and-rescue effort, according to previous reporting by The Olympian.
Mohney was born in Centralia, graduating from Centralia High School in 1993 and Centralia College in 1995. She spent 26 years in the dental field, finishing her career as an office manager of a dental office in Chehalis, according to her obituary published in The Chronicle.
The Thurston County Coroner’s Office conducted a death investigation, which included an autopsy, and ultimately determined April 2, 2024, that Mohney’s immediate cause of death was drowning, with blunt force injury to the neck and torso as contributing factors, Coroner Gary Warnock confirmed Thursday.
Warnock noted there were multiple unusual factors to Mohney’s case that left him with unanswered questions.
“It was a very shallow body of water that somebody in her current state should not have drowned in,” Warnock told The Chronicle.
The Thurston County Coroner’s Office investigation is closed, but the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office cold case and missing persons unit is still actively investigating the case, Investigative Services Division Lieutenant Mike Brooks confirmed Thursday.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office announced the launch of the dedicated two-person cold case and missing persons unit in June 2024.
The unit consists of volunteer Special Deputy Jim Lindsay, who is a retired law enforcement officer with experience investigating fraud and cold cases, and Detective George Oplinger, who has been with the sheriff’s office for the last 24 years and has seven years of prior detective experience.
The specialty unit is made possible by the public safety tax recently passed by voters, which will allow the sheriff’s office to fill 27 new deputy positions over the next 18 months, the sheriff’s office stated at the time.
As of Thursday afternoon, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) had a record of 33 active missing persons cases in Thurston County. The oldest active case on record dates back to 1963, with the most recent case occurring in September 2024.
Additionally, there were eight sets of human remains found in Thurston County between 1981 and 2018 that remain unidentified, according to NamUs. Of those eight, three were found in Olympia, one was found in rural Thurston County and one — an Asian male estimated to be between 20 and 50 years old — was found in Yelm.
Project Cold Case, a nonprofit database consisting of unsolved homicides in the U.S., has two unsolved murder cases on record in Thurston County.
More information on active missing persons and unidentified persons cases, visit https://namus.nij.ojp.gov/.
More information on unsolved murder cases, visit https://database.projectcoldcase.org/.
For more information or to submit tips to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office’s cold case/missing person unit, contact the sheriff’s office at 360-786-5500.
Thurston County unsolved missing/murdered person cases
• Joshua Lindsey, last seen in Olympia on Sept. 2, 2024, at the age of 43.
• Demitrios Zephyros, last seen in Olympia on Jan. 15, 2024, at the age of 34.
• Stephen Barton, last seen in Rochester on March 9, 2023, at the age of 54.
• Melody Rose Dowell Mohney, died by drowning at the age of 47. Her body was found in the Black River near the 14800 block of Littlerock Road Southwest in Rochester on June 22, 2022.
• Whitney Wilken, last seen in Lacey on Oct. 24, 2019, at the age of 31.
• Susan Lundy, last seen in Olympia on June 30, 2019, at the age of 58.
• Matthew Anfeldt, last seen in Rochester on Feb. 28, 2019, at the age of 20. His remains were found in South Thurston County in October 2023 and a celebration of life was held in January 2024.
• Jennifer Pagel, last seen in Olympia on Dec. 29, 2017, at the age of 28.
• Christine Wagner, last seen in Olympia on Oct. 10, 2016, at the age of 67.
• Gail Doyle, last seen in Olympia on June 2, 2016, at the age of 60.
• Logan Schiendelman, last seen in Tumwater on May 19, 2016, at the age of 19.
• Danielle Griffith, last seen in Tumwater in August 2014 at the age of 17. In February 2020, a set of remains found in Tumwater on May 17, 2019, were identified as hers.
• Steven Billman, last seen in Rochester on Jan. 10, 2014, at the age of 26.
• Willard Bennett, last seen in Olympia on Nov. 12, 2013, at the age of 73.
• Ryan Mayer, last seen in Olympia on Nov. 10, 2013, at the age of 33.
• Shantina Smiley, last seen in Olympia on March 13, 2010, at the age of 29.
• Nancy Moyer, last seen in Tenino on March 6, 2009, at the age of 36.
• Christopher Waltson, last seen in Olympia on June 29, 2007, at the age of 35.
• Gilbert Gilman, last seen in Hoodsport on June 24, 2006, at the age of 47.
• Karen Bodine, murdered by strangulation at the age of 37. Her body was found on Sargent Road Southwest in Rochester on Jan. 22, 2007.
• Jared Gigena, last seen in Rainier on Sept. 5, 2002, at the age of 20.
• Jonathan Corey, last seen in Olympia on Feb. 1, 2002, at the age of 20.
• Michelle Dickerman, last seen in Lacey on April 28, 2001, at the age of 41.
• Spencer Jolley, last seen in Lacey on May 12, 2000, at the age of 25.
• Craig Moilanen, last seen in Olympia on Jan. 6, 1999, at the age of 46.
• Bruce DeVoe, last seen in Tenino on Nov. 4, 1997, at the age of 40.
• James Henson, last seen in Olympia on Feb. 23, 1995, at the age of 56.
• Delight Watson, last seen in Lacey on May 12, 1993, at the age of 40.
• Consuelo Vannausdle, last seen in Lacey on May 1, 1993, at the age of 31.
• Allan Hill, last seen in Yelm on Sept. 18, 1987, at the age of 30.
• Karan Brown, last seen in Olympia on Jan. 1, 1980, at the age of 26.
• Russell Ashmun, last seen in Olympia on Sept. 22, 1979, at the age of 22.
• David Boniske, last seen in Olympia on July 23, 1977, at the age of 21.
• Donna Manson, last seen in Olympia on March 12, 1974, at the age of 19.
• Patricia K. Garrison, found stabbed in the hospital parking lot on Jan. 5, 1970, in Olympia. She died from her injuries two days later at the age of 17.
• Christopher Bridgeman Jr., last seen on Jan. 1, 1963, at the age of 33.
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Editor’s note: If your loved one is missing from this list and you would like their name added, please email emily@chronline.com.
