A year later, no answers in Lynnwood woman’s killing

Gael Schneider sometimes must push away what she treasures most.

With a mother’s heart, she cherishes each memory.

There were the summers on Lake Sammamish when her daughter, Nicole, would dive into the water wearing her beloved Wonder Woman swimsuit.

She remembers the warm kisses young Nicole planted on her cheek, telling her mother, “Now wasn’t that a delightful way to start the day.”

Schneider can still hear the excitement in Nicole’s voice when she announced was making broiled salmon and Rice-A-Roni for her husband’s dinner.

Yet remembering too much, or too often, tears at Schneider.

“There isn’t any peace, only distractions,” she said.

Schneider expects today will be bittersweet.

She and her husband have flown in from their home in Arizona to attend a memorial service for her daughter, Nicole Pietz.

Schneider will share memories of her daughter. She also will be reminded why some days she must hold those memories at arm’s length.

Pietz, 32, was reported missing from her Lynnwood home Jan. 29, 2006. Her body was found about a week later in a wooded area in Burien. She had been strangled.

No one has been arrested in connection with the case. Detectives are actively investigating the homicide, King County sheriff’s Sgt. John Urquhart said.

Investigators have searched Pietz’s 2003 Volkswagen Jetta for evidence. The car was abandoned in a parking lot near the University of Washington. They also seized computers from her office in Bothell and from the Lynnwood condominium she shared with her husband, David Pietz.

Detectives continue to ask anyone who may have information about the homicide to step forward. Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound recently released a reward poster featuring a picture of Nicole Pietz and her husband. The Schneiders are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever killed Nicole Pietz.

“It won’t bring her back but I owe her. I have to fight for her because if somebody deserves justice, Nicole does,” Schneider said.

Schneider and her husband are frustrated no one has been arrested. They have hired a private investigator.

They want answers. Some of what they know just leaves them with suspicions.

“She never left the house without her wedding ring. She was a proud married woman,” Schneider said. “Why was her wedding ring at home?”

Schneider believes someone knows something. She believes someone saw something. She hopes someone will do the right thing and step forward.

“I just hope their conscience will be their guide,” she said.

Schneider misses her daughter’s voice.

Pietz called her mother every day. Often she called for cooking advice. She liked to bring her husband dinner at work. And she didn’t want a day to go by without telling her mother that she loved her.

In the months following her daughter’s death, Schneider and her husband decided it was too hard to stay home where there were constant reminders of what had been lost.

Schneider and her husband took to their motor home, seeking out places she’d never been with her daughter.

The couple toured presidential libraries, explored eastern Canada and stopped in Oklahoma City at the memorial for the 168 people killed in the 1995 bombing.

Yet no matter how many miles she traveled, she couldn’t outrun her memories, or the hurt.

Wherever she is, she says she wakes up every Saturday morning at 1:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. That’s when Schneider believes her daughter took her last breath on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006.

“Somebody decided to play God and take my daughter,” Schneider said. “No one can steal my memories.”

Memorial planned

A memorial service for Nicole Pietz is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at Evergreen Community Church, 3429 240th St. SE, Bothell. Pietz, 32, was reported missing from her Lynnwood home a year ago. A week later her body was found in Burien. She had been strangled.

Reward offered: Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound is offering up to a $1,000 reward and Pietz’s parents are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the Lynnwood woman’s death. Anyone with information is asked to call 800-CRIME-13 (800-274-6313).

Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Snohomish County Health Department Director Dennis Worsham on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County Health Department director tapped as WA health secretary

Dennis Worsham became the first director of the county health department in January 2023. His last day will be July 3.

Rick Steves launches $1M match challenge for Lynnwood Neighborhood Center

The $64.5 million Lynnwood Neighborhood Center will house several community spaces and partner with local nonprofits.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Cars drive along Cathcart Way next to the site of the proposed Eastview Village development that borders Little Cedars Elementary on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 in unincorporated Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County Council denies latest Eastview Village appeal

Council members affirmed previous approvals of the development planned off Cathcart Way near Highway 9.

Everett
Everett police: Man sold drugs to woman prior to fatal overdose

The man, who faces a charge under the state’s controlled substance homicide law, remains in Snohomish County Jail on more than $1M bond.

Missing Marysville boy, 10, found safe and sound

Police said the boy was last seen Sunday morning before leaving to go for a run at a nearby middle school.

Red tape hangs in the front of the entrance to a burned down Center for Human Services building along 204th Street on Monday, July 7, 2025 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood fire destroys behavioral health nonprofit building

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The building housed an intensive mental health support program for youth and families.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.