Hope in hunt for killer

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, July 27, 2006

EVERETT – In a little more than two weeks, the killings of two hikers on Mount Pilchuck have gone from a mystery to the pursuit of people investigators believe may have key information.

Snohomish County sheriff’s detectives on Thursday said they are tracking solid leads in their hunt for whoever killed Mary Cooper and Susanna Stodden on July 11.

“This is an active investigation and we’re moving forward,” sheriff’s deputy Rich Niebusch said. “(Investigators) are enthusiastic about the information they have received.”

Detectives have identified people who they believe know something important, Niebusch said.

He declined to provide any details about those people.

Detectives are not calling these people suspects, Niebusch said. Instead, investigators have identified people they want to interview – or in some cases talk to again – in connection with the killings.

Word of progress was welcomed by David Stodden of Seattle. It was his wife, Mary Cooper, 56, and eldest daughter, Susanna Stodden, 27, who were killed.

“I’ve really just trusted the sheriff’s office that they are doing the best they can do. I’ve been a little bit discouraged that nothing has turned up before,” David Stodden said Thursday. “I’m an optimistic person and I believe they are going to figure it out.”

Stodden said he has twice been to Granite Falls to put up fliers promising a reward for information in the case.

“This is really a crime against the whole community. The people up there are really upset,” he said. “I went in the Mountain View Inn and the woman recognized me right away and just grabbed me. She said, ‘We’ve got to find this person or people. My kids go hiking up there.’ … It is a horrendous thing.”

Stodden said he hopes to keep attention focused on the case and problems with violence and crime in general. His wife and daughter were both teachers, and trying to build a better future “is the hard work that Susanna and Mary did every day,” he said.

Detectives on Thursday continued to urge the public to call police with any information about the killings.

Investigators have received more than 225 tips and some of the information has been invaluable, Niebusch said.

“Every one of those tips have been or will be followed up,” he said.

Cooper and Stodden were on a day hike along the Pinnacle Lake trail and were last seen alive at the trailhead about 10 a.m. A hiker called police after he found the slain women near the trail.

The pair had been planning to take a different trail up Mount Pilchuck. Their minivan was found at the Pinnacle Lake trailhead. It did not appear that they were robbed, David Stodden said earlier.

Three other vehicles were parked at the trailhead that day. Investigators have interviewed all the drivers and passengers of those vehicles, Niebusch said.

Investigators on Thursday provided additional details about the efforts they made looking for evidence on Mount Pilchuck while the trail was closed.

Experts trained to track humans scoured numerous trails leading into the area. Search-and-rescue crews used dogs to sniff for evidence.

Investigators are looking over the items they’ve recovered and have sent some materials to the state crime lab for forensic testing, Niebusch said.

Sheriff’s deputies, including the department’s directed patrol unit that targets crime hot spots, continue to patrol and canvass nearby campgrounds, trailheads and Forest Service roads.

The Pinnacle Lake trail was reopened July 21. The sheriff’s office continues to urge people to walk with caution along the trails.

“We still have a killer on the loose,” Niebusch said.

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