MILL CREEK — Two years later, the man in the shed still needs a name.
His body was found in a shed in the woods in January 2015. Without his identity, his family can’t be notified of the death.
“We want there to be some type of answer,” Mill Creek detective Sgt. Stan White said.
The police department and the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office have launched a new public push for information. They recently released an artist’s sketch of what the man likely would have looked like.
“Hopefully someone will recognize this person,” White said.
The man was black, between 50 and 65 years old, and about 6-foot-1. He may have used a bicycle for travel. He apparently kept a tidy home in the shed near North Creek Park and Highway 527. Local lore is that he had permission to live there from a previous property owner.
Detectives believe that he was dead for months or years before someone came upon the site, which had become overgrown with brambles. They have not determined the cause of death, but they have no reason to suspect foul play.
The man’s genetic profile has been entered into a national database for missing people, in hopes of a match. Over the years, some families have come forward but, one by one, they’ve been ruled out. For months, there have been no new leads, White said.
An unsolved death investigation is unusual for the small, suburban police department. Anyone who recognizes the man could have important information. Even a first name could prove useful.
Mill Creek detectives can be reached at investigations@cityofmillcreek.com or 425-337-1115. The medical examiner’s staff are at contact.medinvest@snoco.org or 425-438-6200.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @rikkiking.
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