Human remains found in Snohomish County identified as missing Tulalip woman

EVERETT — Human remains discovered in June in Snohomish County have been identified as belonging to a Tulalip woman, missing for nearly five years, the FBI announced Friday.

DNA matched the remains to Mary Johnson-Davis, who has been missing from the Tulalip Reservation since November 2020.

On Nov. 25, 2020, Johnson-Davis was walking along Fire Trail Road on the north end of the Tulalip Reservation when she texted a friend she was “almost to the church.”

The documentary “Missing From Fire Trail Road” premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City on June 8, 2024. Johnson-Davis’s sisters, Nona Blouin and Gerry Davis, participated in the story about her disappearance.

More than a year later, on June 13, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office discovered human remains in a remote area in north Snohomish County, according to a press release from the FBI’s Seattle Division. Tulalip Police Chief Shawn V. Ledford said in the release he was “heartbroken” to confirm the identity of the human remains had been positively identified as Johnson-Davis.

The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office provided a sample to the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center to obtain a DNA profile, said the Medical Examiner’s Office operations manager, Nicole Krueger.

The DNA matched with Johnson-Davis.

The cause and manner of death are under investigation, the release said. Next of kin have been notified.

This remains an ongoing investigation. The Tulalip Police Department will continue to partner with the FBI, Ledford said.

“Mary’s family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the community for their assistance and compassion throughout the past five years of searching for Mary, which ultimately led to her being found,” Ledford said. “We extend our prayers, strength and healing to Mary’s family, loved ones and the entire Tulalip community during this difficult time.”

The Tulalip Tribes and the FBI are offering a reward up to $60,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of those responsible for Johnson-Davis’s disappearance, the release said. Anyone with information should contact the FBI’s Seattle Field Office at 206-622-0460, 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), or tips.fbi.gov.

“When the FBI is called to investigate a missing indigenous person, we understand the importance of the case for the victim’s loved ones and communities,” said W. Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI Seattle field office, in the release. “Every victim leaves a space in that community which cannot be filled. We recognize the process can be lengthy and frustrating, but we assure everyone the FBI and our partners are doing everything we can. FBI Seattle is committed to our relationships with all of Washington’s communities, including our state’s 29 federally recognized tribes, and we will never stop pursuing justice for victims, no matter how long it takes.”

Snohomish County Sheriff Susanna Johnson said in the release that the past five years have been “incredibly difficult and painful” for Mary’s family, alongside the community and officers who worked to find her.

“We hope the recovery brings us one step closer to finding the truth about what happened to Mary,” Johnson said. “I want to extend my personal condolences to Mary’s entire family and to the Tulalip Tribes, and express our deep appreciation to community members whose initial reporting led to the discovery and identification of her remains.”

Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com; X: @JennaMillikan