Nicole Pietz 33 Missing 1/28/06 WA, Located/Murdered

Nicole Pietz 33 Missing 1/28/06 WA, Located/Murdered
Police need help to find missing woman Herald staff LYNNWOOD - Police are asking for the public's help to find a woman who has been missing since Saturday. Nicole T. Pietz, 33, was last seen leaving her Lynnwood area home Saturday morning. She reportedly was headed to her job with a local cell phone company, Snohomish County sheriff's deputy Dave Hayes said Tuesday. Pietz missed an appointment Saturday evening and hasn't reported to work since, police said. Detectives said that they don't have any evidence of a crime in connection with the woman's disappearance. However, investigators are concerned because Pietz usually is responsible about checking in with her husband and family, police said. Pietz was driving a gray 2003 Volkswagen Jetta, Washington license plate 991 TEF. She is white, 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds. Pietz has dark blond hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call detective Brad Pince at the sheriff's tip line at 425-388-3845. http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/06/02/01/100loc_b4police001.cfm

Still No Clues In Disappearance Of Lynnwood Woman February 1, 2006 By April Zepeda LYNNWOOD - There are still no clues in the disappearance of a Lynnwood woman, whose 33rd birthday is Thursday. Last weekend, Nicole Pietz set out early in the morning to meet with friends. She never made it. That same Saturday, she didn't show up for a dinner party with friends and her husband of four years either. When she wasn't home by the next morning, her husband David called police and then Nici's parents in Arizona. "I knew we had to get on an airplane as soon as possible. For her not to come home at night - as a young girl she always called. Even if she's going to be ten minutes late she calls, because she's so considerate," said her mother Gael Schneider from her daughter's living room. Nici and her husband just bought their first home -- a condo in Lynnwood. The couple was under some financial strain and Nici just found out her beloved dog Boomer had cancer, but her family says she would never just leave. They've been searching ever since. "I'm just trying to focus on what we can do to find her. So that you don't let your mind go to the bad places," said her husband, David Pietz. Snohomish County detectives say they don't have a reason suspect foul play at this point, but they are concerned because it is so unlike the young woman not to contact her family or show up for work. "We just want to know she's safe. We love her very, very much," said David Pietz. Nicole was driving a dark grey 2003 Volkswagen Jetta with the Washington license plate, 991-TEF. She stands five feet, three inches and weights about 125 pounds. Her family has been combing neighborhoods looking for her car or any clues that can tell them what's happened to a woman who by all accounts is responsible and happy. "I'm crying an awful lot. How could a mother not?" said a tearful Schneider, "She's got to be somewhere." Anyone with information is urged to call the Snohomish County Sheriff's Tip Line at: 425) 388-3845, or Nicole's step-father, Rod Schneider, at 623) 680-9414. http://www.komotv.com/stories/41625.htm

Mystery Surrounds Woman's Disappearance UPDATED: February 2, 2006

LYNNWOOD, Wash. -- Family, friends and police are looking for a 32-year-old Lynnwood woman who has been missing for several days, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported. Nicole Pietz left her home for "an important personal meeting" Saturday evening in Renton but never arrived, police said. Her gasoline credit card was used Wednesday at a Chevron station in Kent, KIRO-TV reported. Detectives said they don't suspect foul play, but family members said they are concerned something is wrong. "She's always in contact with almost everybody she knows," said David Pietz, her husband. "It's very, very unusual." "Nothing, nothing is worse than not knowing where she is," said Gael Schneider, her mother. Nicole Pietz is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds. She has dark blond hair and brown eyes. She was driving a charcoal gray, 2003 Volkswagen Jetta with a Washington State license plate 991 TEF. http://www.kirotv.com/news/6678455/detail.html

The Vanishing of Nicole Pietz By Steve Huff

LYNNWOOD, Wash. (Crime Library) — Nicole T. Pietz, age 33, was last seen leaving her Lynnwood, Washington (WA) home on Saturday, January 28, 2006. The 5'3" blue-eyed brunette was heading to an "important personal appointment" in Renton, WA. When Nicole Pietz failed to arrive, people began to worry. Speaking to Seattle, WA television station KIRO, Nicole's husband David Pietz said, "She's always in contact with almost everybody she knows It's very, very unusual." Pietz worked for a local cell phone company. Writing in her weblog on February 2, 2006, a co-worker of Pietz's named Megan was worried: " work buddy Nici is missing. She is wonderful, beautiful, warm and funny and we need to find her" Megan went on to quote from the media release about Nicole's disappearance issued by the Major Crimes Unit at the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. The release read, in part: "There is no known reason for her to be missing and she has not gone away in the past without letting family know where she is. Nicole was last known to be driving her 2003 Gray Volkswagen Jetta Washington License number 991 TEF. There has been little use of her cell phone and only one gas charge on a credit card. That charge was on 01-30-06 at a Chevron Station in Kent" It was later discovered that the charge on January 30th had been made by Nicole Pietz prior to his disappearance, and had simply shown up a few days late on her credit card records. Pietz, usually called Nici by those who knew her well, was a trainer at Cingular Wireless. A co-worker named Wendi wrote the following about the missing woman in her Livejournal on February 2, 2006: "he's a trainer at Cingular wireless, she's a very sweet person... I normally post crap in my LJ, but for a change I'm serious I am worried about her as is the rest of my call center () she trained half of it. it's scary to have someone go missing, this lady never ignores her cellphone" Perhaps the most interesting blog entry found in a cursory search of the various weblogging domains like Livejournal and Blogger was by a friend of Nici's named Ellen. Ellen and her husband Jason were the people Nicole Pietz was supposed to meet on the evening of the 28th: "Nici has disappeared (sic), and Jason and I were the friends she was supposed to have dinner with Saturday night. Its the most horrible experience to be completely powerless over. Now Jason and I are on our way out of town tomorrow to get married in Las Vegas and my thoughts seem only to want to focus on Nici. I pray she's safe and pray she finds her way home soon. Nici, I love you, and miss you, please call someone and let them know where you are" Very little evidence has turned up to indicate what happened to Nicole Pietz. News coverage seemed to slow markedly after February 2nd, as well. A webpage has been created in the interest of finding out what happened to Nicole Pietz www.findnici.com. There someone using the screen name Priscilla posted a message venting some of the anxiety and frustration Nicole's disappearance was causing in Pietz's workplace. Priscilla's message was also a window into the hearts of many people connected to such a mystery, whether or not they are particularly close to the missing person. Priscilla's message was also a touching glimpse into how some at Cingular Wireless perceived Nicole Pietz: "I feel like I delicate shell that is about to crack. (and I'm not even her closest family and friends) I have done whatever I can within my own limitations to assist but I feel so thwarted and helpless. I keep thinking about the last time I interacted with her which was right before she went missing and how much I basked in her smile. There is much tension around our work it is like the big pink elephant that is in the room that no one wants to talk about" Detective Brad Pince, the investigator assigned to Nici's disappearance by the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, has stated: "I ask that you all try to be careful about passing on rumors and misinformation. If you do come across a tip I ask that you get that information to me as soon as possible and to limit sharing the information with others. I am not trying to keep things from Nicole's friends however it's getting to the point where I am running down leads that just end up being variations of information cleared two days ago" Though there is no evidence of foul play in this case, one theme repeated in many news stories about Nicole is doubt that she might have vanished on purpose. She had an established reputation for being happy, responsible, and competent. In addition to being 5'3" and 125 pounds, Nicole Pietz has an Asian symbol tattoo on the small of her back. Pietz has a large scar on her right hip and her bellybutton is pierced. Her ears had also been pierced, but the release from the Snohomish County Sheriff says that "those were torn out." If you have information relevant to the disappearance of Nicole T. Pietz from Lynnwood, WA on January 28, 2006, call the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office tip line at (425) 388-3845. http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/0206/0601_vanishing_nicole_pietz.html

Death of missing Lynnwood woman deemed suspicious 04:32 PM PST on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 KING5.com LYNNWOOD – A body found in some bushes in Burien is that of a Lynnwood woman missing for more than a week, the King County Medical Examiner's office said Tuesday. No cause of death has yet been released for Nicole T. Pietz, 33, who has been missing since Saturday, Jan. 29., but she may have been murdered, King County Sheriff's spokesman John Urquhart said. "I would say we're leaning towards a homicide ... it certainly is very, very suspicious," he said. "It was an unusual spot for her to end up, not a place you would expect a natural death to occur or a suicide, for that matter." Pietz's body was spotted by a passerby in the woods near South 144th Street. Condolence messages began showing almost immediately on a message board on the site set up to help find Pietz. Pietz headed out in the morning for a meeting with friends but never showed up. That same night she was supposed to meet her husband, David, at a friend's house. Her husband called police Sunday when Pietz hadn't returned. Pietz's family said it would have been very unlike her to be out of contact with family members and not to show up for work. At the time Pietz disappeared, detectives said there was no evidence of foul play. Pietz and her husband had just bought a condo in Lynnwood. The couple had been under some financial stress and Pietz was also battling severe back pain. http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_020706WABmissingwomanJK.55f5606.html

May God Be with her Family May she rest in peace.

Official: Lynnwood woman was murdered KOMO NEWS Nearly two weeks after a Lynnwood woman disappeared, her body has been found, and now the medical examiner says the woman was strangled to death. When 32-year-old Nici Pietz first disappeared, police did not suspect foul play. But that changed Wednesday after the autopsy revealed she was killed by strangulation. Pietz' body was discovered in a wooded area near Sea-Tac Airport on Monday, she was found on the side of the road in a patch of bushes. Her car is still missing. Police say they knew Monday it was a homicide case based on the way the Nici's body was positioned. But we didn't know until Tuesday that Nici Pietz is the victim. Her family told us that Nici disappeared Jan. 28 after leaving her Lynnwood condo for a morning meeting with friends. She didn't meet her husband for a dinner party later that evening either. The next morning, her husband called police, and her family has been searching ever since. At first, Nici was considered a missing person -- perhaps a woman that didn't want to be found, but that changed with Tuesday's autopsy report. "We don't know what happened to her, we don't know where she was," Urquhart said. "These are all things that the investigation will hopefully turn up." The news came as a huge blow to Nici's family and friends who have been searching for her for the past 11 days, holding out hope she would be found alive. It left them wondering who would do this to her. At Cingular Wireless in Bothell, co-workers spent last weekend searching for Nici. But it was more than colleagues -- they were some of her closest friends. "The group is a family; many people knew Nicole," said one of her coworkers. Her friends remember Nici as kind, loving and filled with life. Now they want to know could destroy such a bright spirit and darken their own. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/258798_womandead08ww.html?source=mypi

Friday, February 17, 2006 Slain woman's missing vehicle still sought P-I STAFF BURIEN -- King County Sheriff's Office investigators still are looking for the car belonging to Nicole Pietz, a 32-year-old woman who was strangled and left by the side of the road in Burien earlier this month. Her body was found in bushes near the cross streets of Des Moines Memorial Drive South and South 144th Street on Feb. 6. Pietz's car is a gray 2003 four-door Volkswagen Jetta sedan with a license-plate number of 991-TEF. The department has made no arrests in the case and advises anyone seeing the vehicle to call the department at 206-296-3311, or 911. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/259927_kcbriefs17.html

Family Of Slain Woman Offering $10,000 Reward POSTED: 4:19 pm PDT April 5, 2006 UPDATED: 6:16 pm PDT April 5, 2006 SEATTLE -- Nicole Pietz's parents, Gail and Rod Schneider, are offering a $10,000 reward to anyone who has information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of Pietz's killer. Pietz, who went missing Jan. 28, was found strangled in a ditch in Burien on Feb. 6. Police found Pietz's car Feb. 22 but have not uncovered any clues leading them to a suspect. Anyone who has information about Pietz's death is asked to call the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office at 425-388-3845. http://www.kirotv.com/news/8492944/detail.html

Friday, April 7, 2006 Slain woman's mother offers reward $10,000 put up for information on killer By HECTOR CASTRO P-I REPORTER A month ago, Nicole Pietz was found slain in some bushes not far from Sea-Tac Aiport. Now, with her killer still at large, Pietz's family is hoping the offer they made this week of a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction will help find the person responsible for her death. "All I do is cry," Pietz's mother, Gael Schneider, said. "I go to someone's house for dinner, and I think about my daughter and I fall apart. "That person killed me, too." Pietz, 32, was an employee at Cingular Wireless, where she was a corporate instructor at the company's Bothell offices at the time of her death. According to court documents filed with several search warrant affidavits, Pietz's husband, David Pietz, 28, told King County sheriff's detectives that his wife left their Lynnwood home early on the morning of Jan. 28 to attend a meeting in Renton. She never got there. David Pietz said that when he didn't hear from his wife and couldn't reach her on her cell phone, he began calling friends. But no one had heard from her. That same evening, Nicole was supposed to join her husband for a dinner with friends. When she failed to come home, David Pietz said, he called the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office to report his wife missing, but was told to wait until Sunday to file the missing-person's report, which he did. The missing-person case did not become a homicide investigation until Feb. 6, when a passer-by found Nicole's body in some bushes near the intersection of Des Moines Memorial Drive South and South 144th Street in Burien, not far from the airport. Nicole's mother and stepfather were already in the area when her body was found. They had flown up earlier from their Arizona home to help in the search. The couple stayed until the last memorial service was held in mid-February. When they left, detectives were still searching for Nicole's 2003 gray Volkswagen Jetta. On Feb. 22, a University of Washington police officer found the car parked in a private lot. It was dirty and there was a notice of unauthorized parking dated Feb. 10, indicating it had been there for at least 12 days. Detectives took hair samples, evidence swabs and a photo of a single fingerprint. From the way the driver's seat was positioned, investigators deduced it was driven by someone other than Nicole Pietz, so they took the seat, too. Schneider said she is confident detectives in the case are doing everything they can to find her daughter's killer. "They're terrific," she said. "I could not have asked for better." She conferred with detectives before she and her husband made the reward offer and only after investigators agreed it might help. Schneider said she would never feel right if she didn't do everything in her power to help find the person who killed her daughter. "I'll not rest until they find her killer," she said. P-I reporter Hector Castro can be reached at 206-903-5396 or hectorcastro@seattlepi.com. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/265881_pietz07.html

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