Account
Dec 10, 2015
Jun 19, 2023
Marla
Thomas
72
22
62 inches
140 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the winter of 1974, a young woman named Marla Jean Thomas, aged 22, vanished from the town of Anacortes, Washington. The last time anyone is known to have seen her was on December 11th of that year. Marla was a resident of Anacortes, a city in Skagit County, known for its scenic views of the San Juan Islands. At the time of her disappearance, she was described as a white female with brown hair and blue eyes, standing at approximately five feet two inches tall. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance were not immediately clear, leaving her family and the community with many unanswered questions and the start of a long and painful period of uncertainty. The Anacortes Police Department was tasked with the investigation into her sudden absence. For years, Marla's case remained cold, a lingering mystery with no significant leads to follow. Her family was left to wonder about her fate, hoping for any news that might bring them closure. Then, in November of 1978, a significant discovery was made in a wooded area of Maple Falls, Washington. A tree service crew came across partial human remains, including a skull and some bones, while clearing brush. Law enforcement conducted a further search of the area and recovered additional remains. Despite this discovery, the identity of the individual remained unknown for decades, and the remains were referred to as "Maple Falls Jane Doe." It was a piece of a puzzle with no clear connection to any known missing person at the time, leaving another family in the dark about their loved one. Decades passed, and the mystery of Marla's disappearance persisted, as did the anonymity of the remains found in Maple Falls. It wasn't until October of 2025 that a breakthrough was finally made in the case. Through the use of DNA testing, the partial remains discovered in 1978 were positively identified as those of Marla Jean Thomas. This long-awaited identification brought a bittersweet resolution to her family, confirming their fears but also providing a degree of closure after so many years of not knowing. The confirmation that the remains belonged to Marla officially connected the 1974 missing person case from Anacortes to the unidentified remains found four years later in Maple Falls. While her family could finally bring her home in a sense, the news also opened a new chapter of grief. The case, which began as a search for a missing person, is now being looked at as a death investigation by the Anacortes Police Department. The official cause of her death has not been publicly stated.
Dec 11, 1974
Anacortes
Washington
Skagit County
98221
No
17672
Anacortes Police Department
Anacortes
Washington
Skagit County
98221
Katie Ingram
Records Supervisor
1218 24th Street, Washington
3602934684
Local
Law Enforcement
83-A1127
1983-08-05
Anacortes Police Department
Brown
Blue
Blue
06/14/2026
