Account
Nov 22, 2013
Apr 03, 2024
Mary
Burns
77
30
62 inches
115 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
In the quiet city of Bothell, Washington, on the evening of December 13, 1977, 30-year-old Mary Patricia Burns vanished without a trace. She was working alone at Jean Dreams, a clothing boutique owned by her sister-in-law. A scheduling mix-up had left her as the sole employee that night. When her sister-in-law arrived at the shop around 9:00 p.m. to help her close, she found a disturbing scene. The lights were off, the door was unlocked, and Mary was gone. Inside, her eyeglasses and one of her earrings were discovered in a fitting room, but her purse was missing. Adding to the ominous atmosphere were 29 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition scattered on the floor. Mary's car remained untouched in the parking lot, a silent testament to her sudden disappearance. The initial investigation into Mary's disappearance quickly uncovered alarming leads. Authorities began looking for a man who had been seen talking with Mary at the store before she went missing. The description was of a tall man, between 6'3" and 6'4", with dark brown hair and an angular face. The case took a significant turn when police identified a prime suspect: Robert Elmore Taylor. Taylor was a convicted murderer who had escaped from a prison in Michigan. In the days following Mary's disappearance, her credit cards were used to purchase merchandise, and sales clerks later identified Taylor as the individual who made those purchases, signing Mary's husband's name on the slips. A search of Taylor's residence revealed clothing that had been stolen from the boutique where Mary worked. In January 1978, Taylor's violent streak continued when he robbed a massage parlor in Bothell and abducted two female employees at gunpoint. In a remarkable turn of events, one of the women managed to disarm him and shot him twice, leading to his arrest. For the kidnapping and robbery of the two women, Taylor was convicted and sentenced to 240 years in prison. However, he was never formally charged in connection with Mary's disappearance because her body could not be located, and the lengthy sentence for his other crimes ensured he would remain incarcerated. The investigation into Mary's case came to a standstill after Taylor was murdered by another inmate in 1979. Despite the strong evidence linking him to her disappearance, the full story of what happened to Mary Patricia Burns may have died with him. Her case remains an open wound for her loved ones, a story of a life interrupted by a senseless act of violence. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance, and she has never been found.
Dec 13, 1977
Bothell
Washington
King County
No
22858
Bothell Police Department
Bothell
Washington
King County
98011
18410 101st Avenue Northeast, Washington
4254861254
Local
Law Enforcement
12-10224
Bothell Police Department
Brown
Green
Green
06/23/2026
