Account
Jan 19, 2011
Jun 07, 2023
Patricia
Krieger
79
65
62 inches
65 inches
105 lbs
115 lbs
White / Caucasian
Female
On a clear autumn day, October 2, 2010, 65-year-old Patricia "Patti" Krieger, a female resident of Rockport, Washington, embarked on a hike up Sauk Mountain. She was not alone; with her was her large Rottweiler, Bear, her boyfriend, Larry Pressley, and a group of his family and friends. The purpose of their ascent was a somber one: to scatter the ashes of Pressley's recently deceased parents. Following the emotional ceremony, accounts from the group suggest that on the way back down the mountain, Patti and her dog took a different trail from the rest of the party. They reported calling out to her to let her know she was on the wrong path, but stated that she looked at them and continued walking. Patti, who was a former marathoner and physically fit, was hearing-impaired and wore hearing aids. She was never seen again. The initial response to Patti's failure to return was perplexing. Instead of immediately alerting authorities, the group she was with left the mountain. Some went to a grocery store, while others reportedly went to a gas station. It wasn't until approximately four hours later that they returned to Sauk Mountain and reported her missing. The official search, involving multiple agencies, search and rescue teams, helicopters, and FLIR thermal imaging, commenced. Search dogs were able to track Patti's scent down the trail to the parking lot, where the trail went cold, leading to initial speculation that she had made it off the mountain. This theory was later reconsidered. Adding to the mystery, Patti's son was not notified of his mother's disappearance by the group she was with; he was instead alerted by her employer when she failed to show up for work the following day. When he arrived at his mother's home, he found Larry Pressley and his friends there, with some of Patti's belongings, including suitcases of jewelry, in a car. He was also informed that his mother’s cell phone was in the possession of one of Pressley’s friends at the house, while Pressley himself had her driver's license and keys. Weeks turned into months, and then years, with no sign of Patti. A significant development came nearly a month after her disappearance when her dog, Bear, was found wandering on a road near the mountain, malnourished but alive. This discovery led investigators to believe the dog had been on the mountain the entire time, casting further doubt on the initial theory that Patti had left the area in a vehicle. Her family and friends, frustrated with the investigation, organized their own searches and created a website to gather tips and keep her case in the public eye. Suspicion has been voiced by Patti's son and others, focusing on the actions of her boyfriend and the group she was with on the day she vanished. Friends and co-workers reported that in the time leading up to her disappearance, Patti had become withdrawn and had expressed fear of Pressley, who had a lengthy criminal record. Despite numerous tips and searches of various locations based on those tips, Patti Krieger's whereabouts remain unknown, and her case is an unsolved and troubling mystery.
Oct 02, 2010
RockPort
Washington
Skagit County
98283
No
9588
Skagit County Sheriff's Office
Mount Vernon
Washington
Skagit County
98273
Kay Walker
Evidence Tech
600 South 3rd Street Suite 100, Washington
3604161911
County
Law Enforcement
10-13599
2010-10-02
Skagit County Sheriff's Office
Brown
Green
Hazel
No
06/10/2026
