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Missing Rita Marie Bartschot 
Bartschot, approximately 1990; Drew Thompson, approximately 2009 Date reported missing : 08/24/1990 Missing location (approx) : Seattle, Washington Missing classification : Endangered Missing Gender : Female Ethnicity : White DOB : 11/25/1949 (71) Age at the time of disappearance: 40 years old Height / Weight : 5'3, 100 pounds Description, clothing, jewerly and more : A gold St. Rose Academy 1967 class ring with a red stone. Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Bartschot wears eyeglasses. Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Bartschot was last seen on the morning of August 24, 1990, working in the yard at her deceased mother's home in the 5500 block of 31st Avenue northeast in Seattle, Washington. She has never been heard from again. When a neighbor checked on the house, she noticed the television set was turned on, the cat had been left without water or food, and the coffee pot was full of coffee that had turned moldy. The neighbor reported Bartschot missing. Drew Richard Thompson, an unemployed landscaper, was charged with using Bartschot's debit card on September 7, two weeks after her disappearance. A photo of Thompson is posted with this case summary. He withdrew a total of $3,200 from her accounts. Following his arrest, police found another of Bartschot's bank cards at his home. Her vehicle, a blue Honda which had disappeared with her, was found near the University of Washington campus on September 9. There was blood in the backseat. DNA testing was not very advanced at the time, but forensic experts were able to determine the blood could have come from Bartschot and only 11% of the Caucasian population, and Thompson was excluded as a source of the blood. Several hairs found in the car's backseat were microscopically similar to Thompson's hair. He had five felony convictions prior to Bartschot's disappearance, and authorities described him as a professional thief. His fingerprints were found inside Bartschot's vehicle, and he admitted to having stolen and driven it after her disappearance. Thompson pleaded guilty to first-degree theft in relation to his withdrawals from Bartschot's accounts. In May 1991, he was charged with her murder. Two of his former cellmates testified at the trial, saying Thompson had told them he killed Bartschot and the police would never find the body. He was convicted of first-degree murder in November 1991 and sentenced to 32 years in prison. He continues to maintain his innocence, and will not be eligible for parole until 2022. Foul play is suspected in Bartschot's disappearance due to the circumstances involved. She worked as a professor of chemistry at Columbia Basin Community College in Pasco, Washington at the time of her disappearance. Other information and links : ncy Puyallup Police Department 253-435-3653 September 2021 updates and sources A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece. Washington State Missing Persons Search The Seattle Times The Salem Statesman Journal The Seattle Post-Intelligencer No-Body Homicide Cases: A Practical Guide to Investigating, Prosecuting, and Winning Cases When the Victim Is Missing October 12, 2004. August 26, 2017; . |