HOT TOPICS: MACKENZIE COWELL
Former Cowell murder suspect sentenced for heroin
WENATCHEE — A onetime suspect in the murder of Mackenzie Cowell was sentenced Monday to three years in prison on an unrelated drug case. Emmanuel “Buddha” Cerros Sanchez, 27, of Malaga pleaded guilty to selling two grams of heroin to a police informant in October 2012. His sentence includes a one-year period of community supervision after he’s released from prison.
Published 4/2/2013
Reward for breaking the Cowell case: $29,500
WENATCHEE — The tipster who pointed police toward a conclusion in the murder of Mackenzie Cowell received his reward Tuesday: $29,500. Theodore A. “Theo” Keyes, 33, wrote a letter in August 2010 to the task force investigating the death of Cowell, a 17-year-old Wenatchee High School senior who went missing ...
Published 12/5/2012
The inmate’s tale
Behind bars, Christopher Wilson maintains innocence in Mackenzie Cowell’s murder.
Behind bars, Christopher Wilson maintains innocence in Mackenzie Cowell’s murder
Published 11/17/2012
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‘48 Hours’ turns camera on Cowell case
WENATCHEE — CBS News’ true-crime program “48 Hours” airs its long-in-the-making feature on the 2010 homicide of Mackenzie Cowell on Saturday, 10 p.m. local time.
Published 11/5/2012
Former Cowell suspect overturns conviction
EPHRATA — A woman implicated in the investigation of Mackenzie Cowell’s 2010 murder successfully appealed an obstruction of justice conviction in Grant County. Tessa M. Schuyleman, now 24, was convicted by a Grant County District Court judge in March 2011 of misdemeanor charges of giving a false statement and obstructing ...
Published 9/14/2012
Tipster in line for $38,000 reward in Cowell case
WENATCHEE — The man who wrote a letter from jail pointing to Christopher Scott Wilson as Mackenzie Cowell’s murderer will receive up to $38,000 in a community reward. Theo A. Keyes, 32, provided multiple tips to police after Cowell’s February 2010 murder, but only one — in a letter written ...
Published 6/7/2012
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Wilson accepts 14-year plea deal in Cowell killing
WENATCHEE — Faced with a jury pool that already seemed convinced of his guilt, Christopher Scott Wilson on Wednesday pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2010 killing of 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell.
Published 5/23/2012
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Second jury pool called in for Wilson case
WENATCHEE — Attorneys in the trial of Christopher Scott Wilson dismissed 30 potential jurors out of a pool of 73 Tuesday, with attorneys worrying aloud about a change of venue. The first group of remaining juror candidates was sent home at 5:30 p.m., with Chelan County Superior Court Judge John ...
Published 5/23/2012
Prosecutor motions admitted for Wilson’s trial
WENATCHEE — Jurors in the murder trial of Christopher Scott Wilson may view a video file shot inside his former apartment, hear the criminal history of a defense witness, and hear pieces of four recorded phone calls Wilson made from jail. Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges ruled largely ...
Published 5/22/2012
Jury selection starts in Wilson trial
WENATCHEE — Seventy-three prospective jurors filled out questionnaires Monday on their prior knowledge of the case against Christopher Scott Wilson and the murder of Mackenzie Cowell. Emma Scanlan, one of the attorneys defending Wilson against the first-degree murder charge, told Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges the questionnaire she ...
Published 5/21/2012
Opening days: What to expect in the Wilson trial
WENATCHEE — Jury selection in the trial of Christopher Scott Wilson should begin Monday, with lawyers asking the judge to allow or discard pieces of evidence before the trial starts in earnest. Jurors will be handed a questionnaire Monday morning asking what they know about the 2010 murder of Mackenzie ...
Published 5/19/2012
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A murder trial two years in the making
WENATCHEE — Mackenzie Cowell, 17, went missing after 3 p.m. Feb 9, 2010. The Wenatchee High School senior was seen on a parking lot surveillance video driving away from the Academy of Hair Design in downtown Wenatchee. Police believe she went to the 119 Okanogan Ave. apartment of fellow academy ...
Published 5/19/2012
FBI cellular expert to take stand in Cowell case
WENATCHEE — A Chicago FBI agent who helped win a celebrity murder case last week will testify on cellphone activity in the Mackenzie Cowell murder trial. Special Agent Nikki Skovran, an expert in cellphone records analysis, appears on the list of prosecution witnesses to be offered by Chelan County Prosecutor ...
Published 5/14/2012
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In Cowell murder case, Wilson turns down 6 1/2-year plea deal
WENATCHEE — Christopher Scott Wilson rejected a manslaughter plea that could have sent him to prison for less than seven years in the death of Mackenzie Cowell, according to Wilson's family. An email obtained by The Wenatchee World shows Chelan County Prosecutor Gary Riesen made the offer April 23, saying ...
Published 5/2/2012
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‘Other suspects’ considered in Cowell murder case
WENATCHEE — A jury may hear evidence that Mackenzie Cowell was murdered by two men other than Christopher Scott Wilson, under radically different circumstances.
Published 4/12/2012
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Attorneys spar in Cowell murder motions
WENATCHEE — In dueling court filings, lawyers in the murder case against Christopher Scott Wilson laid out evidence that may never be seen by a jury. Wilson, accused of the 2010 murder of 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell, faces trial in May. In pretrial motion hearings starting Thursday, his attorney John Henry ...
Published 4/11/2012
A glimmer in the dust
Newly-released court files disclose early leads in the Mackenzie Cowell case.
Court files disclose early leads in Mackenzie Cowell case
Published 3/30/2012
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Wilson’s trial date pushed to May
WENATCHEE — Murder defendant Christopher Scott Wilson will stand trial beginning May 22 in the killing of 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell. The new date, set in a special hearing Wednesday in Chelan County Superior Court, supercedes a prior March 19 trial start. Cowell, a Wenatchee High School senior and hairstyling student, ...
Published 1/11/2012
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The Database
In the Mackenzie Cowell murder case, Homeland Security displays its ever-growing cache of personal info.
In the Mackenzie Cowell murder case, Homeland Security displays its ever-growing cache of personal info
Published 11/23/2011
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Murder trial for Wilson pushed to March
WENATCHEE — The murder trial of Christopher Scott Wilson will be delayed until March 19 while defense investigators review the case. Wilson, charged with first-degree murder in the February 2010 killing of Wenatchee High School student Mackenzie Cowell, has been jailed since his arrest eight months after her death. His ...
Published 11/22/2011
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Lawyer: Two inmates may have admitted involvement in Mackenzie Cowell’s murder
WENATCHEE — Christopher Scott Wilson’s attorney sought evidence that two unknown jail inmates might have disclosed involvement in the murder of Mackenzie Cowell. John Henry Browne, defending Wilson against a charge that he killed the 17-year-old Wenatchee High School student in February 2010, filed a motion Wednesday in Chelan County ...
Published 10/19/2011
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Judged clean, Cowell suspect’s car returned
WENATCHEE — Tessa Schuyleman will have her car returned within 48 hours. The 23-year-old Manson woman, arrested but never charged in the Mackenzie Cowell murder case, won the return of her 1991 Subaru in a Chelan County Superior Court hearing Wednesday.
Published 7/14/2011
In Cowell murder, uncharged suspect seeks auto’s return
WENATCHEE — The woman named but never charged as an accessory to the Mackenzie Cowell murder will ask for police to return her impounded car.
Published 7/12/2011
Wilson lawyer feels at home in Wenatchee
SEATTLE — When he next visits a Wenatchee courtroom, John Henry Browne will probably find the surroundings familiar and comfortable. “I like Wenatchee a lot, actually,” the defense lawyer says from his Seattle office. “One of the reasons I took this case is that I like eastern Washington. I don’t ...
John Henry Browne, who defended Ted Bundy — and now, the 'Barefoot Bandit' — also has a history in NCW
Published 6/9/2011
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A new trial date ... in a new town?
In the murder of Mackenzie Cowell, Christopher Scott Wilson’s lawyer suggests a change of venue to come.
Wilson’s lawyer suggests a change of venue to come
Published 6/6/2011
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In Cowell murder, Seattle lawyer takes over Wilson’s defense
WENATCHEE — A new criminal attorney signed on Wednesday to represent Christopher Scott Wilson, charged with the 2010 murder of Wenatchee teen Mackenzie Cowell. Chelan County Public Defender Keith Howard filed a notice of withdrawal from the case to allow Seattle lawyer John Henry Browne, known locally for his defense ...
Published 5/18/2011
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Cowell coverage is our responsibility
As the Mackenzie Cowell murder case slowly makes its way toward trial, The Wenatchee World has been trying to fill in some of the blanks about this tragedy. Much of the information that led to the arrest of Christopher Wilson remains known to only a select few law enforcement officials, ...
Published 5/17/2011
Not-guilty plea, delay in Cowell murder trial
WENATCHEE — Christopher Scott Wilson again pleaded not guilty today to the murder of Mackenzie Cowell, as he was rearraigned on a charge of first-degree murder. At the same Chelan County Superior Court hearing, the scheduled May 31 date for the start of his trial was canceled, with a new ...
Published 5/9/2011
Mackenzie Cowell scholarship deadline is Friday
WENATCHEE — The Building Industry Association of Washington is offering scholarships in memory of Mackenzie Cowell. The scholarships are intended for students who want to pursue careers in the building industry.
Published 5/7/2011
In Cowell case, salon building comes up clean
WENATCHEE — Investigators have found no evidence tying the murder of Mackenzie Cowell to the Salon Couture building, according to lawyers on both sides of the criminal case. When police raided the salon building at 404 S. Chelan Ave. last October, they found signs of blood spatter in the stairwell ...
Published 4/19/2011
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Wilson’s trial date could be delayed
WENATCHEE — The trial date for Christopher Scott Wilson, charged with the 2010 murder of 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell, is likely to shift soon from its scheduled start date of May 31. Special defense counsel N. Smith Hagopian told Superior Court Judge John Bridges Monday he needs more time to research ...
Published 4/18/2011
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The Informants
In the murder of Mackenzie Cowell, two troubled tipsters aimed police toward defendant Christopher Wilson. Now lawyers are set for a showdown over the resulting testimony.
In the murder of Mackenzie Cowell, two troubled tipsters aimed police toward Christopher Wilson
Published 4/16/2011
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First-degree charge for Cowell murder defendant
WENATCHEE — Christopher Scott Wilson now faces a charge of first-degree murder in the 2010 killing of Mackenzie Cowell. Wilson, 30, has been held since last October on a charge of second-degree murder, accusing him of killing the 17-year-old Cowell in his Wenatchee apartment in February 2010. Chelan County Prosecutor ...
Published 4/12/2011
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Murder defendant Wilson shadowed by his own persona
Doubt came into Amelia Savage’s mind, and made her ashamed. The former Chelan woman got to know Christopher Scott Wilson when they were in their early teens. Near and far, as Savage toured the world and Wilson moved between school, the Army, the Northwest and the East Coast, the two ...
Published 4/9/2011
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'Conflict counsel' assigned for Wilson's murder defense
WENATCHEE — A substitute attorney will represent Christopher Scott Wilson on a single, narrow point in his trial for the murder of Mackenzie Cowell.
Published 3/23/2011
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Schuyleman to battle Grant charges
MOSES LAKE — Tessa Schuyleman, accused by police of helping to cover up the murder of Mackenzie Cowell last year, will fight obstruction of justice charges brought against her in an unrelated Grant County case. On Wednesday, Wenatchee attorney Nicholas Yedinak filed a notice that he would represent Schuyleman, 22, ...
Published 2/24/2011
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Community benefit Friday for Wendy Cowell
WENATCHEE — A community benefit is planned from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday at Kuykendall Hall at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 625 S. Elliott Ave. Proceeds will benefit Wendy Cowell, the mother of Makenzie Cowell. Mackenzie Cowell was found dead at Crescent Bar, a year ago, four days after she ...
Published 2/23/2011
Cowell suspect’s hearing crowds low-key district court
MOSES LAKE — Tessa Schuyleman, accused but not charged with helping cover up the murder of Mackenzie Cowell, will be sentenced next week on a separate misdemeanor charge in Grant County. Schuyleman, 22, attended Grant County District Court Thursday with an unexpected entourage: Cowell’s mother Wendy Cowell, a group of ...
Published 2/17/2011
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Wilson's trial held over until May 31
WENATCHEE — Christopher Scott Wilson, 30, had been scheduled for a March 8 trial in the murder of 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell. He’s been held in the Chelan County Regional Justice Center on $1 million cash bail since his arrest on suspicion of second-degree murder last October.
Published 2/16/2011
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A tangled, twisting trail
WENATCHEE — Mid-afternoon on Feb. 13, 2010, investigators began processing a crime scene along the Columbia River where a young woman’s body had just been found. Time was not on their side. The water level was creeping up.
Following the Cowell investigation through a long year
Published 2/10/2011
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Commander credits task force’s tenacity
WENATCHEE — The task force investigating the Mackenzie Cowell homicide meets weekly now, instead of daily as it did at the start of the investigation. Most of the work involves responding to inquiries from the prosecutor’s office and working with defense investigators to make sure they have access to case ...
Crew interviewed 800, delivered the evidence
Published 2/10/2011
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Investigators remain tight-lipped about a few loose threads in case
Robbin Wagg, who heads up the task force investigating the Cowell homicide, declined to comment on several aspects of the case.
Published 2/10/2011
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Statement from Wendy Cowell
Today is a sad day for us ... to commemorate the “Murder” of our beautiful child is just one more thing, we must endure. Mackenzie was a beautiful child inside and out. It seems as though everyone has a story of humor, kindness, and grace that they have shared about ...
Published 2/9/2011
'She's still here'
A year after her death, the memory of Mackenzie Cowell still evokes smiles.
A year after her death, the memory of Mackenzie Cowell evokes smiles
Published 2/9/2011
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Unknown male DNA amongst Cowell evidence
WENATCHEE — DNA testing on evidence in the Mackenzie Cowell murder investigation found genetic material from at least one unidentified male other than defendant Christopher Scott Wilson, his attorney says. Defense attorney Keith Howard also says DNA from a local sheriff’s deputy and a State Patrol fingerprint analyst was on ...
Investigators also left trace cells on knife from crime scene
Published 1/22/2011
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Wilson’s attorney asks for cell handsets and surveillance video
WENATCHEE — Christopher Scott Wilson’s attorney asked Wednesday for access to the cell phones and hard drives seized in the investigation of Mackenzie Cowell’s 2010 murder.
Published 1/12/2011
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DOC: Second Cowell suspect sheltered fugitive
EPHRATA — Tessa Schuyleman shielded her fugitive boyfriend while he was sought by Washington corrections officers, hiding him in an outbuilding at her father’s Moses Lake home, a court affidavit claims. Schuyleman, 22, is suspected by Wenatchee-area police of helping to cover up the February murder of Mackenzie Cowell, 17 ...
Published 12/29/2010
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Coverup suspect charged ... but not in Cowell case
WENATCHEE — The woman police suspect of impeding their probe into the murder of Mackenzie Cowell stands charged with a similar offense in Grant County — in an unrelated case. Authorities investigating the Cowell case believe Tessa M. Schuyleman, 22, misled police as they built their case against Christopher Scott ...
Published 12/23/2010
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Mackenzie Cowell case: iPhone photos, videos led to second arrest
Suspect accused of impeding case, but not yet charged
WENATCHEE — A woman arrested in the Mackenzie Cowell murder case told police and friends she was photographed while unconscious by Cowell’s accused killer, unaware she was lying on carpet stained with the victim’s blood. Tessa Marie Schuyleman, arrested Wednesday on suspicion of obstructing the police probe into Cowell’s February ...Published 12/17/2010
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Charges still to come for woman implicated in Cowell case
WENATCHEE — A woman accused of impeding the police probe into Mackenzie Cowell’s murder probably will not face charges this week. On Thursday afternoon Tessa Marie Schuyleman, 22, bailed out of the Chelan County Regional Justice Center, where she’d been held on suspicion of first-degree rendering criminal assistance and obstructing ...
Published 12/16/2010
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Cowell evidence went to Cheney
CHENEY — The State Patrol crime lab here has been instrumental in analyzing evidence in the Mackenzie Cowell murder case. The lab, one of seven State Patrol crime labs in the state, handles cases in Eastern Washington.
Published 12/4/2010
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Defense: DNA doesn’t specifically ID Wilson in Cowell murder
WENATCHEE — The DNA used to link murder suspect Christopher Scott Wilson to the killing of Mackenzie Cowell could match more than 90,000 males in the United States “and dozens right here in North Central Washington,” Wilson’s defense attorney said Thursday. Public Defender Keith Howard said the Y-STR test method, ...
Published 10/29/2010
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Wilson pleads not guilty to Cowell’s murder
WENATCHEE — Christopher Scott Wilson pleaded not guilty this morning to second-degree murder in the death of Mackenzie Cowell. The plea was made in Chelan County Superior Court before a packed courtroom. Wilson, through his public defender, Keith Howard, waived his right to a speedy trial. Judge John Bridges set ...
Published 10/20/2010
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Investigators: Blood at Burke Hill apartment matches murder victim’s
WENATCHEE — Investigators say DNA analysis has confirmed that blood found in the apartment of murder defendant Christopher Scott Wilson belongs to Mackenzie Cowell. “This is a fact that he is not going to be able to overcome,” said task force Commander Robbin Wagg in a phone interview Monday afternoon. ...
Published 10/19/2010
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Cowell’s blood found in Wilson’s apartment, police say
WENATCHEE — Investigators say they found Mackenzie Cowell’s blood at the apartment of the man charged in her death, Christopher Scott Wilson.
Published 10/18/2010
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Blood tests from Wilson's residences could take some time
Investigators figure they might not hear anything for weeks
WENATCHEE — Investigators say it could take weeks to determine if blood found in two apartments tied to Christopher Scott Wilson is from the teenager he is charged with killing. State crime lab technicians “do an analysis, then a peer review before it gets released to us,” said John Kruse, ...Published 10/12/2010
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Investigators turn up more blood at Cowell suspect’s residences
WENATCHEE — “A fair amount of blood, specifically in the carpet padding” was found in a second Wenatchee apartment where investigators think murder suspect Christopher Scott Wilson lived when Mackenzie Cowell was killed in February. John Kruse, a spokesman for the task force investigating Cowell’s death, made that statement this ...
Published 10/8/2010
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Friends describe Wilson as funny, compassionate and an artist
WENATCHEE — Christopher Scott Wilson was described by friends and co-workers Thursday as a funny, quiet and caring person who supported friends in crisis. “He’s not this dark, sinister character like he’s being portrayed to be,” said Danika Steven of Seattle and a former Wenatchee resident. “He is not a ...
Published 10/8/2010
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Cowell investigators say much work lies ahead
WENATCHEE — There’s been an arrest, but authorities say there is still much to do in the Mackenzie Cowell homicide investigation. “It’s been a long road and we’ve got a long road ahead,” John Kruse, a task force spokesman, said at a news conference this morning.
Published 10/7/2010
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Court documents shed light on case
WENATCHEE — Here’s some of what investigators say they uncovered in the Mackenzie Cowell murder case, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed this morning in Chelan County Superior Court:• Cowell was last seen driving toward Wilson’s home at 404 S. Chelan Ave., which is two blocks from the ...
Published 10/7/2010
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Hair academy student arrested in Cowell murder
WENATCHEE — A 29-year-old student at the Academy of Hair Design in Wenatchee was charged this morning with second-degree murder in the death of fellow academy student Mackenzie Cowell. Bail was set at $1 million for Christopher Scott Wilson, who is being held in the Chelan County Regional Justice Center ...
Published 10/7/2010
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Arrest made in Cowell murder
WENATCHEE — A 29-year-old Wenatchee man has been arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder in the death of Mackenzie Cowell. Christopher Scott Wilson of Wenatchee was interviewed by detectives and booked into the Chelan County Regional Justice Center, according to a news release just before noon from Sgt. John Kruse, ...
Published 10/7/2010
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'America's Most Wanted' website does not generate tips in Cowell case
WENATCHEE — Featuring the Mackenzie Cowell case on America’s Most Wanted’s website last week did not generate tips to the Wenatchee-based task force investigating her murder, according to task force spokesman Sgt. John Kruse of the Wenatchee Police Department. Cowell, 17, was last seen Feb. 9 in Wenatchee and her ...
Published 9/11/2010
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America’s Most Wanted website features Cowell case
WENATCHEE — The website for America’s Most Wanted this week features the Mackenzie Cowell murder, with the headline, “Missing teen’s case has tragic conclusion”. Officials at the website did not return an e-mail asking if the case would be featured on America’s Most Wanted’s TV show. Doug Jones, Mackenzie Cowell ...
Published 9/1/2010
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Cowell likely knew killer, sheriff says
WENATCHEE — The February murder of Mackenzie Cowell “is not a random stranger killing young women,” Chelan County Sheriff Mike Harum said Wednesday. Investigators have known that since about two weeks after her murder, he said. “This was more than likely a planned murder.”
Teen's murder wasn't random, Harum says — though task force isn't ruling out anything yet
Published 8/5/2010
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Secrecy shrouds Cowell case
It was all at once hopeful, puzzling and more than a bit frustrating when investigators in the Mackenzie Cowell murder case released information this week on the knife they say was used in the Wenatchee teen’s Feb. 13 slaying. It is hopeful because the knife came from a set that ...
Published 7/17/2010
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Police zero in on knife left near Cowell
WENATCHEE — A Maxam brand knife was found at the riverbank near where murder victim Mackenzie Cowell’s body was located Feb. 13. Capt. Doug Jones, a spokesman for the task force investigating the 17-year-old Wenatchee resident’s death, said the task force decided to release this information today. They hope someone ...
Published 7/15/2010
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Cowell update: Investigators ‘cautiously optimistic’
WENATCHEE — Investigators are “cautiously optimistic” that three recent interviews may help solve the murder of Mackenzie Cowell. “Over the past week, task force investigators conducted interviews of potential witnesses and persons potentially involved in Mackenzie’s murder,” Capt. Doug Jones, spokesman for the task force investigating her murder, wrote in ...
Published 6/18/2010
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Cowell team checks fresh tip
WENATCHEE — Members of the task force investigating the murder of 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell searched a turn-out section of the hairpin turn above Crescent Bar on Thursday. “A tip said this might have been a place where Mackenzie had been taken,” said Capt. Doug Jones, a spokesman for the task ...
Published 5/18/2010
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Authorities can’t explain 6 calls from Cowell’s cell
WENATCHEE — Investigators say they have been unable to find out why six calls were made from Mackenzie Cowell’s cell phone to an East Wenatchee phone number on the day she disappeared. But police have concluded that the people who have the phone number did not know the 17-year-old Wenatchee ...
Published 4/23/2010
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Rewards go up, investigators remain ‘confident’ in Cowell homicide
WENATCHEE — A Chelan County diving team searched the Columbia River near the Riverfront Park boat ramp but was unable to find Mackenzie Cowell’s cell phone, considered a vital piece of evidence in the homicide investigation. Wenatchee Police Capt. Doug Jones said today investigators in recent weeks have also conducted ...
Published 4/15/2010
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Investigators missing cell phone data in Cowell case
WENATCHEE — Investigators have been unable to recover a “pretty critical” 12-hour block of data generated by the cell phones of Mackenzie Cowell and others, says Chelan County Sheriff Mike Harum. “We’re not sure what the data would have provided us, but if it was there it could possibly have ...
Published 4/1/2010
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No letting up in Cowell case, police pledge
WENATCHEE — Commitments of funding and manpower to solve the homicide of 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell remain strong this week despite a lack of suspects in the case, authorities say. On Saturday, it will be seven weeks since the Wenatchee High School senior’s body was found at Crescent Bar. She had ...
Still no suspects in teen’s killing
Published 4/1/2010
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How to donate to Crimestoppers
WENATCHEE — After the March 13 article about the Mackenzie Cowell Crimestoppers reward fund, many readers asked how they could donate. Blair McHainey, one of the founders of the local Crimestoppers and member of its board, said Wednesday that people could drop checks, payable to Crimestoppers, to Gold’s Gym, either ...
Published 3/18/2010
Cowell Crimestoppers reward fund grew from pain of past
Families stepped up to establish reward
WENATCHEE — The $5,000 reward available through Crimestoppers for the Mackenzie Cowell case didn’t just mysteriously appear. Jim Huffman of East Wenatchee figured that the one element missing in the ongoing investigation was a reward to encourage people to come forward with information anonymously.Published 3/13/2010
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Teen was stabbed, strangled
WENATCHEE — Mackenzie Cowell died from “manual strangulation and stab wound to the neck,” according to the death certificate signed after her autopsy. “Blunt impact to the head” also significantly contributed to her death, the certificate said. It notes that the time interval between the homicidal violence and death was ...
Published 3/12/2010
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Cowell case still a mystery
WENATCHEE — On Saturday, it will be a month since the body of 17-year-old Wenatchee High School student Mackenzie Cowell was found at Crescent Bar. Investigators say they have no suspects.
Published 3/12/2010
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Reward fund for Cowell hits $6,700
WENATCHEE — A reward fund set up for the Mackenzie Cowell homicide case has brought in $6,700, organizers say. They ended their efforts with $1,537 raised at a fundraising event at Caffè Mela on Saturday, said Terri Morris of Wenatchee.
Published 3/10/2010
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Walk raises money for Cowell reward fund
A group of about 20 people participated in a Sunday walk to raise money for a reward fund in the Mackenzie Cowell murder case. The afternoon walk began in Wenatchee Riverfront Park and continued all the way around the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail.
Published 3/8/2010
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Internet detectives ferret out clues in Mackenzie Cowell case
WENATCHEE — Investigators have been working nearly a month to solve the murder of Mackenzie Cowell. They are not alone. The Internet is abuzz with armchair detectives, ferreting out tips, facts, rumors and innuendo about who killed the 17-year-old Wenatchee High School senior last month.
Published 3/6/2010
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Business group pledges $38,000 to Cowell fund
WENATCHEE — Pledge money has given the Mackenzie Cowell reward fund a big boost. A group of Wenatchee business people have pledged to add $38,000 to an existing fund if a tip leads to a conviction in the death of the 17-year-old Wenatchee High School student.
Published 3/5/2010
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Police won’t cut corners in Cowell case
Despite mounting labor costs, authorities vow they'll push on
WENATCHEE — While the final costs are far from tallied, local officials overseeing tight budgets say they will spend whatever it takes to solve the murder of 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell. Douglas County Commissioner Ken Stanton, Wenatchee Mayor Dennis Johnson, East Wenatchee Mayor Steve Lacy and Chelan County Commissioner Keith Goehner ...Published 3/3/2010
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Cowell investigators await more cell records
WENATCHEE — Investigators are waiting for more cell tower information as they continue to investigate the homicide of 17-year-old Wenatchee High School student Mackenzie Cowell. Tower information is being sought for Cowell’s phone and phones owned by “people who called her and knew her,” said Doug Jones, spokesman for the ...
Published 3/2/2010
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Tips trickle in as police investigate cell phone angle in Cowell case
WENATCHEE — Police say they received a few new tips after announcing Friday that Mackenzie Cowell’s phone was near a Wenatchee boat launch Feb. 9, the day she disappeared. But Doug Jones, spokesman for the task force investigating the death of the 17-year-old Wentachee High School student, reported no other ...
Published 2/28/2010
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Cowell at boat launch on day she disappeared, investigators say
WENATCHEE — Cell phone data places Mackenzie Cowell’s phone near a Wenatchee boat launch on Feb. 9, the day she disappeared. Investigators say recently received cell phone records indicate that the last call on her cell phone was made in the area of the Wenatchee Riverfront Park boat launch near ...
Published 2/26/2010
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Cowell memorial: ‘She would have loved this’
WENATCHEE — Different reasons brought different folks from different walks of life to honor a young woman who, by all accounts, found joy in life before tragedy cut it short. “As sad as this is,” said friend and classmate Carmen Morales, “she would have loved this — all these people ...
Published 2/26/2010
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Memorial service honors a life cut short
WENATCHEE — A young girl whose life ended too soon was eulogized Thursday at Town Toyota Center. “We are here today because someone took Mackenzie’s life into their own hands,” said the Rev. Sandy Brown. “We are here today because someone stole her life, but we’re also here to celebrate ...
Published 2/25/2010
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A day of remembrance
WENATCHEE — Sixteen members of the Apple-Ettes Dance Team were paying tribute to their 17th member, Mackenzie Cowell, today. Routines by the Apple-Ettes from Wenatchee High School are part of a larger memorial being held today at 11 a.m. at the Town Toyota Center.
Arena crowd pays respects to Mackenzie Cowell
Published 2/25/2010
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Friends gather for Mackenzie
Town Toyota Center staff figures thousands will show Thursday
WENATCHEE — Officials at the Town Toyota Center say they expect several thousand people to attend a memorial service for homicide victim Mackenzie Cowell at 11 a.m. Thursday at the facility. “We are planning on a full house,” said Ernie Rodriguez, marketing director for the center. The center’s capacity is ...Published 2/25/2010
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Funds still being raised for reward
WENATCHEE — Containers where people can donate to a reward fund in the Mackenzie Cowell homicide case are located at several local businesses. Terri Morris of Wenatchee, one of several people who are coordinating the reward fund drive, said people who donate can pick up pink ribbons to wear.
Published 2/23/2010
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Investigators: Homicide victim was not sexually assaulted
WENATCHEE — Homicide victim Mackenzie Cowell was not sexually assaulted, a spokeswoman for the investigation said Monday. “We don’t want people to think there is some crazed rapist out there,” said Sgt. Cherie Smith of the Wenatchee Police Department. “That was not the motivation for this at all.”
Published 2/22/2010
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Police awaiting state crime lab results
WENATCHEE — Police say they have no leads in their investigation into the murder of Mackenzie Cowell, and hope the state crime lab can shed new light on the two-week-old case. Wenatchee Police Sgt. Cherie Smith said investigators are hoping crime lab results expected early this week will have some ...
Published 2/22/2010
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Wild fans donate $5,000 for Cowell reward fund
WENATCHEE — Nearly $5,000 was raised Friday night at the Wenatchee Wild hockey game to help solve the homicide of Wenatchee High School student Mackenzie Cowell. An announcer stated that amount over the loudspeaker at the hockey game. Cowell’s friends and other volunteers walked around the audience with collection buckets ...
Published 2/20/2010
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Suspicious complaints up as homicide investigation continues
WENATCHEE — People in North Central Washington are reporting more suspicious activity than usual since authorities found the body of 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell near Crescent Bar on Saturday. Suspicious looks, suspicious cars, suspicious noises are all being reported, said Wenatchee Police Sgt. Cherie Smith.
Published 2/19/2010
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Wild honor Mackenzie Cowell at tonight’s game
WENATCHEE — A group of local women who do random acts of kindness has teamed up with the Wenatchee Wild hockey team and Wenatchee Police Department to collect reward money to help solve the Mackenzie Cowell homicide case. Before tonight’s Wild’s hockey game against the Texas Tornadoes at the Town ...
Published 2/19/2010
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Cops hope for help from video
WENATCHEE — Investigators have released video footage of the last known sighting of homicide victim Mackenzie Cowell in a Wenatchee-owned parking lot in the hope that someone saw the teenager or her red 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix. “It is our hope that the release of this video footage will assist ...
Parking lot images show Cowell leaving by herself
Published 2/18/2010
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County mum on autopsy results
Authorities saying little on Cowell case, but asking public’s help
EAST WENATCHEE — Autopsy results on homicide victim Mackenzie Cowell won’t be released to the public today. “At this point, I want to keep that information inside law enforcement,” said Steve Clem, Douglas County prosecutor and coroner, Tuesday evening. He had spent the afternoon attending Cowell’s autopsy, which was performed ...Published 2/17/2010
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Crescent Bar man sees tracks near crime scene
CRESCENT BAR — Saturday morning, Gary Ovenell looked down from his home at Crescent Bar at the lawn surrounding the house below. “I said to my wife, ‘My goodness, look at all the tracks down there,” he said. “Later in the afternoon, I looked over again and there were 13 ...
Published 2/17/2010
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Pepper spray sales are up since killing
WENATCHEE — There hasn’t been a mad rush but pepper spray has been moving off shelves faster than normal at some stores. Since Saturday, when the body of a 17-year-old Wenatchee High School senior was found on a beach at Crescent Bar, about 15 containers of pepper spray were sold ...
Published 2/17/2010
Investigators urge women to use caution
With no suspects in the homicide of a Wenatchee High School senior, an investigator suggests that young women in the Wenatchee area take extra precautions to be safe. “We don’t know enough in this investigation as to who this person is so we’re telling the public to use due care ...
Published 2/16/2010
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Edgy Crescent Bar residents exercise caution
CRESCENT BAR — Residents at this upscale riverside development last week added a new layer of caution to the quiet resort life they’ve known for years. Four days after the body of a teenage girl was found near the entrance of the popular family retreat, residents said they now walk ...
Published 2/16/2010
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Cowell’s classmates grieve a lost friend
WENATCHEE — As Wenatchee High School students walked to class this morning, extra parents, security officers and school staff roamed the hallways with them, looking for anyone who might need support. Today was the first day of school since police found 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell’s body Saturday. School was out Friday ...
Published 2/16/2010
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Case now turns to lab work
Authorities hope autopsy aids Cowell investigation
WENATCHEE — An autopsy was scheduled for 1 p.m. today on Mackenzie Cowell, the Wenatchee High School senior whose body was found along the Columbia River bank at Crescent Bar on Saturday. Steve Clem, Douglas County prosecutor and coroner, said he plans to be present when Dr. Gina Fino performs ...Published 2/16/2010
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Body is Cowell, investigators say; video shows her driving away from academy alone
EAST WENATCHEE — A combined task force of local and federal investigators continued this morning to piece together evidence in the death of Mackenzie Cowell, the Wenatchee High School student whose body was found Saturday on a riverbank at Crescent Bar. The 17-year-old Orondo teen had been missing since Tuesday. ...
Published 2/14/2010
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Identification of young woman's body could take 1-2 days, sheriff says
CRESCENT BAR — The body of a young woman was found about 12:45 p.m. Saturday in the Crescent Bar area and the Douglas County sheriff is calling the death a homicide. “It appears she was put there by someone. ... We’ve got to find this monster,” said Jerry Moore, chief ...
Published 2/13/2010
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Police will analyze teen’s phone records
WENATCHEE — Authorities Saturday will pore over more than 1,000 pages of phone records of Mackenzie Cowell, the 17-year-old Orondo teenager who hasn’t been seen since she left her beauty school Tuesday. The phone records, dating back to Jan. 1, may offer clues that will help find Cowell, whose locked ...
Published 2/13/2010
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Hundreds attend candlelight vigil for missing teen
WENATCHEE — On Friday night, a couple of hundred people prayed for the safe return of Mackenzie Cowell. Her parents, brothers, relatives, friends and people who never met the 17-year-old Orondo teen gathered at a candlelight vigil. They lined up shoulder to shoulder along Wenatchee Avenue in front of the ...
Published 2/13/2010
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Search update: No new news on missing people
WENATCHEE — Searches continued today for two people missing in Chelan County. Jerry Moore, Chelan County Sheriff office spokesman, said no new information is available about the search for 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell. He said a task force continued interviews with Pitcher Canyon area residents and Cowell's car was searched and ...
Published 2/11/2010
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Separate searches go airborne
Rescuers comb countryside for lost teen, 87-year-old snowmobiler
WENATCHEE — Law enforcement will take to the skies over two rugged areas south of Wenatchee this morning to look for a missing snowmobiler and a missing teenager. The snowmobiler is 87-year-old Dale Sasseen of Cashmere, who was last seen Wednesday afternoon just before he became separated from four friends, ...Published 2/11/2010
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Deputies search Pitcher Canyon area for missing girl
WENATCHEE — A helicopter for the Chelan County Sheriff’s Department was being used this morning to search for a 17-year-old girl missing since Tuesday night. Sheriff’s department spokesman Jerry Moore said investigators launched the helicopter search for Mackenzie Cowell of Orondo over an area surrounding Pitcher Canyon. The air search ...
Published 2/10/2010
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