Cynthia Jane Marl was 45 when she left her Wenatchee, Washington home in the 300 block of South Delaware Avenue on the evening of March 19, 2005. She told her son she was running errands and expected to be back within an hour, driving a dark green or teal 1995 Plymouth Voyager van. She never returned and no one reported seeing her after that outing.

Nearly two months later, on May 6, the van was found abandoned in Ephrata, about 50 miles from Wenatchee. A witness said it had been parked there for roughly a month. The vehicle had been wiped down with gasoline and Cynthia’s personal belongings were missing, details that raised concern about foul play.

In April 2009, investigators identified a person of interest named Scott Bates after his death during a burglary attempt. An informant alleged Cynthia had been selling prescription painkillers and that Bates had planned to rob her, possibly using violence. Cynthia had prior arrest history for heroin possession, was unemployed because of a back injury, and was receiving Social Security benefits; her family believes she may have been carrying a substantial amount of cash when she disappeared.

Does anyone who lived in Wenatchee or Ephrata at the time remember seeing Cynthia’s van or have information about Bates’ movements in 2005?