Mary Frances Hunter, 35, vanished from Island County, Washington on September 1, 1996. A Navy wife and mother of two known as Fran or Francine, she was last seen by someone outside her immediate family at her home on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Oak Harbor and, according to her husband’s account, in the parking lot of the Cascade Mall in Burlington that day. She left behind her children, husband, car, and dog.

Investigators found significant inconsistencies in the primary narrative provided by her husband, Navy Lt. Derek Hunter. He said Mary met a man named Tony or Todd at the mall and disappeared while he used the restroom. He did not report her missing until September 3. Surveillance later showed Derek withdrawing cash with Mary’s card after her disappearance, and he claimed Mary had been withdrawing money. He also tried to remove her from insurance and vehicle titles. Mary had a history of severe depression and a prior suicide attempt, but her family did not believe she would abandon her children.

No body was ever found and there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone. Derek Hunter died by suicide on September 2, 2003; one note claimed Mary had died by suicide and that he would not reveal a location. The case is classified as an endangered missing person and remains unsolved. Does anyone who knew Mary or saw her around Oak Harbor or the Cascade Mall in 1996 have information that could help?