King County Courthouse 516 Third Ave Room W-150 Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 296-4155 TTY Relay: 7-1-1 sheriff@kingcounty.gov
Call (206) 296-3311 to report a neighborhood problem or a crime that is not an emergency.
Missing Person 1980 - 1989
Please contact the listed detectives if you have any information regarding these cases:
Name: Virginia Rambus
Age: 19
Virginia Ann Rambus was 19 years old when she disappeared from her apartment complex located in the 6800 block of South123 Street in the Skyway area of South Seattle.
Virginia was last seen on 05/22/85 when she left her apartment complex to go to a co-workers apartment in the same complex. The two have planned to go to a party together in the Rainer Valley.
Detectives are interesting in obtaining information on a known subject who lived in the same apartment complex as the victim. He was a white male with a beard who used the moniker “The Candy Man”.
UPDATE: The "Candy Man" has been identified, and detectives are now looking for any additional information regarding Virginia's disappearance.
Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Tompkins with the King County Cold Case Squad.
Name: Margaret Diaz
Age: 31
Margaret Diaz was last seen by her family on her birthday in July of 1988, she was 31 years old. Margaret was living a high risk lifestyle when she disappeared, and had connections to people on the Hilltop area of Tacoma.
She is the mother of three children, and normally kept in regular contact with them. She also used her maiden name of Margaret Cohen, and a former married name of Margaret Riley.
Anyone with information on Margaret’s disappearance is asked to call Det. Scott Tompkins of the King County Sheriff’s Office at 206/205-7810.
Name: Ralph Alan Newcombe
In 1989 Ralph Newcombe moved from Kodiak Alaska to Seattle. A few months later Ralph drove away from his house in North Seattle and did not return home. His wife reported him missing. His pick up truck was found the next morning in Seattle parked across the street from the Alaska ferry terminal. His carpenter tools, wallet and identification were found in the pickup. The crew of the Alaska ferry did not see Ralph on the boat when it sailed to Alaska.
Ralph worked as a carpenter building and remodeling houses in Alaska and was trying to form a business in Seattle but he left before the business was formed.
Since 1989 there have been indications that he may have been in the Montana and Wyoming. Ralph may have changed his name and assumed a different identity.
Detective Contact Information: King County Major Crimes, Cold Case Squad 206-296-7530
Name: Doris Mulhern
Age: 21
White female
4’11, 105 lbs
Auburn hair and hazel eyes
Doris Mulhern was last seen on March 12, 1987 at the Stevenson Motel at 33330 Pacific Hwy South. She was known to have lived a very high risk life-style including prostitution.
She was last seen wearing a black leather jacket, blue jeans with “baby” stitched in pink on a back pocket, and white tennis shoes.
She also has very distinctive burn scars on her neck, chest, stomach and arms.
Anyone with information about the disappearance of Doris Mulhern is asked to contact the King County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit.
Detective Contact Information: Det. Jim Allen at 206-205-7818
Name: Carol Edwards
Age: 25
Weight: 102 lbs
Light brown hair/green eyes
Carol Edwards was last seen leaving her job at “TV Guide” in downtown Seattle on January 2nd, 1981. It is believed she was going to her home at 562 North 167th Street when she left work. Edwards was a steady employee, in a steady relationship and was not living a high-risk lifestyle. Foul play is suspected in her disappearance. Anyone who knew Carol or had contact with her immediately before her disappearance is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office
William Downey left his Burien apartment building in May of 1987 to go hang out with friends. Later that evening he was seen getting into the front passenger’s seat of a white coupe, possibly an Impala or Chrysler outside a home in Auburn. Billy associated with people that were much older that he was. There has been no confirmed sighting of Billy since May of 1987.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children developed an age progression, which can be viewed by clicking here.
Detective Contact Information: Det. Scott Tompkins 206-205-7810
In 1989 Ralph Newcombe moved from Kodiak Alaska to Seattle. A few months later Ralph drove away from his house in North Seattle and did not return home. His wife reported him missing. His pick up truck was found the next morning in Seattle parked across the street from the Alaska ferry terminal. His carpenter tools, wallet and identification were found in the pickup. The crew of the Alaska ferry did not see Ralph on the boat when it sailed to Alaska.
