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Prosecutors in Washington state recently charged a California man in the death of a woman who went missing over a decade ago, according to The Chronicle.
Mark Frisby, a 44-year-old living in Los Angeles, is accused of murdering Lorill Sinclaire, a 49-year-old Redmond woman he was dating at the time. Sinclaire's mother last heard from her daughter on November 9, 2011, who was visiting Frisby's Bellevue apartment at the time, according to probable cause documents. Her family told authorities Sinclaire and Frisby had a tumultuous relationship, and the latter usually had concerning behavior.
Sinclaire's ex-husband reportedly broke into Frisby's apartment after she disappeared. He told Bellevue Police the home was unusually clean and found a bathtub full of at least "a roll's worth of paper towels," per police records. Officers told the ex-husband they already searched Frisby's home and found nothing "suspicious."
After Sinclaire's family filed a missing persons report, Redmond and Bellevue Police found Frisby living in an ambulance van with many cleaning supplies, according to police documents. During the interview, the boyfriend told officers he was evicted from the apartment and waiting for a cleaning deposit from the landlord, who disputed the claim.
Despite Frisby having an "inconsistent" story, authorities didn't suspect any foul play in Sinclaire's disappearance. They also never found her cell phone or body, but they did locate her abandoned vehicle in a Bellevue parking lot, reporters said. Cops found Sinclaire's journal inside the car, which expressed concern over Frisby's escalating behavior and fear for her own safety, reporters wrote.
Frisby ended up moving to Las Vegas after Sinclaire went missing, but authorities found a receipt showing he pawned a knife, per probable cause documents. They analyzed the knife in 2012 but found no DNA evidence linking him to Sinclaire's disappearance and possible death.
Years after the case went cold, modern forensic technology allowed investigators to check out the knife again in 2022. This time, they were able to find DNA matching both Sinclaire and Frisby. Detectives believe Frisby likely killed Sinclaire with the knife, based on the numerous cleaning supplies and DNA match.
King County prosecutors charged Frisby with second-degree murder on November 16. They asked he be held in California on a $3 million bail while they seek extradition back to Washington state.
"We never forgot Lorill and are grateful to have identified the person responsible for her tragic murder," Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe said in a statement. "We hope this arrest can provide her family some closure."
You can read more about this story on The Chronicle's website.