Marizela Perez

Case Information:

Marizela Perez was 18 years old when she vanished from Seattle, Washington on March 5, 2011, after leaving a Safeway store in the University District. Her disappearance remains one of the region’s most haunting unresolved cases, leaving her family and community searching for answers more than a decade later.

Marizela was a freshman at the University of Washington when she disappeared during what should have been a routine Saturday trip to campus.

She left her Rainier Beach residence around noon, telling relatives she planned to study with friends, but she never arrived and was never seen again after exiting a neighborhood Safeway.

Case Details:

Surveillance footage captured Marizela purchasing orange juice, trash bags, Tylenol, and an over‑the‑counter sleep aid before walking north out of the store.

Her cellphone received a final text message at 2:45 p.m. near 47th Avenue Northeast before shutting off permanently, leaving investigators with no further digital trail to follow.

Timeline of Events:

• March 5, 2011 (12:00 PM): Marizela leaves her relatives’ home in Rainier Beach, heading toward the University of Washington campus.
• March 5, 2011 (1:00 PM – 2:00 PM): She is captured on Safeway surveillance footage making debit-card purchases.
• March 5, 2011 (2:20 PM): Additional security footage shows her exiting the grocery store and walking north on Brooklyn Avenue Northeast.
• March 5, 2011 (2:45 PM): Her cellular device receives a final incoming text message and immediately powers off.
• Following Hours: Family members attempt to reach her repeatedly, but all calls go straight to voicemail.
• Evening/Night: Relatives initiate an immediate search of the UW campus, transit bus routes, local hospitals, and downtown Seattle with no success.

Investigation:

The Seattle Police Department initially found no evidence of abduction, foul play, or a voluntary disappearance, complicating efforts to obtain warrants for her digital records.

Her family pushed for access to her email, social media, and phone data, but legal barriers for missing adults over 18 severely limited what investigators could retrieve.

Community Response:

Hundreds of volunteers, students, and strangers helped distribute flyers, organize searches, and raise awareness across Seattle and beyond.

Her cousin, columnist Michelle Malkin, used her national platform to amplify the case, while organizations and online communities continued to share her story in hopes of generating new leads.

Family Statements:

Marizela’s parents, Jasmine and Edgar Perez, have remained steadfast in their belief that more could have been done early in the investigation to preserve critical digital evidence.

They continue to hope for answers, urging anyone with information to come forward and help bring closure to a mystery that has defined their lives for more than a decade.

Physical Appearance:

Marizela is a Filipina woman, 5’5″ tall and approximately 110 pounds, with a short asymmetrical bob haircut at the time she disappeared.

She has a distinctive tattoo on her left inner arm reading “Lahat ay magiging maayos,” meaning “All will be well” in Tagalog.

Current Status:

Marizela remains listed as a missing person in the NamUs national database, and her case is still open with the Seattle Police Department.

Despite extensive searches, media coverage, and private investigative efforts, no confirmed sightings or evidence have surfaced since the day she vanished.

Contact Information:

Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Marizela Perez is urged to contact the Seattle Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at 206‑684‑5582. Tips may also be submitted anonymously through local law‑enforcement channels or national missing‑person organizations. Even the smallest detail could help bring long‑awaited answers to her family and community.

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