A set of partial skeletal remains found off Entiat River Road in Chelan County has finally put a name to a mystery nearly four decades old. Officials said Monday that the bones, discovered last year, belong to Patricia L. Colyer, a Tacoma woman born in 1948 who was last seen on July 4, 1986. Her identity was confirmed through DNA after forensic testing. The remains were first spotted in May 2025 and later collected by the coroner’s office as detectives worked the scene. Authorities say there are no suspects at this time, and the case has now been handed off to Tacoma investigators.
According to KING 5, a partial cranium was found near milepost 27 on Entiat River Road on May 10, 2025. The Chelan County Coroner’s Office later collected the remains after detectives and the Washington State Patrol crime lab processed the area. A broader search using Chelan County Search and Rescue volunteers and K‑9 teams did not uncover any additional remains. County officials told KING 5 that Colyer’s next of kin have been notified.
Background: who was Patricia Colyer
Colyer was reported missing from Tacoma on July 4, 1986. Public records compiled by The Charley Project list her birthdate as July 11, 1948, and note she was 37 when she disappeared. The Charley Project entry points to her NamUs file and lists the Tacoma Police Department as the investigating agency on the original missing person report. Until this recent identification, very little public information was available about the circumstances of her disappearance.
How the identification was made
Chelan County Coroner Earl Crowe told KING 5 that DNA testing was used to confirm Colyer’s identity. A partial cranium was sent to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, where the state forensic anthropologist reviewed the remains. The Chelan County Coroner’s Office outlines its role as investigating and documenting unexplained deaths and coordinating examinations and testing when remains are found, and officials cautioned that the condition and age of the bones may make it impossible to determine a clear cause or manner of death.
Investigation status and how to report tips
Local officials say there are currently no leads or suspects, and follow up work has shifted to Tacoma detectives. Anyone with information that might help the investigation is asked to contact the Tacoma Police Department at its non emergency line, (253) 287-4455, or through the department’s contact page. For immediate threats or emergencies, call 911.
Why this matters
The identification gives Colyer’s family an answer to a question that has lingered since the mid 1980s and fits into a wider trend of cold cases being revisited as forensic tools improve. Across Washington, updated DNA techniques and forensic anthropology have begun to resolve long standing cases, even in situations where the focus is more on delivering answers than on securing a prosecution.
