MACKENZIE COWELL - 17 yo (2010)/ Convicted: Christopher Wilson - Orondo WA

SEATTLE -- The search is on for a 17-year-old girl who has not been seen since Tuesday.



Mackenzie Cowell was last in Wenatchee as she left beauty school. Her car, a 2000
Pontiac Grand Prix, was found several hours later, abandoned some 40
miles from her home in Orondo.

Detectives found Cowell's purse and clothes inside her car, but her debit card was missing.

FBI agents and Chelan County detectives have searched the steep terrain
where her car was found with the help of bloodhounds several times, but
they have not found any clues into her whereabouts. The state crime lab
processed the car and found nothing out of the ordinary.

Cowell has been listed as an endangered missing person as the criteria
surrounding her disappearance does not meet Amber Alert standards. An
FBI profiler is en route from Washington, D.C. to aid in the case.

"It's unusual for the caliber of this kid," said sheriff's spokesman Jerry
Moore. "From what we're getting from Mackenzie's past, she's not a
troubled kid. She's a good student. She's a smart kid. She's involved
in a lot of community functions."

Cowell is 5-foot-8 and weighs 130 pounds. She has brown hair with red highlights and brown eyes. She also wears braces.

Anyone with information on Cowell's whereabouts is urged to call detectives immediately at 509-667-6848.

WENATCHEE — Authorities are still baffled over the sudden
disappearance of 17-year-old Mackenzie Nicole Cowell, whose locked car
was reported abandoned in Pitcher Canyon, with a single set of
footprints outside it.

“It appeared somebody parked the car, locked it up and walked away,”
said Jerry Moore, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office chief of
administration, this morning.Residents found Cowell’s red 1997 Pontiac parked near a driveway at about 10 p.m. Tuesday and reported it to authorities.

Friends have organized a candlelight vigil tonight to pray for her safe return.

FBI agents arrived Thursday afternoon to aid in the search, Moore
said. This afternoon he said the agents are one of the FBI's Child
Abduction Rapid Deployment teams.

“They’re a fresh set of eyes for us,” he said. “They’ll be going back and reviewing and re-interviewing people.”

He said the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is also involved.

Since Tuesday night, deputies, with help from several other local
law-enforcement agencies, walked the 1.5-mile dead-end road and
searched the brush and draws, stopping at about 40 houses along the way
to ask residents if they’d seen or heard anything, he said.

“We’re going back up and beat the brush again today, to double and triple verify,” he said.

The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office’s helicopter search of the canyon
turned up no signs of her Thursday, but searchers will make another
sweep of the area today before breaking off to look further for a
missing 87-year-old snowmobiler.

A search of computers that Cowell used at both her mother’s house
and her father’s house also turned up nothing suspicious, Moore said.

“We have talked to nearly everyone we think knew Mackenzie,” he said.

The investigation so far has turned up no leads as to why Cowell’s
car was parked in Pitcher Canyon, or where she might have gone, he said.

The Washington State Patrol crime lab also swabbed the vehicle to look for signs of a crime, but found nothing, he said.

An Amber Alert has not been issued because authorities cannot verify that she’s been abducted, Moore said.

“We don’t have a suspect vehicle and we don’t have a suspect,” he
said. “We have no witnesses seeing her abducted or taken. We can’t
verify that she didn’t walk away on her own.”

Moore said Cowell appeared to be a well-adjusted teenager, very
involved in life and very busy. “She was going to high school and
beauty academy, and she was on the Apple-Ettes Dance Team. That’s a
busy day,” he said — especially adding in studying and doing chores for
her parents.

Cowell is 5 feet 8 inches, 110 pounds and has brown hair, recently
dyed with a reddish tint, according to Moore. She was last seen wearing
black pants, a black top, a black coat that ties at the waist and brown
suede-like boots with fur trim. She also has braces.

Hanah Rasmussen, one of Cowell’s friends, said a candlelight
ceremony is planned outside the KPQ Radio Station in Wenatchee at 7
tonight to pray for her safe return.

Anyone with knowledge of Cowell’s whereabouts or tips regarding the case is asked to call 667-6848.

WENATCHEE, Wash. — A Chelan County sheriff's spokesman says the
search for a missing 17-year-old girl is expanding to social networking
and phone contacts that Mackenzie Cowell may have had.
Sheriff's spokesman Jerry Moore says search warrants were faxed Friday for information from MySpace, Facebook and Verizon.
He says the FBI has also brought in a rapid response team that deals with child abductions.
Moore says those searching for Cowell hope information gleaned from computer and cell phone records "sends us in a direction."
She was last seen Tuesday afternoon leaving a beauty school class in
Wenatchee. Her locked car was found that night near Mission Ridge,
about 40 miles from her home in Orondo. Her purse and some clothes were
found in the car, but her debit card is missing. Moore says a single
set of footprints was found outside the car.
In addition to Chelan County and the FBI, the Washington State
Patrol, state Fish and Wildlife Department, Douglas County deputies and
Wenatchee police are working on the case.

WENATCHEE — On Friday night, a couple of hundred people prayed for the safe return of Mackenzie Cowell.

Her parents, brothers, relatives, friends and people who never met
the 17-year-old Orondo teen gathered at a candlelight vigil. They lined
up shoulder to shoulder along Wenatchee Avenue in front of the Cherry
Creek Radio offices in downtown Wenatchee.

Residents in Pitcher Canyon, in the Squilchuck area, found Cowell’s
vacant red 1997 Pontiac parked near a driveway at about 10 p.m. Tuesday
and reported it to authorities.

The vigil was organized by Yvonne McLean of Leavenworth, whose two
daughters are on Wenatchee High School’s Apple-Ettes Dance Team with
Cowell.


Rachel Moore, left, and, Erin Cowell, 13, both of Richland,
listen as
Allen Anderson, of Wenatchee, leads the Lord’s Prayer
at a vigil for
Mackenzie Cowell Friday night in front of the
Cherry Creek Radio
offices on Wenatchee Avenue.
Erin is Mackenzie’s cousin. More than 200
people attended
the vigil for the teen, who has been missing since
Tuesday.


McLean said she wanted to show support and show how many people
care. “I needed something positive to come (out of this),” McLean said.

“We wanted to be productive and help,” said Wendy Cowell,
Mackenzie’s mother. “I feel totally helpless. ... It can happen to
anybody.”

Rachel Moore drove from her home in Richland to bring her daughter,
who is also Mackenzie’s cousin, Erin Cowell, 13, to the vigil. “I don’t
know what to do,” Moore said. “I can just show support for her and
pray. It’s sad. I just hope for a positive outcome. It’s all I can do.
It’s almost like a dream, like you’ll wake up and find out she’s fine,
she’s home, she’s safe. ... I can’t believe she’s gone. It’s worse to
think about what could be. You have to be positive.”

The line of people stretched from the sidewalk adjacent to the
Chelan County PUD parking lot almost to Second Street at the Coast
Hotel.

After a moment of silence the group sang “Amazing Grace.”

Through tears, Mackenzie’s father, Reid Cowell of Orondo, thanked
those who attended. “We want her to get home safe and get back to
normal,” he said. “This is an amazing show for Mackenzie. She’s just an
angel. I’m not sure she knows what we’re seeing here tonight, which is
the love for her. This is a welcome-home party for her. ... We’ll do
this again when she’s back.”

Afterward, Allen Anderson of Wenatchee led the group in reciting the
Lord’s Prayer. “It’s guidance from the good Lord,” said Allen, later.
“... I think prayer is the strongest thing in the world, don’t you? I
don’t know if there’s anything stronger.”

“She’s a good lady, a good girl. I just hope that she comes back
safe and sound,” said Allen, who knows Mackenzie through her parents.


“It should be a huge concern for the entire community,” said Lisa
Calderon of Wenatchee whose daughter, Alexandra, 17, goes to school
with Mackenzie. “Even though we live in a small, fairly safe community,
we shouldn’t take that for granted.”

Chelan Co.: Missing girl's body found beside river

WENATCHEE, Wash. - The Chelan County Sheriff's Office says the body of a missing 17-year-old Central Washington girl has been found, and detectives are investigating her death as a homicide.

Deputies said Mackenzie Cowell's body was found Saturday on the shore of the Columbia River, and it appears the body was put there by someone.

Douglas County sheriff's detectives are now investigating the scene, in an area that is know to be popular with hikers and campers. They have so far declined to confirm the Chelan County report that the girl's body is Cowell's.

No other details were immediately available, but Chelan County deputies told reporters in Spokane that a passer-by found Cowell's body near Crescent Bar, about 20 miles from Wenatchee, on the shore of the Columbia River.

The body was found with her feet in the water and fully clothed.

Cowell was last seen in Wenatchee as she left beauty school on Tuesday. Her car, a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix, was found several hours later, abandoned three miles away on the side of a dead-end road.

Detectives found Cowell's purse and clothes inside her car, but her debit card was missing. One set of unidentified footprints were found outside the car.

An earlier search of the steep terrain where her car was found had turned up nothing, and the state crime lab searched the car and found nothing out of the ordinary.

Cowell had been listed as an endangered missing person after her disappearance, and an FBI profiler was sent to Chelan County from Washington, D.C., to aid in the case.

MacKenzie was known as a smart student who was involved in many community functions.

WENATCHEE, Wash. — Authorities say they believe a body found along
the Columbia River is that of a 17-year-old Washington girl missing
since Tuesday.
Douglas County Sheriff Harvey Gjesdal said Sunday that authorities
are working under the assumption that the body discovered in Crescent
Bar Saturday is that of Mackenzie Cowell.
Gjesdal says he's basing his assumption on the
victim's appearance, as well as statements made by a detective who has
been working the case and has seen the body.
Gjesdal wouldn't comment on the cause of death, but he called the case a homicide. An autopsy is planned for Tuesday.
Cowell was last seen leaving a beauty school class in Wenatchee last
Tuesday. Her locked car was found that night near Mission Ridge, about
40 miles from her home in Orondo.

Wenatchee High School senior Mackenzie Cowell sent a single text
message to her boyfriend last Tuesday afternoon: "Hey, what's up?" it
said.

It was the last anyone heard from the 17-year-old.

On Saturday, someone walking along the banks of the Columbia River
near the border of Grant and Douglas counties spotted the fully clothed
body of a young woman and called police.

Kathy Nelson, a longtime friend of Cowell's family, said the family
confirmed the body is that of MacKenzie, of Orondo, although Douglas
County's sheriff authorities said it could be a day or so before they
will issue a public ID.

The sheriff's office is calling the death a homicide.

"We're all devastated," Nelson said.

Nelson said Cowell and her friends spent many afternoons at the
Nelsons' Orondo summer home hanging out by the swimming pool. The
outgoing teenager was involved in a number of community activities,
attended cosmetology classes at the Academy of Hair Design after school
and was a member of the Apple-Ettes Dance Team.

On Friday night, more than 200 people gathered in Wenatchee for a candlelight vigil in her honor.

"She was a bright, happy girl — a typical girl — and completely busy," Nelson said.

Nelson said even after Cowell hadn't returned home by her 8 p.m.
curfew Tuesday, "I completely felt she was OK. She's strong, fit and
she can think her way out of situations. I never imagined this is how
this would have ended."

The body was discovered around 12:45 p.m. Saturday in the Crescent
Bar area outside Quincy and about 50 yards from an empty house up for
sale. She was fully clothed and her feet were in the water, officials
told The Wenatchee World. It is unclear how long it had been there.

Jerry Moore, chief of administration for the Douglas County
Sheriff's Department, which is investigating the murder, told the
Wenatchee paper, "It appears she was put there by someone. ... We've
got to find this monster."

Nelson said the family became concerned when Cowell didn't make
curfew. About two hours later, a homeowner in Pitcher Canyon in the
Squilchuck area of Chelan County, many miles from Cowell's home,
reported an abandoned 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix near their driveway.

Authorities then began searching for her.

"We are thinking maybe she trusted someone," Nelson said. "Her car
being where it was makes no sense. There's no way she would have driven
up there."

WENATCHEE, Wash. -- A dive team of
investigators from three different counties scoured the bottom of the
Columbia River Monday where the body of 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell
was discovered.Deputies are treating Cowell’s death as a homicide and are looking for her killer.She
was reported missing last Tuesday and her car was found that night near
Mission Ridge, about 40 miles from her home in Orondo. Her debit card
was missing and her cell phone was turned off.On Monday,
neighbors in the resort community of Crescent Bar answered questions
from local detectives and the FBI. They said the scenic riverside lot
and the house where Cowell was found was in bank foreclosure and was
empty.“I mean she's a very well-liked girl. She's a very sweet girl," said Cowell’s former instructor Jennifer Devereaux.She
said Cowell was very involved in her school, well loved by everyone and
now her entire community's in shock because they know her killer is
still out there.‘It's just really hard for kids to get their
head around that something like this could happen here, where we
usually feel pretty safe," Devereaux said.Cowell was last heard
from via text message around 4 p.m. and seen leaving her cosmetology
program around 3 p.m. last Tuesday. Surveillance video showed Cowell
leaving in her car. The person who found Cowell's body told police her feet were in the water of the Columbia River and she was fully clothed.Anyone
with information about the circumstances and death of Cowell are asked
to contact the Douglas County Sheriff's Office at 884-0941 or rivercom
dispatch at 663-9911.

WENATCHEE, Wash. -- Detectives investigating the murder of a Wenatchee
teen are now asking the public for specific information as they search
for the killer.

Mackenzie Cowell, 17, was found dead in the Columbia River near Crescent Bar on Saturday.

On
Tuesday, the body was identified as Cowell and her cause of death as
homicide. The manner of death has not yet been established.

Police
are asking if anyone saw a person walking down out of Pitcher Canyon
Rd. on Squilchuck Rd. or South Methow Rd. between the hours of 5 p.m.
and 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9 to call the tip line at (509) 663-9911.

Several agencies are working the case, but so far investigators have not identified a person of interest.

WENATCHEE, Wash. - Investigators have set up a new tipline in the murder of 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell.
Police are asking people who may have seen anyone walking on
Squilchuck Highway or South Methow between Pitcher Canyon and Wenatchee
the evening of last Tuesday, Feb. 9 to call 509-663- 9911.
An autopsy confirmed Tuesday that the body found in Eastern
Washington is that of Mackenzie Cowell. The autopsy also revealed that
her death was a homicide, but the cause of death has not yet been
released.
The body was found Saturday on a beach about 25 miles from Wenatchee.
Last Tuesday, Cowell left the Academy of Hair Design where she
worked, walked to the parking lot and got into her car. Surveillance
cameras recorded her driving away the school at 3:30 in the afternoon.
It was the last time she was seen.
Four days later, investigators found her 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
parked in a rural area of Chelan County known as Pitcher Canyon. Her
purse was locked inside the car.
On Saturday, people walking along the beach at Crescent Bar found
what's believed to be her body. Investigators searched the beach along
the Columbia River and canvassed the neighborhood.
"It's very frustrating from an investigative aspect," said Douglas
County Sheriff Harvey Gjesdal. "The guys spent countless hours out
there. We have guys from Grant, Douglas and Chelan county all working
very hard on the case."
So far there are no suspects and no new leads in the case. Gjesdal
said the details of the case are forcing them to cover a lot of ground.
"It's a very unusual case in that the young woman lived in Douglas
County, worked and went missing from Wenatchee, her car was found in a
remote part of Chelan County, yet her body was found in a very remote
part of Douglas County," he said.
Neighbors say the riverside property where the girl's body was found
has been vacant for months. But they noticed some strange changes to
the yard Saturday morning, the same day her body was found.
Gary and Judy Ovenell's home overlooks the crime scene along the Columbia River.
"Saturday morning Gary said, 'Look at the brodie marks down there. That's really unusual,'" said Judy Ovenell.
Although the property has been vacant, they say they noticed new tire tracks there Saturday morning.
"There was something I just grabbed onto, focused on it, because it
was so strange, 'cause that place, anybody hadn't been to for so long,"
said Gary Ovenell.
Around noon the same day, a young female's body was found along the
shore with her feet in the water. Investigators found evidence of
homicide at the scene and inside the vacant home.
In any homicide investigation, public input can be critically
important. Investigators are hoping to hear from anyone who may have a
tip.

WENATCHEE, Wash. -- With no suspects in the killing of a Wenatchee
High School student, police are telling young women in the Wenatchee
area to take extra precautions.
Capt. Doug Jones says women should avoid going places alone or into remote areas.
A
task force of about 20 officers from Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Douglas
and Chelan counties, the Washington State Patrol and FBI are looking
for the killer of 17-year-old Mackenzie Cowell of Orondo.
She
disappeared Feb. 9 after leaving a beauty school class in Wenatchee.
Her body was found Saturday along the Columbia River at Crescent Bar.

WENATCHEE, Wash. -- Investigators
trying to find whoever killed a 17-year-old Wenatchee girl have
released a piece of surveillance video in the hopes of generating new
tips in the case.

UNCUT: Surveillance Video Shows Wenatchee Teen

The video shows Mackenzie Cowell as she walked from the Academy of Hair
Design to her red Pontiac Grand Prix and then drove away on Tuesday,
Feb. 9 at about 3 p.m.Cowell was reported missing later that
evening after her car was found parked at the end of Pitcher Canyon,
south of Wenatchee. Her body was found Feb. 13 along the Columbia River
near the Crescent Bar resort area in Douglas County.
Police asked anyone with information possibly related
to the case to call the tip line at 509-663-9911.
"We are very concerned this person is out there and continues to be in our
community and has done this terrible thing," said Capt. Doug Jones of
the Wenatchee Police Department. "And we're also very concerned about …
bringing this person to justice for Mackenzie and her family.
"Police said there have been no real encouraging leads.Police
have not released any information from the autopsy, including the cause
of death. Police said detectives want to keep that information to
themselves as part of the investigation.The task force investigating the case
is made up of about 20 officers from Wenatchee, East Wenatchee,
Douglas and Chelan counties, the Washington State Patrol and FBI.

WENATCHEE, Wash. -- A memorial service is happening Thursday for a Wenatchee teen murder victim.
All are welcome to remember the life of Mackenzie Cowell at 11:00
a.m. at the Town Toyota Center on Walla Walla Avenue in Wenatchee.
The 17 year old's body was found on the shore of the Columbia River
Earlier this Month. She had last been seen leaving a beauty school
class.
As of right now, police say they don't have any suspects. The family
has set up a fund to offer a reward for anyone who provides information
that leads to the arrest of Mackenzie's killer. You can donate to that
fund at any Bank of America branch.

WENATCHEE, Wash. - It was a celebration of love and life Thursday
for Mackenzie Cowell, a Wenatchee teen found murdered 11 days ago.
At a memorial service for Cowell, family and friends released
hundreds of pink and purple balloons into the sky as they struggled to
let their loved one go.
"She was a beautiful, wonderful person," said Becky Burt, a friend
from the beauty school they both attended. "She always made me smile."
Mackenzie disappeared on Feb. 9 after leaving her beauty school. Her
body was found five days later along the Columbia River. Her killer
remains on the loose. Authorities say, at this point, they have no
suspects.
Mackenzie was remembered as a bright, energetic girl who endured
heartless teasing through much of her adolescence because of an
underbite. She persevered, however, eventually becoming prom queen. But
there is still so much left that she will never do.
"There will never be a walk down the aisle, a cutting of a cake ...
the pain of labor," said Rev. Sandy Brown. "We are here today because
somebody stole her life. But we are also here because no one can steal
our memories of her."
Nearly 2,000 people attended the service at Wenatchee's Town Toyota
Center. Mackenzie's brother, Trevor Cowell, made the family's first
public statement since her disappearance and murder.
"It's incredible. It meant the world to me because we all loved her.
And that's what this all shows is how much everybody loves her," said
Trevor.
One of Mackenzie's first real loves was dance. She became part of
the Wenatchee High School dance team. Her teammates performed in her
honor at the memorial service.
"Even though she is gone, I know she'll be dancing with us in heaven," said Hanah Rasmussen, Mackenzie's best friend.
Two funds have been established. To help the family pay for funeral
expenses, people can contribute to the Mackenzie Cowell Family Fund at
Wells Fargo branches. To contribute to a reward fund, donations can be
made to the Mackenzie Cowell Benefit Trust at Bank of America branches.
The reward fund currently stands at $5,800.

WENATCHEE — Investigators determined Mackenzie Cowell
may have been at the Wenatchee Riverfront Park boat ramp at the edge of
Orondo Street shortly before she went missing.
It is believed she went to the boat ramp after leaving her place of work, the Wenatchee Academy of Hair Design on Feb. 9.

The 17-year-old Orondo teen was found dead along the Columbia River in Crescent Bar Feb. 13, by passersby.

“Investigators
canvassed the area looking for evidence and talking to citizens in the
area,” according to the Cowell Homicide Task Force. “It is not known
why she was there or who she may have met.”

Authorities are
asking anyone who may have been in the area of the boat ramp, lawn,
parking lot or bike path on Feb. 9, between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to call
509-663-9911 if it is believed someone saw her or her vehicle.
The task force continues to look for her cellphone.

“It was not
in her vehicle at the end of Pitcher Canyon nor on her person at
Crescent Bar,” the task force notes. “Her phone was an LG EnV2. If
anyone has found or has seen a phone of this type that may be related
to this case, please call the tip line.”

Investigators have no suspects.

“Rumors
that a suspect is in custody or we have developed enough information to
identify a person of interest are not true,” the task force reports.
“There are no persons of interest or suspects identified at this time.”

The
Cowell family established a reward fund for information leading to the
prosecution of the person or people involved in the girl’s homicide.
The reward is $5,800.

WENATCHEE, Wash. -- The family of a 17-year-old girl found dead earlier
this month is offering a $6,075 reward for information leading to the
arrest and prosecution of the person responsible for her death.

Mackenzie Cowell was found dead along the Columbia River on Feb. 13, four days after she was last seen alive.

Investigators have ruled the death a homicide, but the exact manner of death has not been released.

Detectives
have determined the teen was likely at the Wenatchee Riverfront Park
boat ramp area the day she disappeared. They said Cowell was likely at
the park shortly after leaving the Academy of Hair Design on Feb. 9. It
is not known why she was at the park, or whether she met anyone there.

Wenatchee
police officials said detectives have followed up on hundreds tips in
the case, but so far no suspects or persons of interest have been
identified.

Police are also looking for Cowell's cell phone, a red LG Envy, which may provide crucial clues.

Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact authorities immediately.

Investigators
with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Chelan County Sheriff's
Office, Wenatchee Police Department, East Wenatchee Police Department,
Washington State Patrol and the FBI are all working on the case.

WENATCHEE, Wash. — The reward to help find the killer of a 17-year-old Wenatchee High School girl is now up to $40,000.
Investigators are asking the public for more tips about the final
days of Mackenzie Cowell whose body was found Feb. 13 along the
Columbia River at Crescent Bar. Her cell phone, an LG EnV2, is still
missing.
Cowell was last seen on Feb. 9 leaving a beauty school class in Wenatchee.

Authorities say a central Washington high school student whose body
was found along the Columbia River four days after she went missing was
killed by manual strangulation and a stab wound to the neck.The
death certificate from the Chelan-Douglas Health District says an
autopsy found that blunt impact to the head was also a significant
factor in Mackenzie Cowell's death.The 17-year-old was last seen
Feb. 9 leaving a beauty school class in Wenatchee. Her locked car was
found that night about 15 miles away with her purse still inside but her
debit card missing.An FBI child abduction team joined sheriff's
deputies and Wenatchee police during the search last month. Authorities
are looking for Cowell's killer.

The reward for information to help catch the killer of a 17-year-old
Wenatchee High School student is now up to $47,000.
A task force of police and Douglas and Chelan sheriff's deputies says
they have checked more than 400 leads and conducted more than 700
interviews, but they could use more tips in the death of MacKenzie
Cowell.
She left a beauty school class in Wenatchee Feb. 9. Her body was
found four days later along the Columbia River at Crescent Bar. she had
been hit on the head, strangled and stabbed in the neck.

Wenatchee police released new
information Thursday about key evidence in the case of 17-year-old
Mackenzie Nicole Cowell whose body was found on a beach in February.Police
released photographs of a knife set that includes the same kind of
knife used in the homicide. Wenatchee police spokesman Captain Doug Jones said that knife was
only sold as part of a sportsman cutlery set.Jones said within
the Wenatchee area, the set was only sold at Stan’s Merry Mart on South
Wenatchee Avenue within the last two years. Two sets were also given
away at 5-T’s Restaurant and Lounge in east Wenatchee as a pull tab
prize, police said.The owners of the lounge said no one can
recall who the winners were.The set is manufactured by Maxum and
has a unique black and grey handle.“We're not going to disclose
exactly which knife was used, that's something we're holding back, but
we're absolutely certain that it is from that set and specifically, that
handle is what's unique," Jones said.The task force met last
week with investigators from multiple agencies and decided to release
the information, police said. “We're asking anyone who may know
someone with this knife set, who may have seen this set in someone's
house -- have any information about this knife set whatsoever. Maybe
they have the set and they're missing a knife and they don't know where
it went y'know, and we can follow that back," Jones said.Anyone
with information about the knife set is asked to contact the Cowell
Homicide Task Force through the Rivercom tip line at 509-663-9911.Crime
Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $7,000 for information leading
to an arrest and the filing of criminal charges in the case. Anyone with
information is asked to call 509-888-4280.The Mackenzie Cowell
Benefit Trust Fund & Wenatchee Valley Citizens Against Crime Pledges
is also offering a reward.Those who wish to qualify for that
reward must call the RiverCom Tip line at 509-663-9911 (24hr line). If
the information provided leads to the arrest and prosecution of the
person or persons responsible for Mackenzie’s homicide, a reward of up
to $47,000 will be paid to the informant.

The website for America’s Most Wanted this week features the Mackenzie Cowell murder, with the headline, “Missing teen’s case has tragic conclusion”.



Cowell, 17, was last seen Feb. 9 in Wenatchee and her car was found
abandoned up Pitcher Canyon in the Squilchuck area later that day. Her
body was found Feb. 13 near the riverbank at Crescent Bar. Her death
certificate stated she had been strangled and stabbed in the neck. Blunt
impact to the head also significantly contributed to her death.
Officials have said she was not sexually assaulted and they have no
suspects.

Wenatchee Police announced Wednesday the arrest of a suspect in the case of teen found murdered in February.Mackenzie Cowell, 17, was last seen alive on February 9 in Wenatchee, at the Academy of Hair Design. Her body was found at Crescent Bar on February 13.Wenatchee Police arrested Christopher Scott Wilson, 29, of Wenatchee, and booked him into the Chelan County Jail for second-degree murder charges.Cowell was a student at the Academy of Hair Design. Investigators say Wilson also attended the Academy of Hair Design and left the facility around the same time as Cowell on February 9.Police say Wilson, along with other students, gave a voluntary DNA sample during the investigation. The sample was analyzed at the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab in Cheney, where it was determined that Wilson's DNA was tied to DNA found on a piece of duct tape recovered where Cowell's body was found.Cowell's blood was also found on the piece of duct tape. Investigators have served several search warrants and are continuing to interview potential witnesses for further information. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call the River Com Dispatch Center at 509-663-9911.