Mary Anderson

Mary A. Anderson is the pseudonym that was used by an unknown woman who committed suicide in a hotel room in Seattle in October 1996. Investigations by multiple agencies have failed to identify her.

Death and discovery of the body On October 9, the woman reserved a room by telephone at the Hotel Vintage Park, 1100 5th Avenue, about 90 minutes before checking in. She arrived with two bags and paid cash for two nights. In the hotel's register, she entered the name "Mary A. Anderson," along with an address and telephone number in New York City, all of which investigators later determined to be false.

On October 11, her body was discovered by hotel staff after she failed to check out. She was found reclining in the bed, clasping a Bible to her chest with the pages open to Psalm 23. A suicide note was found on the bedside table. She left no identification. The medical examiner later determined she had consumed a lethal amount of cyanide and ruled her death a suicide.

In 2023, advanced DNA testing suggested that her biogeographical origins connected to Eastern Iran or Afghanistan, with some likely Persian heritage.