The person at the center of this case
Hildegard Hendrickson
Missing Person · Unsolved; Declared legally dead in 2015
254 days waiting
Hildegard Hendrickson
Justice for Hildegard Hendrickson — the trail went cold in 2025, but the truth hasn't.
Start here
Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1Who was the unidentified aggressive man in the blue van with the hunting knife encountered by Wanda and Michelle on June 17? Was he a territorial mushroom hunter or connected to Hildegard's disappearance?
👤
person
Lead #2Christopher admitted being in the area but was cleared after his friend corroborated his account—could there be additional individuals in the area that day who were not interviewed?
📍
location
Lead #3Why did Hildegard, described as safety-conscious and never venturing far from her vehicle, decide to hike the challenging Minnow Creek Trail alone on June 8 after cautioning others against it on June 6?
Hildegard Hendrickson, a 79-year-old experienced mushroom hunter from Seattle, disappeared on June 8, 2013, after driving alone to the Minnow Creek Trail near Leavenworth, Washington to forage in the Basalt Peak Burn area. Despite one of the most thorough search operations ever documented—involving 5,224.5 man-hours, cadaver dogs, and multiple follow-up searches through September 2013—no trace of Hildegard was found, though investigators encountered a suspicious individual matching a threatening description near the trailhead. She was declared legally dead in 2015, leaving unanswered questions about whether she encountered foul play or succumbed to the challenging terrain and her physical limitations.
Case
#73
Shellane County Sheriff's Office
Try asking
More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
🔍
evidence
Lead #4The foul odor detected on September 12 from the Chickaman Creek embankment was dismissed as bear activity—could this have been a missed opportunity to locate remains?
💡
clue
Lead #5Four sets of coordinates provided by psychics were investigated but all fell within already-searched areas; were there genuinely unexplored zones that could have held evidence?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
Hildegard Hendrickson was a renowned mycologist and Seattle University professor, widely regarded as the "godmother of Washington mushroom hunting" who mysteriously vanished in 2013 during a mushroom foraging trip in the Cascades.
Timeline of Events
📞
2013-06-04
Last phone contact
Hildegard's last communication with family; cell phone not used after this date
👁️
2013-06-08
Last sighting and vehicle arrival
Hildegard encountered by Igor near Rock Creek Campground in the morning collecting mushrooms; her green Ford Focus arrived at Minnow Creek Trailhead in the afternoon
👤
2013-06-09
Reported missing
Hildegard failed to return home; her vehicle discovered at trailhead with personal items and mushrooms inside
👥
2013-06-17
Suspicious individual encounters
Wanda and Michelle independently reported encountering an aggressive man in a blue metallic van near the trailhead with a hunting knife; same individual later identified as Christopher
🕵️
2013-09-14
Final 2013 search operation
Cadaver dog conducted six-hour search of embankment after foul odor detected; odor theorized to be bear activity; marked final follow-up search of 2013
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:June 4, 2013
Last Updated:September 8, 2025
Submit a Tip
Login Required
Please log in to submit tips for the Hildegard Hendrickson case.
Leave a comment
Comments
Case Information
Incident:June 4, 2013
Last Updated:September 8, 2025
Submit a Tip
Login Required
Please log in to submit tips for the Hildegard Hendrickson case.