米べいワシントン州しゅうにおける先住民せんじゅうみん女性じょせい失踪しっそう事件じけん、5年ねんぶりに遺体いたい発見はっけん――社会的しゃかいてき関心かんしん高たかまる中なか、真相しんそう究明きゅうめいが求もとめられる

According to a police statement, the body of Mary Johnson, an Indigenous woman who had been missing since 2020 in a remote area of northwestern Washington State, USA, was found this year.

According to the results of DNA testing, it has been confirmed that the body found is indeed Mr. Johnson himself.

Mr. Johnson is a registered member of the Tulalip Tribe and was last seen on November 25, 2020, walking along Fire Trail Road within the Tulalip Reservation on his way to a friends house.

The missing person report was filed on December 9th of the same year, and at that time she was 39 years old.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI, the body found in a remote area of Snohomish County on June 13th of this year was ultimately confirmed to be that of Mr. Johnson, but the specific location where the body was discovered has not been disclosed.

The body was discovered about five years after it was last seen, but according to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office, the cause of death and the circumstances leading to death have not yet been determined, and the investigation into the disappearance and death is still ongoing.

Snohomish County Sheriff Susanna Johnson stated, For the past five years, these have been extremely difficult days for Marys family, her fellow officers, local residents, and everyone who worked hard on the search.

We hope that the discovery of the body this time will be a step toward solving the case.

The FBI and the Tulalip Tribes are offering a reward of up to $60,000 about 9.2 million yen for information leading to the identification, arrest, and prosecution of those involved in the disappearance of Ms. Johnson.

It has been about five years since Ms. Johnson went missing, and in the United States, the disappearance and murder of Indigenous women have continued one after another, drawing public attention.

The families of the victims and human rights activists strongly insist that incidents like these are not being given enough attention and are often ignored.

The documentary film Missing from Fire Trail Road covers Ms. Johnsons case. It was released last year and became an opportunity to raise public awareness.