Police seek help after remains of missing Bothell, WA woman found in woods

Family searching for answers after missing woman found dead in Mason County

Friends are speaking out and seeking justice for 27-year-old Mallory Barber, a Bothell woman who was found dead in Mason County three months after she was reported missing. Detectives are investigating her death as a homicide after her remains were discovered by a hunter near Shelton.

MASON COUNTY, Wash. - Police need help solving the murder of a woman reported missing out of Bothell earlier in September.

According to the Mason County Sheriff's Office, 27-year-old Mallory Barbour was last seen leaving her Bothell home on June 24, 2025. County detectives say a person hunting in the area found her remains on timber land near SR 3 and Pickering Road in Mason County, some eight miles northeast of Shelton, on Sept. 15, 2025.

Detectives say evidence suggests she was killed, and her remains had been there for some time.

What they're saying:

"I was just really gutted. I was like, no, this is a bad dream. It has to be," said Rachel Lowe, a friend of Barbour's since 2013. "Nobody wants to know that their friend was found in the way that she was."

Barbour was reported missing on July 1. Bothell Police Department says her loved ones thought it was out of character for her to be away from home that long without contacting anyone.

"I was like, hmm, that’s weird because she’s not like one of those people. She’s very active on social media," said Lowe, who is also Barbour's former coworker.

During the search for Barbour, Bothell Police Department posted to Facebook, stating, "Right now, there is no evidence that Mallory is the victim of a crime or that any harm has come to her. However, we are concerned, and we are investigating and looking for her."

"I just really hope that whoever did this either comes forward or they can find some clues out there and bring this person in and put them away for a long time because the way she suffered was not right. It shouldn’t have happened to anybody and I just want her to get the justice she deserves," said Lowe.

Loved ones are remembering the 27-year-old as a kind and beautiful person.

"She could light up a room when she walked into it. She could make you laugh. She would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it," said Lowe.

Authorities have not announced any suspects or any further details in this investigation. Anyone with information on Barbour, possible suspects, or the circumstances surrounding Barbour's murder is urged to contact Mason County Det. Ledford at (360) 427-9670 ext. 844, or email Detective@masoncountywa.gov.

Homicide investigation underway after missing woman's body found in Mason County

The body of Mallory Barber, a 27-year-old woman who disappeared in June, has been found in the woods in Mason County.

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