Seattle police arrest suspect in 1994 cold case murder of 14-year-old girl
Suspect arrested in 1994 cold case murder of 14-year-old girl
A Seattle cold case may finally be solved after 30 years, as police have arrested a suspect accused of kidnapping and killing a 14-year-old girl back in 1994.
SEATTLE - Seattle police have arrested a 57-year-old man in connection with the 1994 killing of 14-year-old Tanya Marie Frazier, more than three decades after she was found dead in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.
The backstory:
Tanya vanished on July 18, 1994, after leaving a summer school class at Meany Middle School. Her body was discovered later that day by a man walking his dog in the 2200 block of East Highland Drive, only a few blocks from where she was last seen.
What's new:
According to Seattle police, advances in DNA evidence led investigators to identify Mark Anthony Russ, who was recently released from prison, as a suspect.
Russ was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of homicide and is expected to make his first court appearance Wednesday at 2 p.m.
Russ is a Level III sex offender who was non-compliant at the time of his arrest. He was convicted of first-degree attempted rape in 1996. According to the Washington Sex Offender Registry, he uses the aliases Mark Dedeaux, Michael Dedeaux, Gerald Lee Russ and Tony Smith.
Tanya Frazier and Mark Russ. (FOX 13 Seattle / WA Department of Corrections)
"Multiple generations of investigators and scientists have worked on this case for over three decades," said Seattle Police Detective Rolf Norton. "Today is not a day for celebration; it’s a day to reflect on Tanya Frazier and her surviving family as they continue to grieve for their daughter, sister, and aunt. Our thoughts go out to them."
Dig deeper:
The case has remained open for more than 30 years, with detectives continuing to search for answers for Frazier’s family.
At the time of her death, Frazier had recently graduated from Washington Middle School and planned to attend high school that fall.
She was active in her community, attending St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in the Mount Baker neighborhood and volunteering with the Chicken Soup Brigade, an organization providing meals for people in need.
Police said Tanya’s murder deeply affected the community at the time and has remained one of Seattle’s long-standing unsolved cases.
The King County Prosecutor’s Office and the Washington State Department of Corrections are handling the next steps in the legal process.
Murder mystery: Seattle`s Tanya Frazier
Watch previous FOX 13 Seattle coverage from Washington's Most Wanted.
The Tanya Frazier case timeline
July 18, 1994 — Tanya Frazier, 14, leaves summer school at Meany Middle School and does not return home.
Later that day — Her body is discovered by a man walking his dog in the 2200 block of East Highland Drive on Capitol Hill.
1994–2024 — Seattle police continue to investigate the case. Advances in forensic science and DNA technology keep the case active.
November 4, 2025 — Seattle Police Homicide detectives inform Frazier’s family that a suspect has been arrested.
November 5, 2025 — Mark Anthony Russ, 57, is booked into the King County Jail for investigation of homicide and is scheduled for an initial court appearance.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle Police Department, the Washington State Department of Corrections and previous FOX 13 Seattle reporting.