National Missing Persons Day: Wenatchee Families Share Their Stories

It has been nearly three years since Travis Coleman disappeared from his Wenatchee home into the foothills.

Families Living With Years of Uncertainty

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On National Missing Persons Day, Tuesday, Feb. 3, Coleman’s mother, Denise McBurnie, joined Penny Scott, whose granddaughter has been missing for nearly a decade, to bring awareness to local missing persons cases and provide resources for families navigating the same uncertainty.

The two organized a community outreach event Tuesday afternoon at Pybus Public Market, bringing together agencies including the Wenatchee Police Department, Chelan County Volunteer Search and Rescue, and Chelan County Behavioral Health.

“We wanted to come together and honor missing persons and be here for families who needed support,” McBurnie said. “Being able to remember our loved ones together. That’s what today is about.”

McBurnie described her son as a devoted father and a man deeply connected to his family.

“He was a goofball with a lot of grit and a lot of heart,” she said. “He loved kids, he loved his family, and he loved being a dad. That was his everything.”

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Scott’s granddaughter, Jessie Moore, legally known as Jessie Rubio-Montejano, disappeared in June 2016 at the age of 24. Moore had been struggling with her mental health and was last seen on a video posted to social media at Centennial Park before leaving the area on foot.

“She didn’t know a stranger,” Scott said. “She was very social and very outgoing.”

Local Missing Persons Cases by the Numbers

Moore and Coleman are two of 13 active missing persons cases in Chelan County.

Wenatchee Police Department Detective Brian Hewitt estimates there are roughly 40 active cases across Chelan and Douglas counties combined.

Law enforcement agencies across central Washington report similar long-term missing persons cases. Grant County continues to seek information about Irene Fleming, who disappeared in February 2024, while Kittitas County used National Missing Persons Day to renew attention on several unresolved cases spanning decades.

Limits of Law Enforcement Authority

Wenatchee Police Sgt. Joe Eaton said missing persons cases are treated as high priority, but law enforcement authority is limited when no crime is suspected.

“If someone wants to leave the state, go off the grid, or not be found, we don’t have the legal authority to track their phone or banking records without probable cause,” Eaton said. “If there’s a criminal or suspicious element, that changes how far we can go.”

Hewitt said officers occasionally locate missing adults who choose not to reestablish contact with family. “That’s their right,” he said. “As hard as that is for loved ones.”

Advocating for Change After a Disappearance

Following her son’s disappearance, McBurnie said she believes his case was mishandled.

In response, she interviewed Douglas County Undersheriff Tyler Caille to develop a standardized urgency assessment for missing persons cases. She then met with Hewitt, who designed the form.

The scoring system assigns points based on risk factors and helps determine when local, state, or federal resources, including search and rescue, should be deployed.

How the Public Can Help

Eaton said the most important role the public can play is reporting tips, no matter how minor they seem. “Do not be intimidated to call us,” he said. “Persons crimes are the highest priority in law enforcement. We’ll take any information.”

McBurnie and Scott said they hope to expand the Wenatchee event in future years, making National Missing Persons Day on Feb. 3 a larger, ongoing source of support for families still waiting for answers.