Artist Found Murdered In A Seattle Park With Her Artwork Scattered Around Her Body

Police are searching for the person who killed a local artist who was found dead at a Seattle, Washington park over Memorial Day Weekend.

The body of 45-year-old Necia McKendrick, who also used the name Necia McKendrick-Mendez, was found in a secluded, wooded area in the early morning hours of May 30, 2021. The King County Medical Examiner ruled McKendrick’s death a homicide, according to Capitol Hill Seattle.

She died from “multiple blunt force injuries" and authorities believe she was killed several days before a Montlake homeowner found her body.

McKendrick’s family says her artwork was scattered around her body, reports Q13 Fox News.

“I don’t know where she found that passion to paint,” said McKendrick’s adult daughter, Saphire Mendez, told Q13 Fox News. “It takes me so long to find the willingness to be creative, but she just oozed it.”

According to Saphire, who lives in Texas, her mother stopped answering her phone calls not long after an April visit.

“I got a call with a 206 number and I was so excited. I was like ‘Oh my God, Mom is calling me, I can’t wait to hear her voice!’ I was so excited [that] I left dinner and everything,” Saphire said. “And then I realized it was a detective on the phone.”

McKendrick’s body was discovered in the remote outskirts of the popular Interlaken Park in Seattle. The park consists of more than 50 acres, and is a “densely wooded area on the north end of Capitol Hill,” according to the park’s website.

“The body was found lying in a small stream with no access route except through the caller’s garden,” the Seattle Police Department said in a statement. “Due to the condition of the body and the location, the on-scene investigation yield [sic] no obvious information about the circumstance that led to the death.

According to a family statement, McKendrick is survived by her three children, five sisters, and two brothers.

“Necia Marie ‘Q’ McKendrick-Mendez (she/they), believed in living as loudly, authentically, and celebratory a life as possible,” the family statement read. “She was tenacious in her passion – a lover and a fighter, and above all – a prolific creator.”

Police are asking for the public’s help.

“At this point, we have no video, no credible witnesses, but somebody knows who did this,” said Ret. Sgt. Jim Fuda, the executive director of Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound, to Q13 News.

A cash reward is available to anyone with information and is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or call or text P3TIPS.com. All callers will remain anonymous. 

You can also contact the Seattle Police Department Violent Crimes tip line at (206) 233-5000.