Although Marie’s remains were found last fall near Big Creek, within a quarter of a mile of her last camp, her family is still searching for answers about how and why she died.

It is Rainbow Gathering time, and droves of gatherers are beginning to head to the epic national Gathering in Tennessee, or smaller regional gatherings. Many of these folks were at the national gathering last year at Skookum Meadow and are still unaware of Marie’s disappearance, or her eventual fate. The family is hoping that friends attending gatherings will seek out those and ask for help in piecing together Marie’s last day.

There is still an ongoing investigation into Marie’s death, the family is searching for anyone who may have seen Marie or her neighbors any time after 7pm on July 7th 2011, through the day of July 8, 2011. She was last seen on the 3220 road, near the 150 gate. She was camped on the gathering side of the road, adjacent to a white Saturn sedan with her neighbors; Cathy Ward and Alan ‘Mello’ Peck. The neighbors had a black and white dog named Bandit.

final_Marie_Flyer_Regionals_20120623

The link above is to a poster to attach to your vehicle, or to hand to friends.  If you are going to a gathering, no matter how big or small, please take a moment to download the poster and ask your friends to help us. Marie’s family is certain that someone in the Rainbow Family saw something in the early morning hours of July 8th that will help them understand what happened to their mother, wife, sister, friend & grandmother Marie.

Thank you friends. Thank you again for your help in the past, and this small effort in the upcoming weeks.

Marie and her grandkids, June 2011

It’s been a month and a half since Marie’s remains were found less than a half a mile from her last camp. She was found near Big Creek, a few hundred yards from the waterfall, near a trail, within shouting distance of the 3220 road. At least two groups of searchers had been through the area previously, but she was very hard to find. The autopsy was inconclusive, we are still awaiting the toxicology results.  Thank God for the small group who persisted in following their instincts and found her.

It’s been a long 4 and a half months for Marie’s family and friends. The frantic pace of the first three months, when everyone was working 24 hours a day in fifth gear has slowed, the fiery pain of the fourth month has dimmed only slightly, and the family is now tumbling through the world of “what if’s” and “why didn’ts”. It hurts. It hurts so much it feels as if we will never recover. Our loved ones and  friends tell us it will get easier, get better, our memories will eventually turn to the good times, the first holiday season is the hardest, but we are finding that the progress is so slow, moving at the speed of glaciers, that it seems that time of “no pain” will never come. The fact is; we miss Marie. We miss her smile, her hugs, her phone calls, her wise cracking humor, her love and it is especially hard today.  Yes,  the first holiday is the hardest, but we still have little kids who need the sparkle of this time of year. We will survive, we will celebrate, we have each other and our memories of Marie to help us through these hard times.

It is Thanksgiving Day. We are so thankful for so much.

• We are thankful that Marie was found before the first snow fall.
• We are thankful for our loving family, who is even closer after this horrific experience.
• We are thankful for Marie’s grandchildren, who can still make us smile and laugh.
• We are thankful for our spouses, who love us no matter how dismal we feel.
• We are thankful for the new friends who have joined our family.
• We are thankful for the searchers who gave up their lives to continue to search.
•  We are thankful for the South Lake Tahoe Police and Skamainia Sheriffs officers who helped and continue to support us.
• We are thankful for our Lake Tahoe community, our church community and our special friends in the media who were there when we needed them, before we even asked.
• We are thankful for the families of other missing persons who took time from their pain and grief to guide us and support us in our loss.
• We are thankful for the Rainbow Family, who have made us a part of their family, who belived because we believed.
• We are thankful for our employers, who gave us the time that we needed to get through the hardest times.
• We are thankful for the hundreds, which grew to thousands of  friends who have helped us.
• And we are thankful for those who devoted their lives to us for three months, and who continue to support us in every way while we grieve.

Some I’m sure would feel that their effort was insignificant, those who ‘shared’ our story on Facebook, or through an email, or donated a couple of dollars, or held our hands. Everything helped.  Thank you. Thank you so much.  We love you all.

Now is the time that many would lecture, we will not. You are good people, you know in your hearts what to do. Marie did every day.  Hold them close, tell them you love them, offer to help and then do something anyway, take an extra moment so they know you care. You showed us and it kept us strong, kept us hopeful, kept us going. There are others out there who need your love, your help, your support, a kind word, who may not even know how to ask, look for them today, and tomorrow and do what you can for them.

Thank you for everything you have done for us, thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Marie Colello Hanson   September 27, 1956 – July, 2011

Marie Hanson Memorial

Saturday October 15, 2011 12:00

Reception at the Church to follow

Sierra Community Church

1165 Sierra Blvd, South Lake Tahoe CA

Please join the family in celebrating Marie’s life.

In lieu of flowers:

Marie Hanson Memorial Fund: El Dorado Savings Bank, 1036 Al Tahoe Blvd. S. Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

Donations will be used to offset expenses

Late this afternoon the Skamania County Sheriff informed Marie’s family that human remains and jewelry were found at the search site. Positive identification has not been made, however the remains were located near Marie’s camp, and there are no other missing persons reported. Sheriff officers  will remain at the site throughout the investigation.

Marie’s family requests that you allow them their privacy for a couple of days. When positive identification is made, we will post the news.

Thank you friends for your loving support.  Thank you Search and Rescue friends, shown here with Seeker.  Photo credits Emily McCarty.

Today the Skamania Sheriff’s office has organized a call out of trained volunteer searchers with dogs who will follow up on the scent detected one week ago near Marie’s final camping spot.

While Marie’s family waits at home for news, volunteer searchers who have never met them are spending their Sunday not with their families, but in the dense forest of the Rainbow Gathering. This is not an easy search. It is most likely raining, and the forest is thick. It is cold. For some, this is their 4th call-out to this area, the 4th time that they have spent a day searching for a woman they never knew.

All of us feel strongly about one cause or another. Many of those causes have strong support by corporate America.  Search and Rescue, for the most part is totally voluntary. In order to become certified these searchers spend months or years attending classes, testing and retesting. And they respond, time after time to call-outs for their services.  These Skamania searchers, and everyone who volunteers their time toward searching for missing people across the world give families like mine hope when situations seem hopeless. They have our deepest admiration and thanks.

Nancy

Circus Maximus helps eliminate the waterfall question.

About 15 volunteers came to help search for Marie September 30 and October 1st. These amazing people ranged from long time Rainbow Family members to a man named Virgil who had heard Marie’s story on the radio just that morning for the first time. Incredible that these amazing people came together to help us look for Marie. Some camped in tents at the site, some had a roof over their heads thanks to Eagle Cliff Recreation.

Waterfall with Circus and Rob (keep your eye out for Rob to show the scale)

The first 2 days a lot of ground was covered, led by Rob Savoy and Barry Plunker Adams, grid patterns were walked in about a half dozen locations. Sandwiches from Subway, lovely ripe fruit from Gateway produce in Woodland, cookies ….and Emily’s great brownies kept us moving.

Rainbow Family Search Team

Our search for the first two days was complicated by a nearly constant drizzle and chilly temperatures. Our friends did amazing things for us, walking through thick brush in pouring rain for hours, Rob and Circus rapelled 260 feet to the bottom of a waterfall, others cooked meals, led hikes for us (thank you Tyrtle) and gave us hugs and gave up the comforts of home to help us search.

Today, Sunday, the Skamania Sheriff’s department, led by Officer Karl Nyholm held their official search. Three dogs, along with their human partners searched for hours in constant pouring rain. At one point the dogs were very interested in an area, and they will be returning in the coming weeks. The Rainbow Family continued their search by walking grid patterns complicated by cold, wet, slippery conditions.

Although we have no new news, we have more hope than before that we will eventually find the answers we need. We are hoping that the snow is delayed, so that more searches may be held.

Marie’s family would like to thank both the Rainbow Family and the official Search and Rescue crew who came to our assistance this weekend.

The weather was not our friend.

The Rainbow Family will be hosting a volunteer search for Marie Hanson September 30th and October 1st. Many people in the area have been asking “how can I help?” and now is your chance to help Marie’s family.

 Here is an invitation from the Rainbow Family, who will be helping to coordinate the search.

Inviting all people in the area or from distant lands to rendezvous at the site of the 2011 Annual Gathering of the Tribes to search for Marie before the first snow fall.  Meet Friday, September 30 at 10:00 am and/or Saturday, October 1st at 10:00 at the Lone Butte Snow Park.

For directions:http://washingtongathering.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-updated-directions-to-site.html 

We need self-sufficient persons… i.e. people who have their own transportation and, hopefully, bring a Search Partner as we will be using the buddy system so we don’t loose anyone else.
 
Bring warm, brightly covered clothes… Hunting season is upon us and we don’t want you to get shot.

We’ll be asking all volunteers to go through a workshop concerning the search — please honor this process as we want to find Marie and protect any evidence we may encounter while making sure you stay safe.  If you come, you are liable for your own safety. This is rough country so be prepared for freezing temperatures and wet weather. Wear hiking boots. Be prepared for bugs, bugs and more bugs.

We will be doing “grid work” meaning walking close with one another for 2 days.
We respectfully ask you to move out of the immediate area Saturday night – people will probably retreat to a campground in the area. Folks on site will plug you in once you’re there.  Marie’s family will be with us. We strongly encourage all local town folks to come participate in this search.  We need your help  ~~ the more legs the better and you all know this area better than we do.

That invitation says it all. A few more things, please be ‘self sufficient’, bring plenty of water and food for yourself and your partner(s). Wear a hat, there are ticks. Sunscreen or raingear may be needed. Please help us, take a walk in the woods and help bring Marie home.

Marie, her children and sister in June 2011

Marie’s 55th birthday is Tuesday September 27th. Family and Friends will be holding a candlight vigil at 7pm. Please join us if you are in the area at the north end of Regan Beach, Lakeview Avenue, South Lake Tahoe for a few minutes to help us keep the Hope alive and bring her home.

If you are unable to join us, please take a moment, light a candle and send a prayer up for her.

We’ve had several requests this week for updates. I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to sit down and write a two month update. I never dreamed that we would still be searching for answers in September and when people started reminding me earlier this week that an anniversary was looming, I wanted to ignore it. It spoke of failure to me. Of course, with the thousands of supporters and new friends that the family has made since Marie’s disappearance, it’s only natural that people are curious and want to know what is new and what is happening with the case.

Marie and her husband Billy: November 2010

When we were first notified from the Gathering that Marie was lost, we had absolutely no idea what had happened, where or when it had happened or who was involved. Most of our questions still have no answers.

In the beginning, the last sighting of Marie was a date that was hard to nail down. Some people said that the last time that they had seen her, she  was sitting next to a man named ‘Owl’ on July 4th at dinner. A frenzy of internet Owl clues were unturned, to no avail, and Owl was ruled out as a suspect. Then someone reported taking a photo of her and her neighbor’s dog Bandit on July 5th. Someone saw her hitching a ride on July 6th, and rumors flew about her leaving the Gathering. Then a few people came forward with reports of her at dinner, inside the Gathering area July 6th.

It is probably natural for people who are on vacation and camping to get dates mixed up, so we got a lot of conflicting information. After a few weeks we decided that dinnertime on July 6th was the last confirmed sighting. Then a kind woman stepped forward who had seen Marie the morning of July 7th, and we held tight to that date for many weeks. Finally, thanks to two new Rainbow Family friends we have learned that Marie was last seen around midnight July 7th.

During the day of July 7th, Marie was sick, ‘barely keeping food or water down’ according to a friend. That day, her neighbor and a friend moved their camp from inside the Gathering to a place near the 150/rear gate. The neighbor’s white Saturn was parked there and Marie slept alongside the car, in an indentation next to the road much of the afternoon. A kind Rainbow friend brought her some soup, but she was not able to eat. She was sleeping there at midnight, in her ‘bed’ according to her friend who was sleeping nearby. In the morning, when her friend awoke at dawn, she was not in her bed. Her purse, medicine, clothing and gear remained in camp.

There have been three searches since mid-July, two ‘official’ call-outs by the sheriff’s office, and one unofficial search performed by the Rainbow Family. Each search turned up no new evidence in Marie’s disappearance. It is amazing to us that people who have never met us have devoted so much time to help us find Marie.

Several weeks ago a witness sat with a police sketch artist and they produced a

Did you see this man at the Gathering? Do you know his name? Please contact us!

sketch of a man who had been seen several times with Marie and her neighbor’s dog Bandit. Since we released the sketch and the photo of the dog Bandit, we have had a dozen or more reported sightings of Marie  while she was at the Gathering, but no new evidence, and we are still looking for an identity and contact information for the man in the sketch. He is not a suspect, but he may have seen something that will point us in the direction of finding Marie.

 Many have asked if the dog is lost, and the answer is -no he is home and safe, but seeing the dog has reminded many of interactions with Marie prior to July 7th.

People have also asked about the money raised for the search. We have used some of the money raised by our two fundraisers and our online fundraiser to hire a private detective agency to help us weed through the dozens of leads coming in from helpful people. Although we pass most of the information directly to Law Enforcement, some leads do not have enough information to be much use. Many of these leads need more information before turning over to Law Enforcement and  are able to be followed up by family members, with phone calls and personal visits. Due to our extreme distance from Washington, sometimes we need to rely on a professional to follow up and Don Treco from the Gumshoe Detctive Agency is our ‘man on the ground’ in the Washington and Oregon area.

We are still conducting our online fundraiser to continue to fund our P.I. and to continue our search efforts.  Please use our secure PayPal link, even a couple of dollars will help.

The family is now hoping for another search with dogs near the area where Marie slept on her final night at the Gathering and several other key areas.  It is hunting season now in the meadow, and we are both dreading and hoping that a hunter stumbles upon some evidence.

We are still getting reports from Gathering attendees who the saw Marie at the Gathering. It is vital that this information keep flowing, somebody saw something. We are now asking people who were anywhere near the rear gate or the road on July 8th at any time to come forward. Even if you didn’t see Marie, what you did see on that day may be the thing that will help us find her.

So in closing, we still don’t know what happened, or where, or who is involved. We do know that it, whatever it is, happened sometime after midnight of July 7th, probably before dawn of July 8th, 2011.

Marie and Nancy-November 2010

The family and I would like to extend our warmest thanks to every volunteer searcher, law enforcement officer, Facebook and website supporter, reporter and every Rainbow Family member who have helped us. Our community of South Lake Tahoe and our ‘online community’ have helped us raise some money and that helps immensely.  Many people have started out their remarks to us with ‘this probably won’t help’, but it does, everything helps us keep going-thank you.

Nancy and the Marie Hanson Family

Bandit and Marie at the Rainbow Gathering July 5, 2011

Marie and her neighbors had a very popular dog with them at the Gathering, and since we released Bandit’s picture on Facebook many have come forward to share stories of Bandit, Marie and other characters, including the man in the sketch below.  These stories are important clues about the timeline and the man in the sketch (who is not a suspect, just spent time near Marie’s camp and was seen talking to Marie and her neighbors, and spending time with Bandit).

Our ultimate goal is to bring Marie home, and in order to do that we need to speak to the man in the sketch and anyone else who saw Marie after bedtime July 7th. Please help!

Bandit the Dog

Detectives have released a sketch of a person of interest in the case of Marie C. Hanson, the woman reported missing from the Rainbow Gathering held at Skookum Meadows on theGiffordPinchotNational ForestinSkamaniaCounty. 

Hanson, 54, was last seen on the evening of July 6^th (we now know she was last seen very late the night of July 7th) leaving the area with the person of interest by a witness that has come forward (we now know she was seen sleeping near the rear/150 gate next to a white Saturn).  He is described by the witness as a white male adult, late 40’s or 50’s, approximately 5’08”, and a thin build.  He wore many silver necklaces with medallions, and had rings on his fingers, wore a dark colored Duster type jacket and carried a cane.

The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office has been working in conjunction with South Lake Tahoe, CA  Police Dept. and is asking anyone who has seen or has information on the attached sketch of the person of interest, or of Marie Hanson’s whereabouts to contact Detective Tim Garrity at the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office at 509-427-9490 or email him at timg@co.skamania.wa.us

*************END************

Please see attached sketch.

Thank you for your assistance

Dave Cox

Undersheriff

Skamania County Sheriff’s Office

Thanks to an amazing group of people from the Rainbow Family, we have now traced Marie’s whereabouts to a location near the back gate late in the evening of July 7th. This is significant because prior to yesterday the last confirmed sighting of her was the morning of July 7th.

We are now looking for people who were still at the Rainbow Gathering on the 7th and 8th of July. Please cast your nets again  friends,  we are particularly looking for people who were  near the back gate, Lovin Ovens or near any parked cars, particularly a white Saturn near the back gate in the early hours of July 8th through noon on that same day. If you know of people who were departing July 8th, please contact them, and have them contact the family by email findmariehanson@gmail.com or phone 530-307-0280.

Marie (R) and Her Sisters

If you or someone you know is going to Burning Man, please email us for a copy of the special poster to distribute or post at that festival.

Family Night at Brother’s Bar & Grill Patio

Family Night at Brother’s Bar and Grill on August 24th was a great success. Funds are being used to continue the use of a private detective, printing and mailing costs (to send posters to festivals, Burning Man, concerts, fairs and to plaster the US).

We are so lucky to have our friends. Thank you to Brenda Baker, George Baker, Maria Guerrero,Sonia Del Mercado, Diane Caccamise, Judy Klingler, Kathleen Dewing, Emily McCarty, Prana Todd Wasserman,  Carrie (o dear last name just went out the window) Our fantastic chefs Randy and Mikey (I know there were others who helped and I’ll add names soon) and our sponsors:

Thank You South Lake Tahoe Friends and Businesses

Brothers Bar & Grill, Pyramid Peak Ski Rental, Carla McCleod, Betsy Swope, Kae Reed/Massage at Tahoe, Pet Station, Chart House, Allure Salon/Linda Benson, Dog Wash of Tahoe, MacDuff’s Public House, Alejandra Quidarte/Zumba, Watta Bike, Sierra Athletic Club, Charlee, Aramark, JF Photography, JAzzercise/Crhis Henderson, Tahoe Fly Fishing, Steve Dillon’s Carpet Cleaning, Marc Pietrolungo/Lover’s Leap Guides, Mountain & the Garden B&B, Lake Tahoe Adventure Tours, Safe Haven Chriopractic, Tahoe Trainer/Rhonda Beckham, South Tahoe Crossfit, Irvalene, Linda Quadri, Randi Losado, Don’s Cakes at the Lake, Magic Carpet Golf, Patti Stockdale, Tahoe Derby Dames, Gail Herritt, 4 Seasons Soup & Salad, Divided Sky, Bob Dog’s Pizza, Maya’s Restaurant, Beach Hut Deli, Meyers Downtown Cafe, Overland Meats, Sugar Pine Bakery, Sorenson’s Hope Valley Resort, Connie’s Clothesline & Thrift Shop, Lorna Miller, VokabKompany.

A Big Big Hug to our facepainter (I’ll get your name, you are fantastic and all the little girls LOVED you), the firemen and fire woman (all the little boys AND girls loved you) and the policeman who made my grandson feel so special.

The above is in no particular order, and we hope we have not missed anyone. Our sincere apologies if we did miss someone, we had a lot of wonderful people running auction items in at the very beginning of our party.

Yesterday the Skamania County Sheriff’s office called in a Search and Rescue team consisting of about a dozen people and two specially trained dogs to search the area near Skookum Meadow where Marie Hanson was last seen. Despite an extensive search of that area, the nearby river and latrine area, no new evidence was found.

Marie’s family is now asking everyone who saw Marie at any time to come forward with dates, times and specifics about locations and  people who were seen with Marie.

Marie (center) at Sgt. Timothy Smith's Celebration of Life: Spring 2011

 Did you speak to or see Marie at the Gathering? If so, when, where and who was she with?

• Do you know someone ‘off the grid’ who was at the Gathering who may not have heard about Marie vanishing?
• Will you be attending a regional Gathering and would you be willing to distribute posters and ask questions?

Many Rainbow Family who attended the Gathering are still not aware of Marie’s disappearance, and we would appreciate those who are aware reaching out to all of their friends who were at the gathering one more time. We also ask that anyone with any information at all, regardless of how insignificant to come forward.  By interviewing people who were at the Gathering, important clues could be discovered, and those clues will ultimately help us discover Marie’s whereabouts.

Please help us by emailing findmariehanson@gmail.com any details, any new contacts for us to reach out to or anything that you think may be relevant to Marie’s case. Please help us fill in the gaps:

• Marie arrived at the Gathering on July 2nd with “Mellow” and camped near Lovin’ Oven. 
• She and Mellow moved their camp to the Rear Gate on July 5th.
• They were joined by Mellow’s girlfriend Cathy on July 6th.
• The last sighting of Marie was the evening of July 7th near the rear gate. She was camped near the 150 gate, next to a white Saturn. Mellow searched for Marie, showing her ID to people at the Gathering until the morning of July 10th, when he and Cathy returned home.

Thank you!!!

In a statement to the family this morning the Skamania Sheriff’s office said that there will be a search at the site of the Rainbow Family Gathering near Stevenson Washington some time this week.  According to Officer Johnston, about 30 searchers and a dog team will be at the search.

Marie’s family is hopeful and grateful for the Sheriff’s response.

On July 1, 2011 the loving, devoted mother, grandmother and wife (shown on the right in a recent photo with her granddaughter) packed her bags and got into a car with her neighbor in South Lake Tahoe. He unexpectedly had a seat empty for the drive up to Skookum Meadow in Skamania County, Washington, where he planned to attend the Rainbow Family of Living Light’s annual gathering.

Marie & her Grandaughter in June 2011

Marie Hanson had never been to a Rainbow Gathering before and seemed to have a pretty foggy idea of what they were all about. Calling it a “peace rally”, her impression seemed to be one of a small group of peace-loving people camping in nature for a few days. So she excitedly kissed her family goodbye and left for what was intended to be a nine day voyage of peace.

Marie called her husband as she approached the rural area 16 miles east/southeast of Mount St. Helens. She told him that she loved him and would see him on July 10th, and then she continued with her companions into the forest.

She was never seen or heard from by her family again.

The Rainbow Gathering has participants from every walk of life. Just as we have in mainstream America (or what Rainbows call “Babylon”) there are thieves and rapists, doctors, children and homeless, peace lovers and alcoholics and anarchists and Christians and Buddhists and drug abusers and eschew-ers.

There are bad people and people who do bad things but mostly there are good people. Marie is one of the good ones. She truly believed she could make a difference in the lives of others.

One of the most frustrating aspects of this ongoing nightmare is the lack of concern. From the mainstream public who assume she’s a hippie (read: incredibly irresponsible) to the police who have taken ages to respond and are still moving pretty slow. And from the media, who is uncharacteristically silent about a missing white woman. And then there are the Rainbows. Just like the people in “Babylon” (the society most of us operate in) many of those who call themselves Rainbow Family are incredibly helpful. But just as many insist she must be off on the “Rainbow Trail”, a euphemism for dropping out of society. “She must not want to be found” is a common response from Rainbows.

This I can understand. It’s easy to judge a person’s character by the church or concerts they attend, the ball games, the rallies, the protests, the cars they drive, the clubs they frequent and how they vote. We all do it. It’s understandable. But that doesn’t mean it’s effective.

So the Rainbows think she’s freed herself from the shackles of normalcy and gone over the Rainbow. They believe she’s happily tripping around the US, most likely in a amply bumper-stickered van with her hair in dreadlocks and a dog named Stump at her feet.

And the “Babylonians” mostly think she’s just another hippie who’s too disorganized to call home.

But her family and friends and neighbors in the small town of South Lake Tahoe where she is from, where she has raised her family, and where she resides with her husband with her beloved daughter and grandchildren nearby believe differently. They are well-acquainted with her character and have no doubt this is not a situation Marie would want or would be continuing if she had any ability to prevent it.

Shouldn’t we listen to those who knew her best? Isn’t the most prudent thing to do in a situation like this to look for her first and pass judgments about her character later?

This horrific real-life nightmare is being lived by her family, right now. In the interest of clarity and honesty I must say I am related by marriage to Marie Hanson, but I have never met her. The position in which I find myself is unique and new to me. I find myself defending the character of someone whom I have never met but is vouched for by my family, by those I love and trust and respect more than anyone. It has become very clear to me that ones reputation is of the utmost importance as strangers will discount a person if they do not meet the criteria for concern.

Marie is not a drug addict, or an alcoholic. She is a responsible, integral member of her community and has been for years. She is a devoted member of her family. She is loved. But even if she were not, wouldn’t it be irresponsible not to look for her when she disappeared? Don’t we have a responsibility to look for those who are lost regardless of religion or wealth or skin color or perceived importance?

The following was written by Nancy Enterline, whose son Tim is married to Marie Hanson’s daughter Tawny:

*The “National” Rainbow Gathering this year was huge, and it must have seemed both exciting and chaotic to Marie. Our hometown of South Lake Tahoe has a year round population of about 20,000 and there were between 15,000-20,000 people over the 7 official days of the Gathering. There were kitchens serving food, and coffee tents, and trading circles, and people, and music.

And cars, lots of cars, some people report walking 3 and 4 miles with their gear, just to get to the gate. Marie and her neighbor camped that night, her back hurt from the long drive, and sleeping on the ground. She had had back surgery, had brought her pain medicine and doxepin to help her sleep, but people that she talked to the next day say that she was hurting.

Eventually, on July 3rd (we now know that this happened on July 7th) they moved their camp to a more convenient location up on the road, near the rear gate. She was seen that day, walking down the road toward the gathering, and then again on July 4th, during the evening dinner circle, when she was sitting next to a man some identified as “Owl”(Owl is not a suspect, just someone who talked to Marie).

On one of these days she traded something for a hand crafted doll for her grandaughter, and a trinket for her grandson. On the 6th she was seen climbing into a pickup truck to take a ride down to a lower parking area or the bus village, then that evening many saw her back up at the Gathering at the dinner circle.

That night her other neighbor joined her boyfriend, and there is some confusion about whether Marie came back to camp that night. (We have learned that Marie did come back to camp that night and was feeling ill. The next morning Marie, her neighbor and a friend moved their camp outside the rear/150 gate to be closer to the car. Marie was ill, some say she was disoriented. That night she was seen sleeping at 1:30 in the morning, near her neighbor and the friend. The next morning (July 8th), the neighbor that she had traveled with thought he saw her walking down a trail toward the latrines. All of Marie’s belongings were left in the tent that she shared with her friend, including her purse, her medicine, the toys for her grandkids and her clothing.

She was not seen again by a reliable witness.

We need your help. We, Marie Hanson’s family, know that Marie had every intention of coming home to us. Marie and Billy have been a couple since Marie was 16 years old, she had just attended her son Mike’s wedding in Pennsylvania the last week of June, she and Tawny are as close as mother and daughter can be, and she visited or called her grandkids daily prior to her disappearance. She is active in her church and community. She has many friends and is always the first to step up when someone needs a hand.

We need a hand in our search and you can give it to us. We need people who were at the Gathering and saw or spoke to Marie, even if it seemed insignificant, to come forward and tell us what they saw or heard especially if you saw Marie, her neighbors or the man in the sketch above on July 7th or 8th. Since we can’t seem to get the attention of the media, we are going to have to do it on our own. This is where you can give us a hand:

• If you have a Facebook page, friend us (Marie Hanson Missing-link on the right) and then post a link to our website on your page, ask your friends to repost and ask them to have their friends friend us and repost.

• Grab a copy of our poster (on the right) , copy this story and forward to all of your email contacts. Tell our story, tell your friends that our grandkids miss their gramma and want her to come home, then ask them to ask their friends to repost. I’m sure this will work and we will eventually hit everyone in the country, because sometimes I will get the same dumb joke in my inbasket a dozen times in a single week.

• If you have a blog, or a website, post our story, you can copy anything you need right from this site. Comment on news stories about Marie, asking for a follow-up story.

• If you have contacts in the media, invite them to read our story and contact us. Somebody saw Marie, somebody talked to her, we need to find that person and it might just be you who finds them for us and brings Marie Hanson home to her family. Take a moment and give us a hand. Please.

Name: Marie Hanson Age: 56 Missing From: Rainbow Gathering near Stevenson , WA Height: 5’2 Weight: 125 Eye Color: Brown Hair Color: Brown w/ blonde streaks Race: Caucasian Complexion: Fair Birth Date: Sept. 27, 1956 Distinguishing Marks: Large scar up spine on back from surgery. Jewelry: Silver Necklace w/silver cross, silver rings on almost all fingers.

Please call the SLTPD at 530-542-6110 if you have any information about MARIE HANSON case#1107-1214 OR Skamania County Sheriff (509) 427-9490 Case #11-05271

Please call us at  530-307-0280 (email findmariehanson@gmail.com) if you have any information about MARIE HANSON.

It’s been a month since Marie Hanson left for the Rainbow Gathering in Washingon. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing, her neighbor’s girlfriend had had to fly up to Portland for a funeral, and would meet him there, leaving a seat open in the car. Marie kissed her husband Billy goodbye, called her kids, told them all she was going to a “Peace Rally” and that she would be back on July 10th, jumped into a “ride share” car with her neighbor and drove away.  The next day, July 2nd, in the afternoon she called Billy, excited that they were nearly to Skookum Meadow, told him that she loved him and that she would see him on the 10th. That is the last contact that she had with her family.

The “National” Rainbow Gathering this year was huge, and it must have seemed both exciting and chaotic to Marie. Our hometown of South Lake Tahoe has a year round population of about 20,000 and there were between 15,000-20,000 people over the 7 official days of the Gathering. There were kitchens serving food, and coffee tents, and trading circles, and people, and music. And cars, lots of cars, some people report walking 3 and 4 miles with their gear, just to get to the gate.

Marie and her neighbor camped that night,   her back hurt from the long drive, and sleeping on the ground. She had had back surgery, had brought her pain medicine and doxepin to help her sleep, but people that she talked to the next day say that she was hurting. Her neighbor either loaned her his air mattress, or traded some beads for a pad for her to sleep on. Eventually, on July 3rd they moved their camp to a more convenient location up on the road, near the rear gate. She was seen that day, walking down the road toward the gathering, and then again on July 4th,  during the evening dinner circle, when she was sitting next to a man some identified as “Owl”. On one of these days she traded something for a hand crafted doll for her grandaughter, and a trinket for her grandson. On the 6th she was seen climbing into  a pickup truck to take a ride down to a lower parking area or the bus village, then that evening many saw her back up at the Gathering at the dinner circle.  That night her other neighbor joined her boyfriend, and there is some confusion about whether Marie came back to camp that night. The next morning, the neighbor that she had traveled with thought he saw her walking down a trail toward the latrines.  All of Marie’s belongings were left in the tent that she shared with her friend, including her purse, her medicine, the toys for her grandkids and her clothing. She was not seen again by a reliable witness.

Marie’s neighbor called Billy on the evening of July 9th, and reported that he had not seen her for days. The family called the Skamania County Sheriff and reported her missing. The next day the neighbors called again, saying that they had to come home.

On July 13th, Marie and Billy’s daughter Tawny and I flew to Portland. The following day we went up to the Gathering site with a sheriff and talked to dozens and dozens of very helpful Rainbow Family members, passing out posters and walking miles. Some people had seen Marie as late as July 6th, some had talked to others who had seen her, and by the end of the second day rumors were flying. Many of the Rainbow folks were sure that she had just taken off down the Rainbow Trail, others were sure that she had decided to leave Babylon behind and had joined up with other Rainbow Family members heading down the road. One young man said that his friend had seen her hitchhiking, but his friend had already left. Tawny and I interviewed street kids in Eugene, visited Hemp Fest and tried to catch Mutant Fest near McCloud, CA  before the Forest Service shut it down, we chased a few groups of Rainbow folks down Highway 5 to no avail, we never spoke to another person who had seen Marie.

Since that time we have had many people contact us through our website, other websites, our Facebook page and from posters that our friends have hung all over the west.  Out of all of the reliable sightings, none have been past July 6th. 

We need your help. We, Marie Hanson’s family, know that Marie had every intention of coming home to us. Marie and Billy have been a couple since Marie was 16 years old, she had just attended her son Mike’s wedding in Pennsylvania the last week of June, she and Tawny are as close as mother and daughter can be, and she visited or called her grandkids daily prior to her disappearance. She is active in her church and community. She has many friends and is always the first to step up when someone needs a hand.

We need a hand in our search and you can give it to us. We need people who were at the Gathering and saw or spoke to Marie, even if it seemed insignificant, to come forward and tell us what they saw or heard. Since we can’t seem to get the attention of the media, we are going to have to do it on our own. This is where you can give us a hand:

• If you have a Facebook page, friend us (Marie Hanson Missing: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100002761654813), and then post a link to our website on your page, ask your friends to repost and ask them to have their friends friend us and repost.
• Grab a copy of our poster marie-poster-0726111, copy this story and forward to all of your email contacts. Tell our story, tell your friends that our grandkids miss their gramma and want her to come home, then ask them to ask their friends to repost. I’m sure this will work and we will eventually hit everyone in the country, because sometimes I will get the same dumb joke in my inbasket a dozen times in a single week.
• If you have a blog, or a website, post our story, you can copy anything you need right from this site. Comment on news stories about Marie, asking for a follow-up story.
• If you have contacts in the media, invite them to read our story and contact us.

Somebody saw Marie, somebody talked to her, we need to find that person and it might just be you who finds them for us and brings Marie Hanson home to her family. Take a moment and give us a hand. Please.

Nancy

Sadly it has been three weeks since Marie Hanson was last seen, after disapearing from a Rainbow Gathering near Stevenson Washington sometime around the evening of July 6th. Marie never came back to the tent that she shared with her neighbors, leaving her purse, medicine and camping gear. After searching for nearly three days, her neighbors came home to South Lake Tahoe without Marie.

Marie (far right) with her daughter,son-in-law, and grandkids.

There is an ongoing investigation into Marie Hanson’s disappearance. We have received tips from people by email, by phone and through comments on this website, from people who really thought that they had nothing valuable to say, however when questioned they were able to give us reliable information that is helping the police in their investigation. In the past I was one of the people who assumed that someone else would step up, or someone else would say something, and after this heart wrenching experience I know that I will be the first to come forward in the future. 

The family is asking that everyone who attended the Rainbow Gathering this year take a look at Marie’s pictures (posted on each page of our website) and let us know if they saw Marie after the 6th of July, or if they spoke to her at any time for any reason. We are especially looking for people who camped near her camp, or visited someone near her camp. (Her campsite was near the back gate: 1220 past the 150 gate, head up past kid village rd. about a  block or so on the right hand side. – directions from a helpful tipster) Also, anyone from Jesus Camp, Kidde Camp or Lovin’ Oven who may have seen Marie or spoken to her please contact us.

Marie is sorely missed by her family,  and her grandkids especially are asking when she is coming home. We all know that she had every intention of returning to Tahoe, she had toys that she had traded for to bring to the kids in her duffle. If you were at the Gathering and saw her or spoke to her please contact us, even if you think you ‘saw nothing’, you may have the missing piece we need to solve this awful puzzle.

If you were not at the Gathering this year, please pass our poster (see right) to your friends.  Thank you all,

Nancy

Marie and her grandaughter

Thank you to all of our fantastic local businesses and friends who donated cash, raffle and auction merchandise, services (and yummy bake sale items), who volunteered their time, & gave us hugs, especially our family at the Classic Cue for allowing us to completely take over the place for the evening. We love you. 

A special thank you to all of you who came and supported our cause by helping us with the fund raiser, bidding on our silent auction items, buying soooo many raffle tickets and of course eating our goodies.

If you missed the fundraiser on Sunday and would like to help us get search and rescue up on the mountain, or a private detective donations can be sent to: Marie Hanson Search Fund c/o El Dorado Savings Bank PO Box 14545, S.L.Tahoe CA 96151 or use PayPal by clicking below. Thank You!

 Many, many thanks, in no particular order, to those locals who donated auction & raffle items for our fundraiser (and my deepest apologies if I missed someone):

LakelandVillage, Lakeshore Lodge & Spa, Pattie Stockdale Designs, Chef Stella Ortega, Holmgren Tree Service, Diane Fannan, Carla Macleod, Yimmiy’s, Meyers Downtown Cafe, Harrahs/Harveys, Enterline Home Services, All Clean Windows & Snow Removal, Ski Run Boat Company, The Village Board Shop, “Geoff” (you know who you are!), Carolyn Theesen & Friends, Tahoe Fly Fishing, Barton Café, Tep’s Villa Roma,Ski Run Boat Company, Dr. Jean Makris, Scotty’s Hardware, Push Fitness, Yellow Submarine, Great Outdoor Clothing Co, Creative Nails, Rude Brothers Bagel, Allure Salon: Lisa McWilliams, Fragrance Outlet, Bio Spirit Day Spa, Hot Gossip Espresso Bar, Tahoe Gymnastics, Les Schwab Tires, Ernies Coffee Shop, Sports LTD, Artifacts, NapaAuto Supply, Heaven Scent Salon, Carla Macleod, Kitchen Collection @the Y, Freshie’s, Heavenly Valley, Passaretti’s, Heidi’s Restaurant, Tahoe Bowl, Aloha Ice Cream,, Pirate Store, Magic Carpet Golf, True Value Hardware Store, Peanut Bar, Fresh Ketch, Hollywood@ Horizon Theater, Sugar Pine Bakery, Sunsational Tans. PortofSubs, Hot Gossip Espresso Bar, MTN Postal, , Hollywood Horizon Theaters, Heidi’s Restaurant

and of course Staples, for all of our printing!

George and Brenda Baker for PayPal assistance

Ryan Blackwell for posters

Marie's sisters join Marie for her son's wedding in June 2011

Marie Colello Hanson – Missing Person – Last seen at the Rainbow Gathering near Stevenson Washington. Marie was wearing a pink and white tank top and cut off shorts and black and white tennis shoes.  She was seen at the Rainbow Gathering at the evening ‘circle’ on July 6th. Please advise immediately if anyone knows who  uses the Rainbow name “Owl”, he  is reported as being tall, has long grey hair in a pony tail and last seen wearing a Harley bandana on his head. He was seen sitting w/ Marie. Leave a comment on the blog, call law enforcement or family members. Help bring Marie Hanson home, she needs her medicine, is without her purse, money or ID, is “at risk” and time is of the essence.

If you were at the gathering and saw Marie AFTER July 6th or spoke to her at any time please contact us findmariehanson@gmail.com. Any small contact is important to our investigation.

Marie Colello Hanson Missing Woman from South Lake Tahoe Area

• Female
• Caucasian
• Medical Condition: Back Injury / surgical scar
• Age 54
• Hair Color Brown w/ Blonde streaks
• Eye Color Brown
• Weight 125 lbs
• Distinguishing Marks: Large scar up spine on back from surgery
• Jewelry: Silver Necklace w/silver cross, silver rings on almost all fingers

Marie Colello Hanson is missing.  She was last seen the evening of July 6, 2011 at the Rainbow Gathering, the Rainbow Festival near Stevenson,  Washington, which is in Skamania County, Washington State.  

Home:  South Lake Tahoe California

Marie Hanson – Missing Person – Be on the Lookout – Report any Sightings -

Contact:  Son Michael – (619)818-5292
Daughter Tawny (530)307-8156 or (530)307-0280

Skamania County Sheriff Detective Tim Garitty – (509) 427-9490 case # 11-05271

South Lake Tahoe Police Detective Jeff Roberson-530-542-6134 case #1107-1214

You may post a comment on this blog, which is created by the family.  Help us bring Marie Hanson home!

WE DESPERATELY NEED YOUR HELP!

Can you put up a poster?  Forward one on to your contact list or post on your Facebook page? Just post a comment with an email and we’ll send you one to copy, or use the link to the right under ‘Pages”. Thanks!

Marie Hanson Memorial

Saturday October 15, 2011 12:00

Reception at the Church to follow

Sierra Community Church

1165 Sierra Blvd, South Lake Tahoe CA

Please join the family in celebrating Marie’s life.

Marie Colello Hanson September 27, 1956-July, 2011