Tia Hicks

Tia Marie Hicks was a young mother whose life was woven through family ties and difficult struggles. Identified by investigators after her disappearance, she was the daughter of parents who searched for her and kept her memory close. Tia was 20 when she went missing in late 1990; her father reported her missing on December 13, 1990 after several weeks without contact. Friends and family recall that she sometimes disappeared for periods of time while battling addiction.

Those close to her remember her primarily in relation to the people she loved. Public reporting identifies Tia as a mother of two; that role remained central to how her family spoke about her and to the lasting grief they carried. Her parents pursued every available lead and continued to seek answers for many years after she vanished.

On April 22, 1991, Tia’s body was discovered in the cabin of a boat stored in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. She was identified by fingerprints and dental records. Because of the state of decomposition and other factors, the medical examiner ultimately listed the manner of death as undetermined. Over time investigators re-opened and re-examined evidence; advances in DNA testing produced a male DNA profile in later retesting efforts, and law enforcement continued to pursue leads. Mountlake Terrace police reopened the investigation years later and treated the circumstances with continued attention, but no arrest tied to her death has been announced in public records.

Public sources about Tia’s life are limited and often tied to reporting about the investigation. Out of respect for her family and children, it is appropriate to remember Tia first as a real person and a mother whose life had meaning to those who loved her. Her story also underscores the ways families continue to seek answers and the human cost when a life ends without closure. Her family’s efforts to find truth and the memory of her children and parents remain part of her legacy.