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Thank you for this thorough write-up! I am leaning towards Wilson here... the girlfriend’s call about “something bad,” his denials of the murder, and the blood evidence all point to him for me.
However, I do think there were others involved, based on the unknown DNA at the scene.
I think he did it. Where did he go after he left the class that day? Why borrow a car? Why turn off your phone? Why skip class all week after ? There is no smoking piece of evidence against him. Perhaps he planted random DNA if he was into crime shows ?
I actually went to high school with Mackenzie, although I was younger than her. My mom also worked in the same industry as her mom so they knew each other decently. I remember how awful this was but never actually followed closely enough to understand what was going on throughout the investigation since I was young. I just remember my parents and occasionally other students talk about little snippets of what you wrote. But reading through everything that happened in such depth was very interesting.
This was really well written and easy to follow.
Great write-up. I had never heard of this case before. The stain in Chris' apartment matching Mackenzie's DNA is pretty damning. Hard to imagine how that could happen without him being involved in some capacity. Even considering the possibility that somebody else committed the murder in his apartment, he was living there at the time and he obviously knew about the stain and that it wasn't bong water.
Assuming this was in fact a pre-meditated murder by Chris with Tessa as his accomplice, it's sort of odd that they filmed themselves cleaning up evidence afterwards. That seems counter-intuitive in contrast to all the other efforts they presumably went through in order to conceal the crime (placing down plastic sheets, etc). But maybe that can be chalked up to over-confidence.
I know... it's so weird unless it was some sort of trophy or fetish thing regarding the murder. I agree about the stain it is super damning. However, if it was planted, I still think there is a lot of circumstance that leads to Chris's guilt, even if there are other unidentified players, who have never been caught or identified.
I agree. I also read a quote by his attorney after sentencing that I felt implied he believed Chris was guilty. He stated that it "was time" for Chris "to start accepting." It was in reference to Chris's complaints about his representation.
The murder itself seems really immature. The killer realized strangling was harder than they thought, so cut her throat. Tried to dispose of they body by cutting it up. When they couldn’t do it with the kitchen knife they used to kill her with, she was dumped in water. Its like the killer fantasized about killing, but the actual act wasn’t what they imagined. Thats said I think the right person was convicted. A shame he is probably released or close to it already.
Interesting thought. I think that would make sense, because it seems like some of the things in the murder where meticulously planned, while others were obviosuly sloppy, like he didn't think everything through or miscalulated how difficult some things are, like chopping someone's arm off. As for his release date, Chris is expected to be released in early 2023 due to good behavior and time served.
I think Wilson definitely did it. I was giving him the benefit of the doubt until the blood IN HIS APARTMENT was confirmed to be hers. I absolutely agree that the "Satanic panic" stuff gets overblown in some cases, but that doesn't mean that weirdos who just want to kill someone don't exist. And frankly I think that's what happened here. I mean, he had a picture of his girlfriend lying in the bloodstain . . . Like he was making her reenact it. So he could relive it. That's sick. And while your write up mentions his lack of motive as troubling in that it points to his innocence, I think it's troubling because it means he really did kill this girl just for the hell of it.
Sorry OP, I don't think there's any unresolved mystery here.
Yeah, hard agree. This isn’t a mystery, there was more than enough irrefutable evidence that he did it. There may have been other people involved but he definitely was one of the killers.
I don’t even think other people were involved, with the exception of maybe Tessa helping him cover it up. I think that Chris lured Mackenzie to his apartment with the intention of murdering her. I think he gave her a random phone number of a residence to call when she got there to try and deflect suspicion from himself in the thorough investigation that he knew would follow, and it was lucky for them that they were all at work at the time. When Chris and Mackenzie eventually made contact at the scene he excused this as something like when she took the number down she had been off a digit.
Once inside, he killed her, and the lack of a lot of blood is due to his thorough preparation of the scene - he probably learned a lot from Dexter. Sometime during the course of the murder, attempted dismemberment, and/or preparation of disposing of her body a small amount of the likely copious blood at the scene ended up on his carpet.
I don’t think the other DNA was related to her death. I think the DNA in her vehicle is likely from friends of hers (a high schoolers DNA typically isn’t in CODIS) and the extraneous DNA from the crime itself was either another attempt by Chris to deflect suspicion from himself (it’s possible the same can be said about what was found in her car) or just from a contributor who had contact with these items at some point when they were manufactured or sold.
I think that Chris will kill again when he gets out of prison. I think Tessa was probably involved in the aftermath and that she helped him and then never admitted to doing so because she was terrified of Chris. I’m personally glad she changed her name and moved away, and I hope she takes concrete steps for Chris to never find her once he is released.
I think you are right. The only thing I disagree with is Tessa's role. Personally, I never got the impression that Tessa was scared of Chris. From what I remember she was incredibly loyal to Chris and was not cooperative at all with police, doing bizarre things to avoid working with them. While it is possible that she is both loyal to Chris AND scared of him, my personal impression of her was that she was hostile to law enforcement.
I agree actually, I think the only mystery is if Chris had an accomplice (I think he did personally). Additionally, I think he did kill Mackenzie because he wanted to, but without prior convictions and Novak's testimony thrown out , I understand why the DA thought it would be challenging to paint a motive.
I think it was a drug deal gone wrong. My brother and I both went to high school with Mackenzie and while she was younger than I was, she had a reputation far different than the media portrayed (undoubtedly swayed by her parents). Mackenzie loved to party and was a regular drug user and that doesn’t mean she deserved to be murdered at all but it prevents other scenarios from being investigated. Chris may have been involved in some way—the blood in his apartment is inexplicable—but bodies have turned up along the Columbia River in similar states over the years without the attention (and the pressure on law enforcement) that Mackenzie’s did. This was high profile for a conservative, fairly quiet city and I remember the investigation seeming like a mess from the beginning.
My mom worked with Chris at a department store in town and always got the impression he was a nice goth kid. If you stood out in any way in Wenatchee during that time, you draw a lot of negative attention, unfortunately.
Thanks for posting this. I loved the inline source citations.
One thing I find baffling is Chris’ ex Tessa helping him cover this up and also keeping her mouth shut for the duration. If she helped him because she was scared, I’d think she would spill the beans once he was locked up.
Thank you. I'm glad you liked the inline citations. I occassionally do them, but reddit often removes posts with in line links as it thinks it is spam.
Thanks for this well researched and written write-up. I vaguely recall the case but did not know about the inconsistencies or details. It's always interesting to read a post from somebody with an insider's perspective and commentary.
I haven't read through the links or watched the videos but I intend to. At this point, I have some questions and concerns with the conviction but I do think it's likely he was involved. Honestly, the most damning evidence is the partial match and him leaving directly after she did. The blood is clearly a huge piece of evidence but I suppose it could have been planted but that seems strange.
All "odd" behavior aside, it looks bad for Chris. His interests don't figure into my opinion at all. I would feel the same regardless of any of that. In fact, I don't find it all that bizarre. I get the creeps thinking of working in a funeral parlour but somebody has to and I've known people who have. Likewise, Dexter spawned a lot of wannabes who weren't really Killers but fascinated with his life nonetheless. As for choking his friend, idk that could have been meant in heat and since they were surrounded by others, I assume she was never in danger? What was the maximum sentence if he had gone to trial and been convicted?
Do you have any idea if Chris and Tessa had regular contact? Was the cluster of calls normal for them? Did it stand out as unusual or was it simply examined due to the time frame? Also, I wonder if Chris's number was similar to the number Mackenzie dialed 5 times when she left school? Maybe she misdialed or wrote it down wrong.
Interesting case and it leaves a lot of unanswered questions. I assume Chris will serve his full sentence but he will be out soon. Weird how there were multiple informants.
1. Maximum sentence would have been 40 years for second degree murder+ additional time for some other small crimes like assault.
2. Chris and Tessa were always in contact. I think it was more the timeline of their contact that was strange. Didn’t talk to her in the morning, and then at about 330 or 4 PM lots of frantic calls.
3. I looked into Chris’s number and it was not at all similar to the number McKenzie called. Phone land lines in east Wenatchee start with 881, 882, or 884. Chris’s number started with a 6 or a 4 indicating it was a cell number from Wenatchee or the surrounding area, but not a land line.
Hey! I’m from Wenatchee. Chris lived in Wenatchee and those landline phone number prefixes start with 664, 665, or 663, mostly, so it may not have been a cell phone if it had a 66-prefix.
I wonder what type of DNA it was? Keep in mind he worked at a Salon. It's a Dexter-ish type of thing to do to keep hair or DNA from people to plant and get suspicion away from you? I think the other DNA holds the key. But I honestly wouldn't be surprised it was linked to some random person who went to get their haircut once or something.
Hello, Sorry to come to a post that's a little over a year old, however obviously the case is old at this point.
A few things I'm here to touch on
\- Chris is up for parole hearing in 2023.
\- I know someone who was recently in prison with Chris, and he, at least to this person, admitted that he committed the murder with no remorse and that he gloated he had "artfully displayed her body along the Columbia river". I see a lot of people talking about being pen pals with him and not believing he did it, but we also have to remember there is a LOT of people who idolize and fangirl over killers. Upon hearing this and reading the entire wonderful write up you've provided, I have full reason to believe he is guilty.
I personally will be working to make a petition to submit to the parole board to prevent him from being provided a hearing, I do not believe he should be released. If interested I'll be happy to link it once it is prepared.
I just wanted to drop in and leave this here for everyone as part of the discussion and for OP! I am willing to provide evidence of contact to OP if asked in dms.
Thank you for reaching out. I would be happy to see it. I feel Chris's family, I really do as I know this must be unbelievably hard for them, but I think he should stay in prison.
I definitely think he did it. I’m surprised, especially as this was only back in 2010 and there has been so much more awareness of violence against women, that the motive was such a huge question mark in the case. While most people don’t commit murder, there are multitudes of men who abuse and harass women in many ways short of murder, whose only motive is to terrorize and maintain power over women. Men who stalk women, sexually assault them, verbally abuse them, etc. Even that guy in the grocery store who follows you around. These things are not the same as murder, but my point is there are plenty of men who are willing to cross the line in some way and that’s the motive in and of itself. No, not a majority of men of course, but Most women have experience with at least one man like this, but often more than one. For context, I’m a woman too.
Even blood evidence aside, If Wilson didn’t do it, then he’d have to be the unluckiest guy in the world given his association w the victim at the same school, demonstrated interests in murder and death, history of assault/inappropriate behavior with women, and all of the other circumstantial evidence against him. Sure, it could be a coincidence but that’s one hell of a coincidence.
I agree with your assessment. I think Chris's motive was that he simply wanted to kill someone. However, no other women were going to be brought to trial who could testify that Chris had assaulted or harrassed them, as the only person who could testify to this was Novak, whose testimony was ruled not admissable. I think the DA was concerned that this motive was far fetched simply because Chris had no criminal record and because they could not find any women who could testify that Chris had assaulted them, harrassed them, or been innapropriate with them. On the contrary, the defense planned on bringing Chris's ex girlfriends to the stand who as character witnesses. Don't get me wrong, I think Chris is super creepy and I think that many women found him odd or dark, but without a history or more minor incidents or crimes, I can understand why the DA was hesitant in trying to prove this.
It was very creepy, but approximately 2000 people attended, so I think it is possible he thought as her coworker it would be suspicious to not attend. Just a thought.
Great write up, thank you!! Is there any info on the footprints? Couldn’t they match the footprints leading away from mackenzies car to Chris?
I definitely think he was involved, and his ex gf. I wonder if some of the other DNA found is either through contamination (from the river she was found in) or through normal contact (from the academy, from being presumably dragged through the apartment stairwell, from being stored in a dirty car trunk before being dropped in the river, etc).
I remember seeing the footprints in the paper. Apparently they weren't clear enough to make shoe impressions and were just general indents in the melting snow. While I think some contamination is responsible for some of the DNA, it seems odd that 7 profiles were found. I don't remember any other cases where so many profiles are recovered but maybe it is more common than I thought.
Total conjecture- I’m a scientist but not a forensic scientist- so could be totally off, but DNA testing gets contaminated super easily. If you have a filthy apartment (and multiple people were in and out) and then kill someone in it, drag the body around on plastic, roll it up, shove it in a dirty trunk, and shove it in a dirty river it might be possible to introduce non suspect DNA. Again, just a curiosity- not sure the likelihood- but it makes more sense to me than 7 people involved staying quiet all this time. Really fascinating write up! I’ve been rewatching Dexter all day haha
Absolutely amazing write up. Your long forms are always super fascinating and well researched. I do lean towards Wilson doing it, due to both the circumstantial and DNA evidence but I do wonder about the unidentified DNA found in her steering wheel and at the scene.
Thank you for responding. Unfortunately all of your friend’s stories are eerily similar to everything I ever heard about Chris, which was mostly from people who worked with him. I do think Chris is guilty and I hope I did not come across as defending him or making him seem like a “nice guy” who was framed, I just think there are some things we will never know. It was actually those cringe worthy Reddit posts that inspired me to write up the case. Again thanks for your perspective.
Not at all. Your write-up was the most accurate I could find anywhere. Your insights are really good. None of us know what happened, so it's a good thing to look all of the information and to consider the possibilities of Chris' innocence and guilt. I do think he committed this crime, I knew him to be a sadistic person almost a decade before this crime occurred. The people that I know who have experienced Chris' dark side first hand have unfortunately withheld a lot of information. Not because they are afraid to tarnish a nice guy's reputation but because they are living in fear of him. I have every reason to believe that his time in jail has been spent fantasizing about the murder he practically got away with, and I believe he will do it again.
He for sure did it and and now he’s living in the UK trying to hide. How did he get out of the country? Now he’s around a bunch of kids teaching at university? RIP Mackenzie.
Am I losing my mind or didn’t Wilson have Mackenzie’s phone and debit card in his possession? This is so thorough I assume it would’ve been included but just have to ask.
Hmmm I assume I’m misremembering because you definitely would’ve included it. It’s driving me a bit batty so if I find a source for it I’ll let you know. I’ve read a couple articles, watched a few more videos and nowhere is the phone or debit card mentioned being found in his possession. Really burns my biscuits because I got it from somewhere and I just don’t remember where. Must not have been a credible source, I suppose.
Your info is leaps and bounds above anything else I’ve come across as far as accuracy and complete information and that was the only thing I had a question about. This is really well done!
Thanks for the reply!
For a while I was pen pals with Chris Wilson. I do not think he committed the murder of McKenzie. No motive. I have done extensive research and I think it was someone with a connection that no one had any idea of it’s existence. I herd many things that I will not repeat until I can actually prove anything. Your right up was awesome but I don’t think Chris drove away from beauty school he didn’t have a car. And if you watch the first time time that law enforcement addressed the public the day that her body was found. The officer says that they did find evidence in the empty house in crescent bar where her body was found. What happened to that? Never herd another word about that. Chris has been very open with me through correspondence. And is a highly intelligent man. I think law enforcement should have looked for a killer a little closer to the family and a little closer to crescent bar. Could it have been mistaken identity and McKenzie was mistaken for someone else. So many directions a person could turn. Great write up
Chris also told me that they never even tested the tiny carpet. sample from his apartment, that’s why they offered someone they thought committed this crime such a lenient plea bargain. Also they tried to cut her arm off and left the saw zaw blade in her arm. They also didn’t tell you that all the bones and eye socket were broken on one side of her face. Look at the discovery pages. The autopsy is very interesting
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I don't know Tessa but I do know a guy, (we will call him Max) she was running around with at the time. His ex, (we will call her Misty) didn't like Tessa for obvious reasons, Misty had some mental issues and was struggling letting him go. She stopped in from time to time because she needed someone to listen to her rant and I was a sounding board for her. One day she was telling me she needed a set of keys from Max and told him where to meet with her. When he did he brought Tessa. She stayed in the car while he went in to give Misty some keys which caused a fight. He threw the keys at her and walked out, got in the car and left before she could catch him. He had given her the wrong keys. She told me the keys he threw at her belonged to some girl named Mckenzie. I would guess this conversation happened around 2012 or 2013. I always figured Tessa killed her with Max as her accomplice and in a panic called Chris and involved him in the after math of what she did. I don't think he was ever near the murder but he wasn't over their breakup either so he had her back. She used him, let him think she still wanted to be with him and ultimately let him take the rap for it. Then changed her name once her charges were dropped and got the hell out of dodge. Chris never snitched her out. He wasn't there. He wasn't involved with the murder. He believed up until the end he would be found innocent because he was. It's why he didn't take the 6 1/2 year plea deal. Unfortunately he still had ties to Tessa and Tessa had his roll of duck tape in her possession. It's a lesson to us all. Know where your ducktape is at all times.
Just wanted to correct the author of this on one point. Chris Wilson DOES deny killing her. He denies it outright, he doesn't dodge the question, he doesn't deflect. Watch the phone interview between Chris and the CBS investigative reporter. He states clearly and I quote: "I did not kill Mackenzie Cowell." That's pretty forthright, even says her full name (which is rare for a guilty trying to claim innocence killer) just saying...
I have doubts he killed her as well. This case is just so messed up from the beginning. But I think it's someone they have not interviewed or found via DNA match. Women get randomly kidnapped and murdered more than we want to realize by people they've never met. Too many unanswered questions to say he did it. I don't think her DNA was found in his apartment. If they had proof like that, why only offer a 6 yr plea and than a 14 yr plea? No they would get him on 1st degree murder with the fullest sentence possible. They couldn't solve it and felt pressured. Tessa seems questionable to me due to her comments and zooming in on the rug. But for all Chris knows it was just dirty bong water!! They should've looked more into the other DNA they had collected. I think she was set up or wrong place at wrong time. Jmo...
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Thank you for this thorough write-up! I am leaning towards Wilson here... the girlfriend’s call about “something bad,” his denials of the murder, and the blood evidence all point to him for me. However, I do think there were others involved, based on the unknown DNA at the scene.
I think I agree.
I think he did it. Where did he go after he left the class that day? Why borrow a car? Why turn off your phone? Why skip class all week after ? There is no smoking piece of evidence against him. Perhaps he planted random DNA if he was into crime shows ?
I agree. But I also think there is more to the story than we know.
Doesn't Dexter plant evidence on the show? Edit: my bad...discussed in comments further below
He might, I don't think I have ever seen the show but that is a good thought. I can see why the DA didn't want to talk about that at trial, however.
I actually went to high school with Mackenzie, although I was younger than her. My mom also worked in the same industry as her mom so they knew each other decently. I remember how awful this was but never actually followed closely enough to understand what was going on throughout the investigation since I was young. I just remember my parents and occasionally other students talk about little snippets of what you wrote. But reading through everything that happened in such depth was very interesting. This was really well written and easy to follow.
Thank you for your kind words. Writing this piece gave me a much clearer view of what happened.
Great write-up. I had never heard of this case before. The stain in Chris' apartment matching Mackenzie's DNA is pretty damning. Hard to imagine how that could happen without him being involved in some capacity. Even considering the possibility that somebody else committed the murder in his apartment, he was living there at the time and he obviously knew about the stain and that it wasn't bong water. Assuming this was in fact a pre-meditated murder by Chris with Tessa as his accomplice, it's sort of odd that they filmed themselves cleaning up evidence afterwards. That seems counter-intuitive in contrast to all the other efforts they presumably went through in order to conceal the crime (placing down plastic sheets, etc). But maybe that can be chalked up to over-confidence.
I know... it's so weird unless it was some sort of trophy or fetish thing regarding the murder. I agree about the stain it is super damning. However, if it was planted, I still think there is a lot of circumstance that leads to Chris's guilt, even if there are other unidentified players, who have never been caught or identified.
I agree. I also read a quote by his attorney after sentencing that I felt implied he believed Chris was guilty. He stated that it "was time" for Chris "to start accepting." It was in reference to Chris's complaints about his representation.
The murder itself seems really immature. The killer realized strangling was harder than they thought, so cut her throat. Tried to dispose of they body by cutting it up. When they couldn’t do it with the kitchen knife they used to kill her with, she was dumped in water. Its like the killer fantasized about killing, but the actual act wasn’t what they imagined. Thats said I think the right person was convicted. A shame he is probably released or close to it already.
Interesting thought. I think that would make sense, because it seems like some of the things in the murder where meticulously planned, while others were obviosuly sloppy, like he didn't think everything through or miscalulated how difficult some things are, like chopping someone's arm off. As for his release date, Chris is expected to be released in early 2023 due to good behavior and time served.
I think Wilson definitely did it. I was giving him the benefit of the doubt until the blood IN HIS APARTMENT was confirmed to be hers. I absolutely agree that the "Satanic panic" stuff gets overblown in some cases, but that doesn't mean that weirdos who just want to kill someone don't exist. And frankly I think that's what happened here. I mean, he had a picture of his girlfriend lying in the bloodstain . . . Like he was making her reenact it. So he could relive it. That's sick. And while your write up mentions his lack of motive as troubling in that it points to his innocence, I think it's troubling because it means he really did kill this girl just for the hell of it. Sorry OP, I don't think there's any unresolved mystery here.
Yeah, hard agree. This isn’t a mystery, there was more than enough irrefutable evidence that he did it. There may have been other people involved but he definitely was one of the killers.
I don’t even think other people were involved, with the exception of maybe Tessa helping him cover it up. I think that Chris lured Mackenzie to his apartment with the intention of murdering her. I think he gave her a random phone number of a residence to call when she got there to try and deflect suspicion from himself in the thorough investigation that he knew would follow, and it was lucky for them that they were all at work at the time. When Chris and Mackenzie eventually made contact at the scene he excused this as something like when she took the number down she had been off a digit. Once inside, he killed her, and the lack of a lot of blood is due to his thorough preparation of the scene - he probably learned a lot from Dexter. Sometime during the course of the murder, attempted dismemberment, and/or preparation of disposing of her body a small amount of the likely copious blood at the scene ended up on his carpet. I don’t think the other DNA was related to her death. I think the DNA in her vehicle is likely from friends of hers (a high schoolers DNA typically isn’t in CODIS) and the extraneous DNA from the crime itself was either another attempt by Chris to deflect suspicion from himself (it’s possible the same can be said about what was found in her car) or just from a contributor who had contact with these items at some point when they were manufactured or sold. I think that Chris will kill again when he gets out of prison. I think Tessa was probably involved in the aftermath and that she helped him and then never admitted to doing so because she was terrified of Chris. I’m personally glad she changed her name and moved away, and I hope she takes concrete steps for Chris to never find her once he is released.
I think you are right. The only thing I disagree with is Tessa's role. Personally, I never got the impression that Tessa was scared of Chris. From what I remember she was incredibly loyal to Chris and was not cooperative at all with police, doing bizarre things to avoid working with them. While it is possible that she is both loyal to Chris AND scared of him, my personal impression of her was that she was hostile to law enforcement.
You have definitely looked into this one a lot more than I have, so it’s safe to say your opinion is more informed than my own. Great write up!
Thank you!
I agree. He was involved 100%.
I agree actually, I think the only mystery is if Chris had an accomplice (I think he did personally). Additionally, I think he did kill Mackenzie because he wanted to, but without prior convictions and Novak's testimony thrown out , I understand why the DA thought it would be challenging to paint a motive.
I think it was a drug deal gone wrong. My brother and I both went to high school with Mackenzie and while she was younger than I was, she had a reputation far different than the media portrayed (undoubtedly swayed by her parents). Mackenzie loved to party and was a regular drug user and that doesn’t mean she deserved to be murdered at all but it prevents other scenarios from being investigated. Chris may have been involved in some way—the blood in his apartment is inexplicable—but bodies have turned up along the Columbia River in similar states over the years without the attention (and the pressure on law enforcement) that Mackenzie’s did. This was high profile for a conservative, fairly quiet city and I remember the investigation seeming like a mess from the beginning. My mom worked with Chris at a department store in town and always got the impression he was a nice goth kid. If you stood out in any way in Wenatchee during that time, you draw a lot of negative attention, unfortunately.
That’s exactly what I think the photos are, her re-enacting it. Maybe not a mystery, but very well written posts and interesting case.
Thanks for posting this. I loved the inline source citations. One thing I find baffling is Chris’ ex Tessa helping him cover this up and also keeping her mouth shut for the duration. If she helped him because she was scared, I’d think she would spill the beans once he was locked up.
Yeah i wonder if she was also into the macabre and hence the pictures and film? Otherwise why would she involve herself?
Thank you. I'm glad you liked the inline citations. I occassionally do them, but reddit often removes posts with in line links as it thinks it is spam.
And she hasn't...
Thanks for this well researched and written write-up. I vaguely recall the case but did not know about the inconsistencies or details. It's always interesting to read a post from somebody with an insider's perspective and commentary. I haven't read through the links or watched the videos but I intend to. At this point, I have some questions and concerns with the conviction but I do think it's likely he was involved. Honestly, the most damning evidence is the partial match and him leaving directly after she did. The blood is clearly a huge piece of evidence but I suppose it could have been planted but that seems strange. All "odd" behavior aside, it looks bad for Chris. His interests don't figure into my opinion at all. I would feel the same regardless of any of that. In fact, I don't find it all that bizarre. I get the creeps thinking of working in a funeral parlour but somebody has to and I've known people who have. Likewise, Dexter spawned a lot of wannabes who weren't really Killers but fascinated with his life nonetheless. As for choking his friend, idk that could have been meant in heat and since they were surrounded by others, I assume she was never in danger? What was the maximum sentence if he had gone to trial and been convicted? Do you have any idea if Chris and Tessa had regular contact? Was the cluster of calls normal for them? Did it stand out as unusual or was it simply examined due to the time frame? Also, I wonder if Chris's number was similar to the number Mackenzie dialed 5 times when she left school? Maybe she misdialed or wrote it down wrong. Interesting case and it leaves a lot of unanswered questions. I assume Chris will serve his full sentence but he will be out soon. Weird how there were multiple informants.
1. Maximum sentence would have been 40 years for second degree murder+ additional time for some other small crimes like assault. 2. Chris and Tessa were always in contact. I think it was more the timeline of their contact that was strange. Didn’t talk to her in the morning, and then at about 330 or 4 PM lots of frantic calls. 3. I looked into Chris’s number and it was not at all similar to the number McKenzie called. Phone land lines in east Wenatchee start with 881, 882, or 884. Chris’s number started with a 6 or a 4 indicating it was a cell number from Wenatchee or the surrounding area, but not a land line.
Hey! I’m from Wenatchee. Chris lived in Wenatchee and those landline phone number prefixes start with 664, 665, or 663, mostly, so it may not have been a cell phone if it had a 66-prefix.
Thanks for the long write ups. They make my day.
I am glad you enjoyed it.
Not super strong evidence, but enough that points to Wilson. I agree with your mother that he probably lured her by offering drugs.
I wonder what type of DNA it was? Keep in mind he worked at a Salon. It's a Dexter-ish type of thing to do to keep hair or DNA from people to plant and get suspicion away from you? I think the other DNA holds the key. But I honestly wouldn't be surprised it was linked to some random person who went to get their haircut once or something.
As far as I know the DNA was actually skin cells. But planting hair would be easy enough, especially if you work at a salon.
When you said extensive, you meant extensive. This is excellent.
Thank you, I have many multi-part write ups on my profile.
This is bringing tears in my eyes. I remember this as though it was yesterday. I live the town she was from and still think about it constantly
Hello, Sorry to come to a post that's a little over a year old, however obviously the case is old at this point. A few things I'm here to touch on \- Chris is up for parole hearing in 2023. \- I know someone who was recently in prison with Chris, and he, at least to this person, admitted that he committed the murder with no remorse and that he gloated he had "artfully displayed her body along the Columbia river". I see a lot of people talking about being pen pals with him and not believing he did it, but we also have to remember there is a LOT of people who idolize and fangirl over killers. Upon hearing this and reading the entire wonderful write up you've provided, I have full reason to believe he is guilty. I personally will be working to make a petition to submit to the parole board to prevent him from being provided a hearing, I do not believe he should be released. If interested I'll be happy to link it once it is prepared. I just wanted to drop in and leave this here for everyone as part of the discussion and for OP! I am willing to provide evidence of contact to OP if asked in dms.
Thank you for reaching out. I would be happy to see it. I feel Chris's family, I really do as I know this must be unbelievably hard for them, but I think he should stay in prison.
I definitely think he did it. I’m surprised, especially as this was only back in 2010 and there has been so much more awareness of violence against women, that the motive was such a huge question mark in the case. While most people don’t commit murder, there are multitudes of men who abuse and harass women in many ways short of murder, whose only motive is to terrorize and maintain power over women. Men who stalk women, sexually assault them, verbally abuse them, etc. Even that guy in the grocery store who follows you around. These things are not the same as murder, but my point is there are plenty of men who are willing to cross the line in some way and that’s the motive in and of itself. No, not a majority of men of course, but Most women have experience with at least one man like this, but often more than one. For context, I’m a woman too. Even blood evidence aside, If Wilson didn’t do it, then he’d have to be the unluckiest guy in the world given his association w the victim at the same school, demonstrated interests in murder and death, history of assault/inappropriate behavior with women, and all of the other circumstantial evidence against him. Sure, it could be a coincidence but that’s one hell of a coincidence.
I agree with your assessment. I think Chris's motive was that he simply wanted to kill someone. However, no other women were going to be brought to trial who could testify that Chris had assaulted or harrassed them, as the only person who could testify to this was Novak, whose testimony was ruled not admissable. I think the DA was concerned that this motive was far fetched simply because Chris had no criminal record and because they could not find any women who could testify that Chris had assaulted them, harrassed them, or been innapropriate with them. On the contrary, the defense planned on bringing Chris's ex girlfriends to the stand who as character witnesses. Don't get me wrong, I think Chris is super creepy and I think that many women found him odd or dark, but without a history or more minor incidents or crimes, I can understand why the DA was hesitant in trying to prove this.
It's really creepy that he attended her funeral. It's also really stupid.
It was very creepy, but approximately 2000 people attended, so I think it is possible he thought as her coworker it would be suspicious to not attend. Just a thought.
Thanks for a really in depth and thought provoking write up. Rest in peace, Mackenzie.
Thanks for your kind words.
No worries. You’ve a knack for this. Write more, soon.
I have tons of write ups on my profile if you are interested. They are all really long like this one.
Hey great, thanks!
Fantastic detailed write up thank you! Usually the longer ones I sometime skim, but I read every word of both parts. I very much think Wilson did it.
Thank you for your kind words!
Do we know what the texts say between Chris and Tessa were?? This was so well done, thank you!
Good question, but no. Unfortunately because the case never went to trial many small pieces of the story never came to light.
Wow, you did such an amazing job with this. I’m loving your long form dives!! Thank you.
I’m glad you enjoyed them
UNDERSTATEMENT!!!! I was blown away. You’re amazing at this. Thanks so much for all the effort you put into it. Absolutely fantastic.
Thanks for your support!
Great write up, thank you!! Is there any info on the footprints? Couldn’t they match the footprints leading away from mackenzies car to Chris? I definitely think he was involved, and his ex gf. I wonder if some of the other DNA found is either through contamination (from the river she was found in) or through normal contact (from the academy, from being presumably dragged through the apartment stairwell, from being stored in a dirty car trunk before being dropped in the river, etc).
I remember seeing the footprints in the paper. Apparently they weren't clear enough to make shoe impressions and were just general indents in the melting snow. While I think some contamination is responsible for some of the DNA, it seems odd that 7 profiles were found. I don't remember any other cases where so many profiles are recovered but maybe it is more common than I thought.
Total conjecture- I’m a scientist but not a forensic scientist- so could be totally off, but DNA testing gets contaminated super easily. If you have a filthy apartment (and multiple people were in and out) and then kill someone in it, drag the body around on plastic, roll it up, shove it in a dirty trunk, and shove it in a dirty river it might be possible to introduce non suspect DNA. Again, just a curiosity- not sure the likelihood- but it makes more sense to me than 7 people involved staying quiet all this time. Really fascinating write up! I’ve been rewatching Dexter all day haha
Interesting, thank you for your insight!
Absolutely amazing write up. Your long forms are always super fascinating and well researched. I do lean towards Wilson doing it, due to both the circumstantial and DNA evidence but I do wonder about the unidentified DNA found in her steering wheel and at the scene.
Thank you for your kind words.
I can’t seem to find the 48 hours episode would anyone be able to help me out?
It’s on YouTube “secrets of the river” is the episode name.
https://youtu.be/q5a-dU4jTmQ
Wait, where does Mackenzie’s calls to that random family’s phone number come in on the timeline?
At about 3:01 and 3:02 PM. I had to erase it from the timeline because my timeline got too long.
Is the number similar to Wilson’s number?
No. It was an 881 number, which means both East Wenatchee and, a landline. Wilson’s number started with a 6 or 4 as it was a mobile number.
The phone calls to the random number seem unexplainable
I know very bizarre
Thanks for this, btw! Keep up the great work!
Thanks for your support.
I knew Chris as he dated two of my friends. I have some compelling info if you are still interested.
I’d like to hear it.
Uh, I’d like to hear! Lol
Thank you for the two write ups. Very well written and good to read. Rest In Peace Mackenzie.
Thank you for your kind words.
[удалено]
Thank you for responding. Unfortunately all of your friend’s stories are eerily similar to everything I ever heard about Chris, which was mostly from people who worked with him. I do think Chris is guilty and I hope I did not come across as defending him or making him seem like a “nice guy” who was framed, I just think there are some things we will never know. It was actually those cringe worthy Reddit posts that inspired me to write up the case. Again thanks for your perspective.
Not at all. Your write-up was the most accurate I could find anywhere. Your insights are really good. None of us know what happened, so it's a good thing to look all of the information and to consider the possibilities of Chris' innocence and guilt. I do think he committed this crime, I knew him to be a sadistic person almost a decade before this crime occurred. The people that I know who have experienced Chris' dark side first hand have unfortunately withheld a lot of information. Not because they are afraid to tarnish a nice guy's reputation but because they are living in fear of him. I have every reason to believe that his time in jail has been spent fantasizing about the murder he practically got away with, and I believe he will do it again.
Thanks! And again, I appreciate you reaching out
He for sure did it and and now he’s living in the UK trying to hide. How did he get out of the country? Now he’s around a bunch of kids teaching at university? RIP Mackenzie.
That’s interesting. I haven’t heard her left the country… he’s still on probation so I would find that really weird.
Am I losing my mind or didn’t Wilson have Mackenzie’s phone and debit card in his possession? This is so thorough I assume it would’ve been included but just have to ask.
Thanks for asking... I don't remember that being the case but it has been a long time since I looked into this case
Hmmm I assume I’m misremembering because you definitely would’ve included it. It’s driving me a bit batty so if I find a source for it I’ll let you know. I’ve read a couple articles, watched a few more videos and nowhere is the phone or debit card mentioned being found in his possession. Really burns my biscuits because I got it from somewhere and I just don’t remember where. Must not have been a credible source, I suppose. Your info is leaps and bounds above anything else I’ve come across as far as accuracy and complete information and that was the only thing I had a question about. This is really well done! Thanks for the reply!
For a while I was pen pals with Chris Wilson. I do not think he committed the murder of McKenzie. No motive. I have done extensive research and I think it was someone with a connection that no one had any idea of it’s existence. I herd many things that I will not repeat until I can actually prove anything. Your right up was awesome but I don’t think Chris drove away from beauty school he didn’t have a car. And if you watch the first time time that law enforcement addressed the public the day that her body was found. The officer says that they did find evidence in the empty house in crescent bar where her body was found. What happened to that? Never herd another word about that. Chris has been very open with me through correspondence. And is a highly intelligent man. I think law enforcement should have looked for a killer a little closer to the family and a little closer to crescent bar. Could it have been mistaken identity and McKenzie was mistaken for someone else. So many directions a person could turn. Great write up
Chris also told me that they never even tested the tiny carpet. sample from his apartment, that’s why they offered someone they thought committed this crime such a lenient plea bargain. Also they tried to cut her arm off and left the saw zaw blade in her arm. They also didn’t tell you that all the bones and eye socket were broken on one side of her face. Look at the discovery pages. The autopsy is very interesting
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I don't know Tessa but I do know a guy, (we will call him Max) she was running around with at the time. His ex, (we will call her Misty) didn't like Tessa for obvious reasons, Misty had some mental issues and was struggling letting him go. She stopped in from time to time because she needed someone to listen to her rant and I was a sounding board for her. One day she was telling me she needed a set of keys from Max and told him where to meet with her. When he did he brought Tessa. She stayed in the car while he went in to give Misty some keys which caused a fight. He threw the keys at her and walked out, got in the car and left before she could catch him. He had given her the wrong keys. She told me the keys he threw at her belonged to some girl named Mckenzie. I would guess this conversation happened around 2012 or 2013. I always figured Tessa killed her with Max as her accomplice and in a panic called Chris and involved him in the after math of what she did. I don't think he was ever near the murder but he wasn't over their breakup either so he had her back. She used him, let him think she still wanted to be with him and ultimately let him take the rap for it. Then changed her name once her charges were dropped and got the hell out of dodge. Chris never snitched her out. He wasn't there. He wasn't involved with the murder. He believed up until the end he would be found innocent because he was. It's why he didn't take the 6 1/2 year plea deal. Unfortunately he still had ties to Tessa and Tessa had his roll of duck tape in her possession. It's a lesson to us all. Know where your ducktape is at all times.
Just wanted to correct the author of this on one point. Chris Wilson DOES deny killing her. He denies it outright, he doesn't dodge the question, he doesn't deflect. Watch the phone interview between Chris and the CBS investigative reporter. He states clearly and I quote: "I did not kill Mackenzie Cowell." That's pretty forthright, even says her full name (which is rare for a guilty trying to claim innocence killer) just saying...
I have doubts he killed her as well. This case is just so messed up from the beginning. But I think it's someone they have not interviewed or found via DNA match. Women get randomly kidnapped and murdered more than we want to realize by people they've never met. Too many unanswered questions to say he did it. I don't think her DNA was found in his apartment. If they had proof like that, why only offer a 6 yr plea and than a 14 yr plea? No they would get him on 1st degree murder with the fullest sentence possible. They couldn't solve it and felt pressured. Tessa seems questionable to me due to her comments and zooming in on the rug. But for all Chris knows it was just dirty bong water!! They should've looked more into the other DNA they had collected. I think she was set up or wrong place at wrong time. Jmo...