(Image: SPD)
It has been three years since Necia “Q” McKendrick-Mendez was murdered and her body left to rot hidden in a Capitol Hill park for a week. The killing was a street crime and will likely stay that way.
Seattle Police provided no updates to CHS on its investigation despite multiple inquiries to the department’s public information office over recent weeks on the three-year anniversary of the discovery of McKendrick-Mendez’s body next to a stream in Interlaken Park. At the time, police say the on-scene investigation yielded “no obvious information about the circumstances that led to the death” due to the condition of the body and the location in the area of the small, muddy stream.
Investigators determined the woman died of “multiple blunt force injuries” around May 23rd. She was 45.
McKendrick-Mendez’s family says they, too, stopped hearing from SPD long ago.
A family picture including a young Necia shared with CHS
“Can I get an update on my sister’s case? Are you still the person to contact?,” reads one desperate email from a sister of the victim to one of the detectives on the case. The email was sent in late April, 2023 on the second anniversary of McKendrick-Mendez’s murder — an annual check-in, a request for some hope. Detective Alan Cruise did not reply, the family says.
Texas family said the 45-year-old artist who went by Q spent much of her time selling art on the street on Broadway near Dick’s Drive-in.
After her murder, family members tried to connect with the crowd of friends and acquaintances Q had gotten to know along Broadway to try to find out more about what had happened to their loved one. They met buskers, homeless kids, fellow artists, and people on the edges of those communities including community outreach workers and street preachers who knew McKendrick-Mendez.
They also heard frightening details about a man Q had fallen in with and reports of his violent and controlling ways. One family member says she heard Q was going through a “street divorce” and was about to gain access to housing when she disappeared. She was last reported in her regular areas of the neighborhood in late April. The medical examiner determined she was murdered around May 23, 2021. A homeowner near Interlaken discovered Q’s body the afternoon of Sunday, May 30th and called 911.
We don’t know who SPD interviewed in the case. After their trip to Seattle following the killing, family members including Q’s daughter urged police to follow-up on their discoveries and information. It is not clear if detectives ever interviewed Q’s boyfriend and his whereabouts are not known. That June a few weeks after her body was discovered, SPD posted a call for the public’s help in the case and the department affiliated Crime Stoppers program offered a small reward for information.
“Necia, who was known by many as ‘Queen’ and ‘Q’ was spent time on Broadway, especially in the area of Dick’s Burgers,” the SPD post reads. “She was a very talented artist, producing and selling artwork on the street.”
No arrests were announced.
(Image: SPD)
McKendrick-Mendez seems destined to join a growing list of Capitol Hill “cold cases” and unsolved murders. A common factor? Homelessness. Often youth. Often gay and vulnerable. This spring, there was another reminder of the city’s approach to handling street murders as literal ax killings targeted men sleeping outside for weeks before SPD spoke publicly about the threat.
For her family, there is the hope to keep McKendrick-Mendez’s memory alive. “From her great love of people, she boisterously created community. From found objects and paint (and sometimes a little glitter) she ceaselessly created beautiful, intriguing art that spoke to the deep heartache inherent to her unrelenting love,” they wrote about her at her death. “With the fierce joy of her soul, she created and curated her most beloved and favorite creations- her three wonderful children.”
As for the wait for McKendrick-Mendez’s case to finally be solved to provide answers and closure — and, maybe, someday, justice — that hope is dimming.
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why is our Seattle Police Department so rotten? We keep making payouts for their bad behavior, without any apologies. And in this case, the family of a murder victim is being ignored. Pitiful. Mayor Harrell, you are responsible for this!
Because the city leaders tied police hands so much all the good cops left. All we have left are rejects.
Sounds then like it would be a good idea to abolish this piece of shit department. Then build a new one from the ground up.
What are you even talking about, especially in relation to detective work? Are city leaders telling good detectives they could pistol whip people who might know something?
Anyone come forward willing to make a statement or testify? Without cooperation and forensic evidence there’s unlikely much they can do…
Ms. Hagopian, you were part of the contingent that wanted to defund police 50%. You were a vocal supporter of Kshama Sawant, a noted enemy of police (until someone threw poop in her yard, then she wanted special guard surveillance posted at her house!)
To sum up: you and your Socialist Breathren have loudly demanded we defund or disband (!) SPD for years. Harrell has been combating the morale crisis at SPD that your leadership (?) has had a hand in causing.
Perhaps you have done enough for Seattle and should take a seat. Harrell, Hollingsworth, and the rest of the non-Progressives have been working hard to fix the damage you and your ACAB Army helped to create in 2020.
Congratulations on your retirement.
Lmao, you could fund SPD if you sold all this stew.
100% this. These “defund” losers are the ultimate FAFO cadre. They’ll keep banging the drum until the stray bullet from the thrice catch and released gang member hits them or a loved one. If your eyes are open and you actually live, work, commute in this town, reality should be punching you in the face every moment of every day. The socialist paradise you have created is right in front of us. Graffitied, garbaged, depoliced, deranged and dangerous. Grateful there are some cops, pols and citizens who haven’t given up but I am sick of the dead ideologies continually speaking up. We’ve heard (and seen) enough. Time for you to try this in Havana, Gaza, Venezuela or Tehran. Bye bye.
Gaza?! lmao, y’all are gripping so hard and its a relief you housebound delusional grumps rely on the cops to do the anti-communist work you dream of. Crack squad you’ve tasked with your defense, right?
Progressives have yet to realize that D3 has turned on your views and politics. Dear Leader Sawant isn’t around to save you anymore. You overplayed your hand in 2020.
lol, you’re more attached to Sawant than I ever was, currently evidenced by her living rent free to this very day in your dome.
Bet you will still be posting variants of this 4 years from now, and likely 4 years beyond that.
What have “Harrel, Hollingsworth, and the rest of the non-progressives” actually done?
Walked around giving lip service to making the scary homeless go away, according to previous articles here
Cleared the parks and funded police. Reached out to Capitol Hill small businesses and worked to rebuild the damage caused when Sawant was in power.
I’ve gotten email replies from Hollingsworth or her staff that addressed my specific questions. All Dear Leader of Our Revolution ever sent was a form letter boilerplate email babbling about “The Ruling Class” and then asking for donations to the Socialist Alternative.
Sometimes despite people’s best efforts murder cases will go cold. I realize this is an understandably unsatisfying outcome, but it is the reality. The best outcome we may ever achieve is to learn from this case and strive harder to protect our most vulnerable. I’m not optimistic that will happen either.
A TikTok account “endless.screaming_” is exploiting her death for views, saying that she is connected to a larger ring of serial killer victims in the area. Tragic. Hope people find this article to read.