Robert Brent Marshall (July 10, 1952 – March 7, 1982) known as Brent, was found stabbed to death near his taxi on 46th Ave SE and 208th St SE in Bothell, Washington.
The taxi company he drove for on a part-time basis was Hawley’s North End Taxi. The owner mentioned in the Daily Herald of March 9, 1982 the misconception about taxi drivers carrying a lot of cash. She said Brent might only have had $10 on him. Robbery could have been a motive. However, we just do not know.
There is a good chance a stranger stabbed Brent. That stranger may not be a local or even the passenger he was going to pick up.
None of the articles I read in the newspaper archives mentioned that a knife was found either near his body or inside the taxi.
Brent had been stabbed several times. To make this case even harder, a taxi is bound to be covered in prints from people all over the state and sometimes even the world.
Brent’s last fare was near midnight on March 6, 1982 to pick up a customer from the Sirloin Inn in Lake Forest Park. He did not give the radio dispatcher any indication that he was in trouble, the Daily Herald (Everett, Washington) from March 8, 1982 noted.
On March 16, 1982 that same paper said Brent “may have picked up his last passenger at a Super Safeway store in Kenmore at approx. 1145pm on March 6” referring to Detective Randy Nichols. That would have been a change in location of about 6min by car according to Google maps.
Nine hours later, Brent’s remains were found alongside his taxi at the end of a dirt road to the east of Thrasher’s Corner in south Snohomish County. According to the papers, there was blood on the road near his body.
Robert Brent Marshall is remembered as a kind man who served in the Air Force according to the Herald Net. That article is behind a paywall. The Daily Herald added that he “spent two years in the armed forces after finishing high school” and then moved to Seattle where he worked as a carpenter.
When he hurt his knee, “he used his G.I. bill to go to cosmetology school and became a hairdresser.” He drove his taxi part time for extra cash. His reputation as a driver was good and in general, he was a responsible man. He would have checked back in upon picking up or dropping off his passenger but he never did.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s office has a cold cases page with information about their card decks, see here. From the Herald Net: “For their deck, Snohomish County sheriff’s detectives chose 52 men, women and children who were killed or who disappeared under suspicious circumstances over the past four decades. Not all the cases are being investigated by the sheriff’s cold case team. A few cases being handled by police in Everett and Monroe are part of the deck.” All the cards here.
As you can see, in some cases they have made an arrest or the case was solved or the person was located. Let us hope Robert Brent Marshall is next.
Contact information
If you have any information about this case, please call 800-222-TIPS (8477). Up to a $1,000 reward is offered. Tips also can be left on the Sheriff’s tip line at 425-388-3845. Callers may remain anonymous, although tips have been more successful when callers speak with detectives, police said.
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In the series “Case of the Month” I highlight old unsolved cases. These posts are not an in-depth analysis and of course, more information can be found online and in newspaper archives.
We need to get these cases back in the mainstream media, to get people talking again, and if anything, to make sure that we do not forget the victims. Just because their cases are unsolved does not mean that we can forget about them.
With the advances in modern forensic sciences, we have a chance to find clues that previously remained hidden. So, let us review all these old cases once more.
I encourage you to share this post on your own social media platforms. By sharing these posts online, the cases reach new networks, new connections, and the latest news feeds. One day these updates may pop up in the right person’s news feed. That may be someone who can help advance the case and that is my goal.
Rest in peace, Robert Brent Marshall.