Lady of the Dunes on Oxygen: What happened to Manzanita and Dolores Mearns? 

One of the most chilling unsolved cases of the 20th century is the bizarre disappearance and suspected murder in 1960 of Manzanita "Manzy" Ryan and her daughter, Dolores Mearns. Their case has been mentioned in Oxygen's Lady of the Dunes: Hunting a Cape Cod Killer, which is based on the 1974 murder of Ruth Marie Terry but also focuses on Manzanita and Dolores.

The disappearance of Manzanita Ryan and her daughter Dolores Mearns from Seattle is a haunting tale of suspicion and deceit. Suspicion quickly fell on Manzanita's second husband, Guy Rockwell Muldavin, whose mysterious past and reputation for lying added to the intrigue.

Although partial human remains were located in a septic tank on their residence, forensic science was still many decades away in its technological advancements, meaning the case was left unclear. The disappearance of the two women remains unsolved to this day, well over six decades later haunting chapter in true crime history.

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The disappearance of Manzanita and Dolores Mearns

Manzanita Ryan was born in 1921, to a close-knit family in Merritt, British Columbia. She married William Lewis Mearns in 1941, and they had three children, the youngest of whom was Dolores Ann Mearns, born in 1942.

Manzanita and William divorced in 1958, and Manzanita married Guy Rockwell Muldavin in Kootenai, Idaho. Dolores, then 18, moved to Seattle with her mother and stepfather, who ran an antique shop. On April 1, 1960, both women disappeared without warning.

William Mearns reported their disappearance when he could not reach them. Six months later, when the investigators were searching the Seattle home of the women, they found dismembered human remains in the septic tank. Still, the authorities could not identify the remains without DNA testing.

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Suspicion falls on Guy Muldavin

Early in the investigation, scrutiny fell on Manzanita's husband, Guy Rockwell Muldavin. His behavior was suspicious. Within months of the disappearance, Muldavin initiated divorce proceedings against Manzanita on the grounds of desertion and married again within months. Adding to suspicion, he left Seattle under an assumed name, "Michael Strong."

Muldavin had a history of fraud and deception. He borrowed $10,000 from his mother-in-law to invest in antiques but ran away with the money and bought himself a luxury sports car. His trial eventually led him to New York City where he was arrested in December 1960.

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Legal proceedings and lack of convictions

Although Muldavin was charged with grand theft for defrauding his mother-in-law and for unlawful flight to avoid testifying in the case of Manzanita and Dolores Mearns, the charges did not stick.

He was acquitted of the murders, despite circumstantial evidence and suspicious behavior. The human remains found in the septic tank were unidentified, and without concrete forensic proof, the case stalled.

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Links to Ruth Marie Terry's Case

Decades later, Muldavin was also linked to another cold case 1974 murder of Ruth Marie Terry known as the Lady of the Dunes. When her body was identified in 2022, investigators named him as the killer officially, though he had already died in 2002. It has left many unanswered questions on how he is linked to other unsolved murders like the death of Manzanita and Dolores Mearns.

Even up to date, Manzanita and Dolores Mearns' case stays open.

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Oxygen’s Lady of the Dunes sheds light on the long-forgotten case of Manzanita and Dolores Mearns. Though the primary focus is on Ruth Marie Terry, the documentary offers a glimpse into the lives of two women whose stories remain incomplete.