Topline: Investigators say Mallory Barbour was shot in the head and left in a wooded area of Mason County, Washington.
Published: January 9, 2026 8:38 am ET
Must Read
Left: Mallory Barbour, a 27-year-old Bothell woman whose remains were found in Mason County months after she was reported missing. Right: Sean Gregory Harris is taken into custody by detectives. (via Mason County Sheriff’s Office)
BREMERTON, WA — A months-long investigation into the disappearance and killing of 27-year-old Mallory Barbour reached a turning point this week with the arrest of a Bremerton man.
According to a media release from the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, detectives arrested a 45-year-old Bremerton man on Jan. 7, 2026, in connection with Barbour’s murder. The sheriff’s office said its thoughts remain with Barbour’s family and friends affected by the tragedy.
Court records and reporting from KOMO News identify the suspect as Sean Gregory Harris, 45, who a judge ordered held without bail, citing concerns that he poses a danger to the community.
Prosecutors have arrested Harris on probable cause for murder, and he is expected to appear in court on Jan. 8, according to the Mason County Prosecutor’s Office, as reported by KIRO 7.
Barbour was last seen leaving her home in the Pioneer Hills/Morningside area of Bothell on the evening of June 24, according to investigators. She was reported missing on July 16, 2025, after family and friends said it was out of character for her to go so long without contacting them, according to the Seattle Times.
Nearly three months later, on Sept. 15, a hunter discovered Barbour’s remains in a wooded timberland area near State Route 3 and Pickering Road in Mason County, deputies said. Authorities later told the public that indications at the scene pointed to “homicidal violence,” according to KIRO 7. The medical examiner determined that Barbour had been shot in the head and had suffered blunt force trauma, and that her remains had been at the site for an extended period of time, according to KOMO News and the Seattle Times.
Investigators say Harris previously lived with Barbour for several months at his apartment in Bremerton. According to court documents cited by KOMO News and the Seattle Times, a maintenance worker at the property told detectives that Barbour had said Harris was “creeping me out” and “constantly trying to get with me.” The worker said Barbour asked if she could stay with him, a request he declined. Another roommate told investigators they once caught Harris touching Barbour while she slept and later informed her about it, according to KOMO News.
A search of Harris’ Bremerton apartment in November turned up several of Barbour’s belongings, including her purse, identification, bank cards, medications and a ferry ticket from Seattle to Bremerton dated June 25 — the day after she was last seen at her Bothell home — according to court records cited by KOMO News and the Seattle Times. Deputies also recovered two guns from the apartment.
Though Harris told investigators he last saw Barbour in June and claimed he did not know she had been reported missing, detectives said shell casings found near Barbour’s body were fired from a gun recovered from his apartment. Lab results from the Washington State Patrol crime lab confirmed that at least one of the bullet casings found with Barbour’s remains matched one of the seized firearms, according to court documents referenced by the Seattle Times.
Harris told deputies he picked Barbour up from the ferry terminal in June, saying she came to see him to apologize after a dispute and that she owed him rent for the seven to eight months she had lived with him, according to the Seattle Times. He claimed he later dropped her off at a driveway in Belfair but did not provide an exact location. Investigators said they were unable to verify his claim that he later tried to contact her.
As the investigation unfolded, Barbour’s family and friends shared memories of her life and their frustration over unanswered questions. “She is a wonderful human being, she was just a darling little girl that was silly,” Barbour’s mother, Denise, told KOMO News. “She was a good student, she’s an amazing artist.”
Denise Barbour also questioned the circumstances that brought her daughter and the suspect together. “I have all kinds of questions. Why did he and Mallory connect? What was the relationship?” she said. “I have no answers about that, and maybe I never will.”
Friends echoed those sentiments, warning about the dangers of misplaced trust. “You just really can’t trust anybody, and it can be someone really close to you,” Ashley Ainge, a friend of Barbour’s, told KOMO News. “It can be someone that you trusted. It can be someone that you welcomed into your own home.”
Ainge said she struggles to understand why Barbour was targeted. “I want to know, why her? I want to know what hate is in your heart, who hurt you?” she said. “What was it that happened to you to make you want to cause so much harm to somebody else?
“I have to assume that he’s a hurt and he’s a damaged person because it just doesn’t make any sense,” Ainge added. “[Mallory] was an amazing, an amazing woman, and I just can’t begin to understand why.”
Authorities have not yet announced formal charges, and some outlets, including the Seattle Times and KIRO 7, have withheld the suspect’s name until that step occurs. Detectives say the investigation remains active as the case moves through the court system.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Authorities Identify Murder Suspect in Mallory Barbour Case
Investigators say Mallory Barbour was shot in the head and left in a wooded area of Mason County, Washington.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 9, 2026 8:38 am ET
Left: Mallory Barbour, a 27-year-old Bothell woman whose remains were found in Mason County months after she was reported missing. Right: Sean Gregory Harris is taken into custody by detectives. (via Mason County Sheriff’s Office)
BREMERTON, WA — A months-long investigation into the disappearance and killing of 27-year-old Mallory Barbour reached a turning point this week with the arrest of a Bremerton man.
According to a media release from the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, detectives arrested a 45-year-old Bremerton man on Jan. 7, 2026, in connection with Barbour’s murder. The sheriff’s office said its thoughts remain with Barbour’s family and friends affected by the tragedy.
Court records and reporting from KOMO News identify the suspect as Sean Gregory Harris, 45, who a judge ordered held without bail, citing concerns that he poses a danger to the community.
Prosecutors have arrested Harris on probable cause for murder, and he is expected to appear in court on Jan. 8, according to the Mason County Prosecutor’s Office, as reported by KIRO 7.
Barbour was last seen leaving her home in the Pioneer Hills/Morningside area of Bothell on the evening of June 24, according to investigators. She was reported missing on July 16, 2025, after family and friends said it was out of character for her to go so long without contacting them, according to the Seattle Times.
Nearly three months later, on Sept. 15, a hunter discovered Barbour’s remains in a wooded timberland area near State Route 3 and Pickering Road in Mason County, deputies said. Authorities later told the public that indications at the scene pointed to “homicidal violence,” according to KIRO 7. The medical examiner determined that Barbour had been shot in the head and had suffered blunt force trauma, and that her remains had been at the site for an extended period of time, according to KOMO News and the Seattle Times.
Investigators say Harris previously lived with Barbour for several months at his apartment in Bremerton. According to court documents cited by KOMO News and the Seattle Times, a maintenance worker at the property told detectives that Barbour had said Harris was “creeping me out” and “constantly trying to get with me.” The worker said Barbour asked if she could stay with him, a request he declined. Another roommate told investigators they once caught Harris touching Barbour while she slept and later informed her about it, according to KOMO News.
A search of Harris’ Bremerton apartment in November turned up several of Barbour’s belongings, including her purse, identification, bank cards, medications and a ferry ticket from Seattle to Bremerton dated June 25 — the day after she was last seen at her Bothell home — according to court records cited by KOMO News and the Seattle Times. Deputies also recovered two guns from the apartment.
Though Harris told investigators he last saw Barbour in June and claimed he did not know she had been reported missing, detectives said shell casings found near Barbour’s body were fired from a gun recovered from his apartment. Lab results from the Washington State Patrol crime lab confirmed that at least one of the bullet casings found with Barbour’s remains matched one of the seized firearms, according to court documents referenced by the Seattle Times.
Harris told deputies he picked Barbour up from the ferry terminal in June, saying she came to see him to apologize after a dispute and that she owed him rent for the seven to eight months she had lived with him, according to the Seattle Times. He claimed he later dropped her off at a driveway in Belfair but did not provide an exact location. Investigators said they were unable to verify his claim that he later tried to contact her.
As the investigation unfolded, Barbour’s family and friends shared memories of her life and their frustration over unanswered questions. “She is a wonderful human being, she was just a darling little girl that was silly,” Barbour’s mother, Denise, told KOMO News. “She was a good student, she’s an amazing artist.”
Denise Barbour also questioned the circumstances that brought her daughter and the suspect together. “I have all kinds of questions. Why did he and Mallory connect? What was the relationship?” she said. “I have no answers about that, and maybe I never will.”
Friends echoed those sentiments, warning about the dangers of misplaced trust. “You just really can’t trust anybody, and it can be someone really close to you,” Ashley Ainge, a friend of Barbour’s, told KOMO News. “It can be someone that you trusted. It can be someone that you welcomed into your own home.”
Ainge said she struggles to understand why Barbour was targeted. “I want to know, why her? I want to know what hate is in your heart, who hurt you?” she said. “What was it that happened to you to make you want to cause so much harm to somebody else?
“I have to assume that he’s a hurt and he’s a damaged person because it just doesn’t make any sense,” Ainge added. “[Mallory] was an amazing, an amazing woman, and I just can’t begin to understand why.”
Authorities have not yet announced formal charges, and some outlets, including the Seattle Times and KIRO 7, have withheld the suspect’s name until that step occurs. Detectives say the investigation remains active as the case moves through the court system.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Authorities Identify Murder Suspect in Mallory Barbour Case
Investigators say Mallory Barbour was shot in the head and left in a wooded area of Mason County, Washington.
By Jacob Charles
Published: January 9, 2026 8:38 am ET
Left: Mallory Barbour, a 27-year-old Bothell woman whose remains were found in Mason County months after she was reported missing. Right: Sean Gregory Harris is taken into custody by detectives. (via Mason County Sheriff’s Office)
BREMERTON, WA — A months-long investigation into the disappearance and killing of 27-year-old Mallory Barbour reached a turning point this week with the arrest of a Bremerton man.
According to a media release from the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, detectives arrested a 45-year-old Bremerton man on Jan. 7, 2026, in connection with Barbour’s murder. The sheriff’s office said its thoughts remain with Barbour’s family and friends affected by the tragedy.
Court records and reporting from KOMO News identify the suspect as Sean Gregory Harris, 45, who a judge ordered held without bail, citing concerns that he poses a danger to the community.
Prosecutors have arrested Harris on probable cause for murder, and he is expected to appear in court on Jan. 8, according to the Mason County Prosecutor’s Office, as reported by KIRO 7.
Barbour was last seen leaving her home in the Pioneer Hills/Morningside area of Bothell on the evening of June 24, according to investigators. She was reported missing on July 16, 2025, after family and friends said it was out of character for her to go so long without contacting them, according to the Seattle Times.
Nearly three months later, on Sept. 15, a hunter discovered Barbour’s remains in a wooded timberland area near State Route 3 and Pickering Road in Mason County, deputies said. Authorities later told the public that indications at the scene pointed to “homicidal violence,” according to KIRO 7. The medical examiner determined that Barbour had been shot in the head and had suffered blunt force trauma, and that her remains had been at the site for an extended period of time, according to KOMO News and the Seattle Times.
Investigators say Harris previously lived with Barbour for several months at his apartment in Bremerton. According to court documents cited by KOMO News and the Seattle Times, a maintenance worker at the property told detectives that Barbour had said Harris was “creeping me out” and “constantly trying to get with me.” The worker said Barbour asked if she could stay with him, a request he declined. Another roommate told investigators they once caught Harris touching Barbour while she slept and later informed her about it, according to KOMO News.
A search of Harris’ Bremerton apartment in November turned up several of Barbour’s belongings, including her purse, identification, bank cards, medications and a ferry ticket from Seattle to Bremerton dated June 25 — the day after she was last seen at her Bothell home — according to court records cited by KOMO News and the Seattle Times. Deputies also recovered two guns from the apartment.
Though Harris told investigators he last saw Barbour in June and claimed he did not know she had been reported missing, detectives said shell casings found near Barbour’s body were fired from a gun recovered from his apartment. Lab results from the Washington State Patrol crime lab confirmed that at least one of the bullet casings found with Barbour’s remains matched one of the seized firearms, according to court documents referenced by the Seattle Times.
Harris told deputies he picked Barbour up from the ferry terminal in June, saying she came to see him to apologize after a dispute and that she owed him rent for the seven to eight months she had lived with him, according to the Seattle Times. He claimed he later dropped her off at a driveway in Belfair but did not provide an exact location. Investigators said they were unable to verify his claim that he later tried to contact her.
As the investigation unfolded, Barbour’s family and friends shared memories of her life and their frustration over unanswered questions. “She is a wonderful human being, she was just a darling little girl that was silly,” Barbour’s mother, Denise, told KOMO News. “She was a good student, she’s an amazing artist.”
Denise Barbour also questioned the circumstances that brought her daughter and the suspect together. “I have all kinds of questions. Why did he and Mallory connect? What was the relationship?” she said. “I have no answers about that, and maybe I never will.”
Friends echoed those sentiments, warning about the dangers of misplaced trust. “You just really can’t trust anybody, and it can be someone really close to you,” Ashley Ainge, a friend of Barbour’s, told KOMO News. “It can be someone that you trusted. It can be someone that you welcomed into your own home.”
Ainge said she struggles to understand why Barbour was targeted. “I want to know, why her? I want to know what hate is in your heart, who hurt you?” she said. “What was it that happened to you to make you want to cause so much harm to somebody else?
“I have to assume that he’s a hurt and he’s a damaged person because it just doesn’t make any sense,” Ainge added. “[Mallory] was an amazing, an amazing woman, and I just can’t begin to understand why.”
Authorities have not yet announced formal charges, and some outlets, including the Seattle Times and KIRO 7, have withheld the suspect’s name until that step occurs. Detectives say the investigation remains active as the case moves through the court system.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
