At the entrance to the Bethel Station shopping center, Melanie Virdell quietly set up a table and placed buttons with faces of missing youth from around the Puget Sound area. Among those faces was her son Chris.
Chris Virdell had visited some friends in a house on 224th Street, then left to take the 402 bus to his job in South Hill Puyallup at the Safeway store. It was 9:45 a.m. when he was last seen. That was February 9, 2012. Chris has graduated from Bethel High the previous year.
It has been eleven months without answers. The past two months, the Virdells have spoken at the Bethel School Board meetings. They asked the district to make more parents aware of the risks and the crime data of the area. They remind parents to make sure they have their kids travel in groups and to keep an eye on whom their friends are.
Crime Stoppers is offering a $50,000 reward for anyone who can provide information leading to an arrest.
Gathered on January 9th were several friends of Chris. Some were friends from school, others he met through friends.
Ashley Dickens said they were “Besties”. “He was always there for me. He was a good person. He cared about people,” she said with a tone of fond remembrance.
Shelby Star knew Chris from high school. Katie Tapia said they were friends in high school and she lived right down the road from him. Jenna Cole knew him in junior high. Kerstin, Jordan and Bobby met him through other friends. Together, their presence gave encouragement to the beleaguered parents.
As they packed up the table, everyone shared hugs. Chris’ mom thanked everyone for being there. She is kind and tried to be as upbeat as possible, but it is obvious she is care worn from the stress. The parents believe it is most likely a murder case, not just a disappearance. They are braced for the day they get grim news, but they would like to know something.
Next month, there will be a vigil in the evening at the site where Chris was last seen, 45th and 224th Street. They are planning to make it a much larger event and create safety awareness for other parents and local kids. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please contact the Pierce Prairie Post and we will notify the Virdells. PiercePrairiePost@hotmail.com
Pierce Prairie Post 
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I hope the community gets behind the Virdells and local law enforcement as they work to find answers on Chris’ disappearance. This was a good kid who never missed a day of work, he had many friends, and his is a loving family. He would not have disappeared on his own. People don’t always realize that horrible things happen to good people . . . one just doesn’t expect it. Experiencing an ambiguous loss like this is a NIGHTMARE. If you’re reading this, I ask you to take a moment and wonder what you would do if you came home one day and your loved one (child, spouse, friend) was not there and never showed up. No note, phone messsage, text . . . they just disappeared. POOF! . . . no longer to be seen or heard from again. This is the worst kind of loss. I encourage the Spanaway community and surrounding areas to jump in and support this family as they search for their beloved son.