Bellevue Woman Killed: "People Cared About Her So Much"

Nataliya Vabishchevich was remembered as a bubbly, popular massage therapist, who connected readily with her patients at Pure Chiropractic Center in Bellevue.

"They'd book two to three weeks out to make sure they were on her schedule," said her boss, chiropractor Jeremy Welch of Pure Chiropractic Center in Kelsey Creek Center.

The native of Russia won patients over immediately with her personality.

"I'll always remember when she'd introduce herself to people and with her accent she would say, 'Hello, I'm Nataliya.' She's just so bubbly," he said.

On Monday, Vabishchevich, 35, was discovered dead in her condominium after she failed to show up at her other massage therapy job at Eastside Life Chiropractic in Redmond. A co-worker from Eastside Life discovered her in her condominium after she failed to show up for work.

Bellevue police continue to investigate the homicide, which is the first in Bellevue this year, Bellevue Police spokeswoman Officer Carla Iafrate said.

Welch said that when a Bellevue detective told him on Monday that Vabishchevich was found killed, he couldn't believe it at first.

"She just never had any drama," he said. "She's never late. Never calls in sick."

Welch said that he and several of her co-workers at Pure Chiropractic saw her out and about in Bellevue over the weekend, including on Sunday.

Vabishchevich had a young son, who is safe with authorities, Welch said.

"I want everyone to know that she did everything for her son," Welch said. "She worked extra hours, she put her personal life on hold, for her son. Everyone is worried about her son, and that's who she would want everyone to be worried about."

He hired Vabishchevich six years ago, breaking his own rule of not hiring someone straight out of massage therapy school.

Welch said she had that "secret sauce" that made her a very good therapist.

"She's that one person that everyone wants to talk to," he said. "Everyone can talk to her."

That is an important quality of a massage therapist, he said.

"You're really building a relationship," he said.

Patients also praised her work online, with a reviewer on Yelp calling her the perfect massage therapist: "Nataliya took me in ten minutes early. I asked for a deep tissue massage, which was amazing. Perfect pressure....  I have never been so satisfied with a massage!" 

When the news of the homicide investigation broke on Monday, one of Vabishchevich's patients who knew where she lived was so concerned that she went to the Tenth Place Condominiums herself to make sure she was OK. When the patient saw Vabishchevich's cordoned-off car, she realized what happened and then drove to Pure Chiropractic to talk to the staff, Welch said.

"Who does that? Who checks up on their therapist? But that's the kind of person she was. People cared about her so much," he said.

On Tuesday, the office set about calling Vabishchevich's patients to break the news to them, Welch said.

"It's been kind of tough," he said.

Bellevue Police continue investigation

Bellevue Police are asking anyone who witnessed or has any information regarding this incident to please phone the Tip Line at: 425-452-2564 or pdtipline@bellevuewa.gov