Evan Mueller: A mother's tribute

Evan was my firstborn, and he was the sweetest baby. As a toddler in the park, he had to say hello to every person we passed; he was a people person.

He was fun, trusting, and full of light and love. He believed that all people were good.

His sister, Teisha, was born when he was 4; he was 5 when his sister Jena was born. He always wanted to help with the care of his sisters: feeding them, changing their diapers, and wanted them to watch cartoons with him. He would tell people when he was young, "Guess what I am... I'm a big brother!" He was very proud of that title and the responsibility that came with it.

He was well-respected and liked by many. Multiple people referred to him as their "best friend" or "brother." He did well in school and always wanted to learn more. After graduating high school, he went to Massage Therapy School to become a certified massage therapist. He supported himself between the ages of 18 and 20 by caring for autistic children. He continued taking classes and getting certified in different techniques such as "Craniosacral Therapy" and "Pranayama Breathing."

He worked for and traveled with the Qi Revolution for 9 years. He was certified to teach massage and new techniques to people in order for them to get the required extended learning credits needed to maintain their licenses. Before his disappearance, he had gone back to college with the goal of working in Public Health. He was very proud to be on the dean's list, with plans of continuing his education and earning a master's degree. He was focused and diligent.

Health was important to him. He became an expert at yoga and would meditate for 1 hour every morning using the Pranayama deep breathing technique to start his day. He was focused on food for health and was very careful about what he put into his body. Along with his focus on health, Evan had a deep interest in spirituality and connecting with people. He was studying many different religions in his quest for understanding. He read the Old Testament, studied Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, and more. He read books by Carl Jung and other psychodynamic therapists. When I asked him what he wanted for his 34th birthday, he said the "Black Books," which were a compilation of Carl Jung's private journals produced between 1913 and 1932. The Black Books arrived on his birthday, and he told me how excited he was to read them.

The Covid pandemic ended the continuation of the Qi Revolution. Evan concentrated on his college courses since he couldn't practice as a massage therapist during this time. When Covid began to wane, he and his good friend, Steve Entin, started a business together called "The Academy of Therapeutic Artistry." He and Steve had a 4-day seminar scheduled for October 3rd – 6th at the Olympia Convention Center called the "I Am Massage Symposium." It was designed to help "Healers and Wellness Seekers succeed on their healing journey..." It was for nurses and other healthcare professionals to earn extended learning credits and also to help lay people learn pain management through massage and exercise. When I last talked to Steve Entin, he said, "Evan was everybody's best friend, but to me, he was my brother."

He was very close to my mom, his "Gramma Graham," Kathryn Castillo. She was there the day he was born, holding him within minutes of birth while I was being tended to. Evan only had one eye open when he first looked at his Grandma. She fell in love at that moment. She has always been there for him, and he felt a psychic connection to her. They visited as often as possible and frequently talked on the phone and texted. Evan once said to her, "I always felt safe with you. I love you so much." When Evan stayed with his Gramma Graham, he told her he loved her every day and gave fabulous hugs.

We feel such deep pain in our hearts for our loss of Evan. We believe he lost his life in some way on his birthday, September 12, 2022, or the day after. We would like to know if anyone has any information about how he died. We would be deeply, deeply grateful. Anyone with information, please call 425-286-7827.