Mike Emert's murder was as mysterious as it was shocking. It appeared to be carefully planned and meticulously executed. But why would anyone plot to kill an unassuming realtor with an exemplary past? Mike's killer left behind few clues - but enough to make investigators believe he may have been an expert with a most unusual weapon.

On the day he was murdered, Mike wrote in his date book that he was to meet a prospective homebuyer named Steven. He told Mary Beth that he had shown Steven houses the previous day. According to Mary Beth, Mike said he planned to meet Steven at 11:30 at a local mall. He told her that Steven was in his fifties, limped, and carried a cane. He added that Steven was relocating from Northern California, and that he spoke with an east coast accent. Steven was keenly interested in looking at one home in the affluent suburb of Woodinville. It was a house Mike had shown him the previous day. The house was on a large private lot, distanced from other homes in the neighborhood.

At 12:30 p.m., the owner of the house returned from her job to spend her lunch hour at home. She entered through the garage - and was alarmed to find the front door ajar. Just as disturbing was the sound of water running upstairs. A trail of blood - still wet - led toward the bathroom. Mike Emert was dead. Only minutes earlier, he had been stabbed 19 times.

Investigators surmised that Steven, the prospective homebuyer, had committed the brutal murder. They also believed he may have killed Mike in this house precisely because it was isolated from most other homes in the neighborhood. If the mysterious Steven had methodically planned Mike's murder, it was also possible that his handicap was merely a ruse. Investigators believed this would explain how a man in need of a cane was able to overpower Mike (who was nearly six feet tall and weighed 187 pounds) and then drag his body about 18 feet from one room to where he came to rest. The water in the shower was turned on - and the two faucets in the vanity sinks were found running. Investigators believe the killer was cleaning his hands and/or the weapon off in the sink and may also have been attempting to rid himself of any trace evidence such as hair fibers.

Mike's expensive watch and diamond ring were not found on his body - but investigators feel certain that robbery was not the killer's motive. They also strongly suspect that the meticulously executed murder could have been the work of a professional hit man. Investigators confidently eliminated Mike's wife, Mary Beth, as a suspect. Their investigation of rival realtors eliminated that possibility as well. An exhaustive probe of Mike's background revealed that he had never committed a serious indiscretion or made any enemies. While conducting hundreds of interviews going back ten years investigators have not been able to establish why somebody would want to have Mike Emert killed.

There is a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Mike Emert's murder.

If you have any information about the death of Mike Emert, please contact the Kings County (Washington State) Sheriffs Department or call the Unsolved Mysteries hotline, 1-800-876-5353.