Mystery shopper's death: Colleagues on alert after baffling fatal injury at Bay Area mall
By Jeremy Thomas
jethomas@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 12/22/2014 03:38:31 PM PST0 Comments | Updated: about 12 hours ago
LIVERMORE -- She made her living as a mystery shopper -- lauded by colleagues as "The Master of Disguise" -- but now a bigger mystery is stumping police: How did Marjorie Hillerman end up fatally injured in the parking lot of the Livermore Premium Outlets?
Hillerman, 61, of Mesa, Arizona, passed away at a local hospital on Dec. 16, a week after she was discovered outside the mall in broad daylight with traumatic injuries to her face and back of her head. Investigators remain puzzled, with no solid leads and no evidence pointing to a robbery or violent attack. A public plea for information has so far proven unfruitful.
"It's been a struggle," said Livermore police Officer Steve Goard. "It could have been a fall or an assault; it could be any number of things. ... It's baffling."
According to Goard, Hillerman's rental car was left untouched, all of her belongings were still with her, and indications are she never even made it into the mall, where she was scheduled to work. Though security guards were on duty at the time, Goard added, none of them witnessed the incident. No surveillance footage exists either, he said.
"There's nothing that leads us in any one direction," Goard said.
Meanwhile, convinced her death was the result of foul play, Hillerman's friends and colleagues are asking the public for help to cover the woman's funeral expenses.
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Members of the Independent Mystery Shoppers Coalition, a trade organization Hillerman was active in, have set up a crowdfunding page asking for $8,000 to cover the cost of cremation and transporting the ashes home, as well as a proper memorial service. As of Monday afternoon, the page had generated more than $1,800.
Pamela Olmstead, a friend of Hillerman's and president of the organization, said the secret shopper community is soliciting the donations to assist Marjorie's husband Alan and the Hillerman family, who were already struggling financially before her untimely death.
"She deserves the best service that can possibly be given to her," Olmstead said. "Her smile is what she left us with. She became family to everybody. ... Christmas is definitely darker this year."
A highly respected mentor for other mystery shoppers, Hillerman was a regular speaker at trade conferences and earned the nickname "The Master of Disguise" for her ability to quickly, and drastically, alter her appearance, Olmstead said. She traveled across the country for her job and was working for one of the mall's high-end stores at the time of the incident. The puzzling circumstances and nature of Hillerman's injuries, she said, has led colleagues to speculate she may have been the victim of an attack.
"We don't believe she just fell," Olmstead said. "She wasn't that type of person. She was just too on top of things."
Not taking any chances, the organization has issued a warning, cautioning mystery shoppers across the country to be alert and keep their purchases and belongings well hidden. The group will also begin safety training sessions at its next convention, Olmstead said.
"It has frozen our community," she added. "That's the impact she had on us."
Representatives from the Livermore Premium Outlets declined to comment on whether or not the mall had security cameras in operation at the time but did issue a statement expressing condolences to the Hillerman family and encouraged anyone with information to contact police.
Mall spokeswoman Chelsey Allodi also wouldn't say if the mall plans on increasing security during the holiday season.
The Alameda County Coroner's Bureau completed an autopsy, but the cause of death is pending results of a toxicology report, according to the Sheriff's Department.
Anyone with information should contact Detective Glen Robbins of the Livermore Police Department at 925-294-7568.
Contact Jeremy Thomas at 925-847-2184. Follow him at Twitter.com/jet_bang.
TO HELP
To make a donation for funeral expenses for Marjorie Hillerman, visit www.gofundme.com/marjie.
By Jeremy Thomas
jethomas@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 12/22/2014 03:38:31 PM PST0 Comments | Updated: about 12 hours ago
LIVERMORE -- She made her living as a mystery shopper -- lauded by colleagues as "The Master of Disguise" -- but now a bigger mystery is stumping police: How did Marjorie Hillerman end up fatally injured in the parking lot of the Livermore Premium Outlets?
Hillerman, 61, of Mesa, Arizona, passed away at a local hospital on Dec. 16, a week after she was discovered outside the mall in broad daylight with traumatic injuries to her face and back of her head. Investigators remain puzzled, with no solid leads and no evidence pointing to a robbery or violent attack. A public plea for information has so far proven unfruitful.
"It's been a struggle," said Livermore police Officer Steve Goard. "It could have been a fall or an assault; it could be any number of things. ... It's baffling."
According to Goard, Hillerman's rental car was left untouched, all of her belongings were still with her, and indications are she never even made it into the mall, where she was scheduled to work. Though security guards were on duty at the time, Goard added, none of them witnessed the incident. No surveillance footage exists either, he said.
"There's nothing that leads us in any one direction," Goard said.
Meanwhile, convinced her death was the result of foul play, Hillerman's friends and colleagues are asking the public for help to cover the woman's funeral expenses.
Advertisement
Members of the Independent Mystery Shoppers Coalition, a trade organization Hillerman was active in, have set up a crowdfunding page asking for $8,000 to cover the cost of cremation and transporting the ashes home, as well as a proper memorial service. As of Monday afternoon, the page had generated more than $1,800.
Pamela Olmstead, a friend of Hillerman's and president of the organization, said the secret shopper community is soliciting the donations to assist Marjorie's husband Alan and the Hillerman family, who were already struggling financially before her untimely death.
"She deserves the best service that can possibly be given to her," Olmstead said. "Her smile is what she left us with. She became family to everybody. ... Christmas is definitely darker this year."
A highly respected mentor for other mystery shoppers, Hillerman was a regular speaker at trade conferences and earned the nickname "The Master of Disguise" for her ability to quickly, and drastically, alter her appearance, Olmstead said. She traveled across the country for her job and was working for one of the mall's high-end stores at the time of the incident. The puzzling circumstances and nature of Hillerman's injuries, she said, has led colleagues to speculate she may have been the victim of an attack.
"We don't believe she just fell," Olmstead said. "She wasn't that type of person. She was just too on top of things."
Not taking any chances, the organization has issued a warning, cautioning mystery shoppers across the country to be alert and keep their purchases and belongings well hidden. The group will also begin safety training sessions at its next convention, Olmstead said.
"It has frozen our community," she added. "That's the impact she had on us."
Representatives from the Livermore Premium Outlets declined to comment on whether or not the mall had security cameras in operation at the time but did issue a statement expressing condolences to the Hillerman family and encouraged anyone with information to contact police.
Mall spokeswoman Chelsey Allodi also wouldn't say if the mall plans on increasing security during the holiday season.
The Alameda County Coroner's Bureau completed an autopsy, but the cause of death is pending results of a toxicology report, according to the Sheriff's Department.
Anyone with information should contact Detective Glen Robbins of the Livermore Police Department at 925-294-7568.
Contact Jeremy Thomas at 925-847-2184. Follow him at Twitter.com/jet_bang.
TO HELP
To make a donation for funeral expenses for Marjorie Hillerman, visit www.gofundme.com/marjie.