1 00:00:01,836 --> 00:00:02,835 (somber music) 2 00:00:11,086 --> 00:00:14,972 - It was alternately scary, frightening, 3 00:00:16,517 --> 00:00:17,975 And questioning. 4 00:00:21,671 --> 00:00:22,688 - I was terrified. 5 00:00:24,583 --> 00:00:27,026 I was thinking some wacko is gonna jump out of the bushes 6 00:00:27,253 --> 00:00:27,860 And grab me. 7 00:00:30,439 --> 00:00:31,488 - Who would've done this? 8 00:00:33,108 --> 00:00:36,869 It had to be some completely bizarre pervert. 9 00:00:38,614 --> 00:00:41,098 - This was a case that I grew up with. 10 00:00:41,191 --> 00:00:43,000 This is in the background of my childhood. 11 00:00:44,712 --> 00:00:48,547 - I was questioning whether we would have her back alive. 12 00:00:49,958 --> 00:00:51,216 - And I wanted to know what happened. 13 00:00:52,386 --> 00:00:53,868 This is crazy. 14 00:00:53,888 --> 00:00:55,554 We have two different killers. 15 00:00:59,876 --> 00:01:02,853 (dramatic music) 16 00:01:17,078 --> 00:01:19,536 (gentle music) 17 00:01:25,753 --> 00:01:29,496 I would describe tacoma as kind of a 18 00:01:29,590 --> 00:01:31,256 Blue collar town. 19 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:37,429 We could go ride our bikes and walk to school 20 00:01:37,581 --> 00:01:40,173 Without our parents fearing that something bad 21 00:01:40,326 --> 00:01:42,250 Was gonna happen to us. 22 00:01:42,344 --> 00:01:45,604 And I think after 1986, that changed. 23 00:01:48,834 --> 00:01:52,093 She was just a couple years older than me. 24 00:01:52,113 --> 00:01:53,837 - [news anchor] a young girl full of love. 25 00:01:53,930 --> 00:01:57,007 - It was on the tv every night and in the paper. 26 00:01:57,025 --> 00:01:59,359 And it just really shaped our childhoods, 27 00:01:59,453 --> 00:02:00,410 And not in a good way. 28 00:02:07,519 --> 00:02:10,445 - It was in the middle of a beautiful spate of weather. 29 00:02:10,464 --> 00:02:12,947 It had been warmer than usual. 30 00:02:12,967 --> 00:02:14,708 Sunny. 31 00:02:14,860 --> 00:02:17,361 The kind of days you wanna just get out and do something, 32 00:02:17,454 --> 00:02:19,045 Either in the yard or at the beach. 33 00:02:19,140 --> 00:02:20,714 You wanna plan a picnic. 34 00:02:20,866 --> 00:02:22,141 You just wanna go and do. 35 00:02:23,702 --> 00:02:24,977 - [narrator] 13 year old, jennifer bastian 36 00:02:25,204 --> 00:02:26,870 And her mother patty 37 00:02:26,889 --> 00:02:29,481 Spend the quiet summer morning together. 38 00:02:29,633 --> 00:02:31,541 - Jennifer was up. 39 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:32,876 I got up. 40 00:02:32,895 --> 00:02:33,968 I think she got cereal. 41 00:02:33,988 --> 00:02:35,228 I got coffee. 42 00:02:35,381 --> 00:02:37,381 And we just talked about the day. 43 00:02:37,399 --> 00:02:41,326 She was going to go on a ymca bike riding trip. 44 00:02:41,478 --> 00:02:45,831 It was a trip that was a little bit timid for her. 45 00:02:45,982 --> 00:02:50,318 She was a petite gal, riding a 15 speed bike, 46 00:02:50,337 --> 00:02:54,231 And trying to master that before the trip. 47 00:02:54,249 --> 00:02:56,008 And so she was practicing every day. 48 00:02:58,846 --> 00:03:00,070 - And on that particular day, 49 00:03:00,088 --> 00:03:02,906 She asked for permission to ride her bike 50 00:03:02,925 --> 00:03:05,075 To the point defiance park, 51 00:03:05,168 --> 00:03:06,685 Which is something she had done before. 52 00:03:06,836 --> 00:03:08,094 Normally she would take a friend, 53 00:03:08,247 --> 00:03:10,522 But her friend was not available that day. 54 00:03:10,674 --> 00:03:16,102 So, she went by herself and she actually left a, 55 00:03:16,255 --> 00:03:17,512 A note for her dad. 56 00:03:17,531 --> 00:03:18,989 And she took off for the park. 57 00:03:21,351 --> 00:03:23,869 - She wrote a note saying she'd be home by 6:30, 58 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:27,831 But she wasn't there for dinner. 59 00:03:29,768 --> 00:03:32,878 She wasn't there after she had said she would be. 60 00:03:33,939 --> 00:03:35,214 It gets very scary. 61 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,277 We called a few friends, neighbors 62 00:03:40,370 --> 00:03:42,554 To see if maybe jennifer had stopped off 63 00:03:42,706 --> 00:03:45,849 After her ride to play with their sons or daughters. 64 00:03:46,894 --> 00:03:48,352 And then we called the police. 65 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,232 (gentle music) 66 00:03:55,552 --> 00:03:57,978 - We were very close as a family. 67 00:03:58,130 --> 00:04:00,297 My dad, you know, he had kids late in life. 68 00:04:00,315 --> 00:04:02,574 So, I think he maybe appreciated being a dad 69 00:04:02,726 --> 00:04:07,371 Even more than if he had had them as a younger man. 70 00:04:08,490 --> 00:04:09,139 We had great relationship. 71 00:04:09,157 --> 00:04:10,323 We had great fun. 72 00:04:10,476 --> 00:04:11,750 I'm two years older. 73 00:04:11,901 --> 00:04:13,977 I was definitely big sister material. 74 00:04:13,996 --> 00:04:15,403 I was the more serious one. 75 00:04:15,497 --> 00:04:17,647 I was the one who followed more rules. 76 00:04:17,741 --> 00:04:21,835 - Jennifer was a bundle of energy. 77 00:04:21,987 --> 00:04:24,888 She was ready to go at a moment's notice. 78 00:04:26,249 --> 00:04:29,434 - She was always active, always in motion. 79 00:04:29,586 --> 00:04:31,828 Our dining room was kind of open to the living room. 80 00:04:31,847 --> 00:04:33,680 Jennifer would literally get down from the table, 81 00:04:33,832 --> 00:04:34,998 And go into the living room, 82 00:04:35,017 --> 00:04:37,183 And start doing cartwheels and walkovers 83 00:04:37,278 --> 00:04:38,944 And gymnastics moves. 84 00:04:39,171 --> 00:04:42,022 She was having nothing to do with the sitting still part. 85 00:04:42,174 --> 00:04:43,949 - Jennifer lived life. 86 00:04:44,952 --> 00:04:47,786 (slow piano music) 87 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,033 - My dad picked me up from the movies, 88 00:04:53,185 --> 00:04:55,961 And right when I got in the car he said, 89 00:04:56,112 --> 00:04:58,797 "jennifer hasn't come home from her bike ride yet." 90 00:05:00,134 --> 00:05:01,300 And his voice cracked. 91 00:05:01,451 --> 00:05:03,302 And I could see he had been crying, 92 00:05:03,529 --> 00:05:05,971 And I knew that something was very wrong. 93 00:05:09,051 --> 00:05:11,310 - I can't tell you what I was thinking. 94 00:05:11,461 --> 00:05:16,106 I can tell you I was feeling extremely anxious. 95 00:05:17,543 --> 00:05:19,985 The police had come. 96 00:05:20,136 --> 00:05:23,113 I didn't know what to expect the next would be. 97 00:05:24,825 --> 00:05:26,550 - The police pulled me aside. 98 00:05:26,568 --> 00:05:28,309 They wanted to ask me some questions. 99 00:05:28,329 --> 00:05:30,570 Were there things that maybe jenny kept as a secret 100 00:05:30,722 --> 00:05:32,980 That she wouldn't want her mom and dad to know? 101 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,575 You know, really the answer to all of that was no. 102 00:05:35,727 --> 00:05:36,960 We didn't have any secrets. 103 00:05:38,822 --> 00:05:41,898 - The police asked for a piece of her clothing 104 00:05:41,917 --> 00:05:43,733 Or something from her room. 105 00:05:43,827 --> 00:05:45,660 Ralph and I both went into the bedroom. 106 00:05:45,754 --> 00:05:48,405 We got a t-shirt or school bag. 107 00:05:48,423 --> 00:05:49,589 I don't know what it was, 108 00:05:49,683 --> 00:05:51,408 Gave it to them. 109 00:05:51,426 --> 00:05:53,927 She could have fallen down, had a flat tire. 110 00:05:54,079 --> 00:05:56,646 We go through a whole litany of things that could have been. 111 00:05:58,025 --> 00:05:59,583 - They brought in blood hounds 112 00:05:59,676 --> 00:06:02,769 To track from jennifer's house down to the park. 113 00:06:02,921 --> 00:06:04,754 The dogs picked up her scent 114 00:06:04,773 --> 00:06:07,774 And indicated that she had gone around 115 00:06:07,926 --> 00:06:10,369 The five mile drive, based on her scent. 116 00:06:11,780 --> 00:06:13,830 But the dogs didn't locate her or her bike. 117 00:06:16,860 --> 00:06:18,451 - [narrator] when there is still no sign of jennifer 118 00:06:18,545 --> 00:06:20,120 The following morning, 119 00:06:20,272 --> 00:06:21,671 The search intensifies. 120 00:06:23,625 --> 00:06:25,366 - The five mile drive was closed down 121 00:06:25,386 --> 00:06:28,111 While searchers went on horseback, 122 00:06:28,130 --> 00:06:31,014 On atvs, on foot. 123 00:06:32,467 --> 00:06:34,893 It's kind of hard for people to grasp 124 00:06:35,044 --> 00:06:37,804 How massive and expansive point defiance park is 125 00:06:37,898 --> 00:06:39,456 Until you've seen it. 126 00:06:39,474 --> 00:06:43,217 It's a forest surrounded by the sea. 127 00:06:43,311 --> 00:06:45,570 There are really, really steep cliffs 128 00:06:45,722 --> 00:06:47,981 That go straight down into the water. 129 00:06:48,133 --> 00:06:49,390 So, there was a question of, 130 00:06:49,484 --> 00:06:50,817 Could she have gone off a cliff 131 00:06:50,969 --> 00:06:52,744 And been washed out to sea. 132 00:06:56,141 --> 00:06:57,732 The news covered the story. 133 00:06:57,751 --> 00:06:59,993 There were flyers made up and posted 134 00:07:00,145 --> 00:07:02,587 All over the north end of tacoma. 135 00:07:02,739 --> 00:07:07,484 They had about 300 plus people out looking for jennifer. 136 00:07:07,502 --> 00:07:09,386 And they found nothing. 137 00:07:11,098 --> 00:07:13,506 The thought process after that three day search was, 138 00:07:13,659 --> 00:07:14,433 She's not in the park. 139 00:07:17,604 --> 00:07:19,921 (gentle music) 140 00:07:19,940 --> 00:07:21,498 - I think it was on day two or three 141 00:07:21,516 --> 00:07:22,924 That the doorbell rang, 142 00:07:22,943 --> 00:07:24,517 And I answered it, 143 00:07:24,670 --> 00:07:26,686 And there's a lady there, 144 00:07:26,780 --> 00:07:28,429 And she said, "are you patty?" 145 00:07:28,449 --> 00:07:29,448 And I said, "yes." 146 00:07:29,599 --> 00:07:30,840 And she said, 147 00:07:30,859 --> 00:07:32,175 "I'd like to talk with you," 148 00:07:32,194 --> 00:07:34,194 And introduced herself as barbara welch. 149 00:07:34,288 --> 00:07:37,104 Michella's mom. 150 00:07:37,124 --> 00:07:39,365 - [narrator] 12 year old, michella welch disappeared 151 00:07:39,518 --> 00:07:41,960 Five months before jennifer. 152 00:07:42,111 --> 00:07:45,872 She was last seen riding her bike near puget park, 153 00:07:46,024 --> 00:07:48,300 Mere miles from where jennifer vanished. 154 00:07:49,953 --> 00:07:52,879 10 hours after michella was reported missing, 155 00:07:53,031 --> 00:07:55,715 Search dogs found her body. 156 00:07:55,867 --> 00:07:58,810 She'd been sexually assaulted and murdered. 157 00:07:58,962 --> 00:08:01,480 The little girl's killing shocks the community. 158 00:08:03,391 --> 00:08:06,059 - I know I felt sorry for her having just lost her daughter. 159 00:08:06,211 --> 00:08:07,969 I felt just terrible. 160 00:08:07,988 --> 00:08:10,113 That's a very, very brave move on her part 161 00:08:11,492 --> 00:08:12,282 To have come by. 162 00:08:14,143 --> 00:08:16,477 - I don't know if it was just what the default was, 163 00:08:16,571 --> 00:08:18,830 But it really seemed the police felt 164 00:08:18,982 --> 00:08:20,815 That someone had kidnapped jennifer 165 00:08:20,909 --> 00:08:23,243 And was going to contact us for ransom 166 00:08:23,395 --> 00:08:24,628 In exchange to get her back. 167 00:08:30,511 --> 00:08:32,994 On my dad's birthday, August 8th, 168 00:08:33,013 --> 00:08:35,680 The press conference we did in the point defiance park 169 00:08:35,832 --> 00:08:38,683 Was actually aimed to the kidnapper. 170 00:08:40,169 --> 00:08:41,669 We were told that whoever took her 171 00:08:41,763 --> 00:08:44,689 Would surely be watching the news and would hear us talking. 172 00:08:44,841 --> 00:08:47,150 It was like our plea to this phantom kidnapper. 173 00:08:49,588 --> 00:08:52,605 - And as a result of all of the media coverage, 174 00:08:52,758 --> 00:08:56,276 A lot of people did call in and reported seeing jennifer 175 00:08:56,428 --> 00:08:57,594 In the park that day. 176 00:08:57,612 --> 00:08:59,871 So, investigators knew she was there. 177 00:09:01,449 --> 00:09:03,708 - [narrator] detectives run down every tip, 178 00:09:03,860 --> 00:09:06,169 But none of them lead to jennifer. 179 00:09:17,949 --> 00:09:21,801 - There was a jogger who was part of a ymca running club. 180 00:09:21,953 --> 00:09:25,713 And he was jogging through the trails at point defiance park 181 00:09:25,732 --> 00:09:29,568 And noticed a really foul odor off of one of the trails. 182 00:09:30,571 --> 00:09:32,478 So, he called the park police 183 00:09:32,573 --> 00:09:34,130 And the park police came 184 00:09:34,149 --> 00:09:36,891 And tried to locate the source of this odor, 185 00:09:36,910 --> 00:09:38,392 But they could not locate it. 186 00:09:38,412 --> 00:09:40,470 So, they called tacoma police. 187 00:09:40,488 --> 00:09:41,638 Tacoma police came out, 188 00:09:41,656 --> 00:09:44,065 They brought a canine out, 189 00:09:44,084 --> 00:09:47,919 And they still could not locate the source of this odor. 190 00:09:49,648 --> 00:09:51,572 - [narrator] on August 28th, 191 00:09:51,592 --> 00:09:54,926 24 days after jennifer vanished, 192 00:09:55,078 --> 00:09:58,079 Her family's worst fears come true. 193 00:09:58,098 --> 00:10:01,007 A search and rescue team finds her remains 194 00:10:01,159 --> 00:10:03,660 Near the five mile drive. 195 00:10:03,753 --> 00:10:06,329 - It was apparent to the investigators at the time 196 00:10:06,348 --> 00:10:07,847 That she had been sexually assaulted, 197 00:10:07,999 --> 00:10:10,775 Just based on the positioning of her body 198 00:10:10,927 --> 00:10:14,946 And the positioning of her clothing when she was found. 199 00:10:15,098 --> 00:10:18,691 (indistinct police radio chatter) 200 00:10:18,785 --> 00:10:22,787 The two cases of michella and jennifer were so similar 201 00:10:22,939 --> 00:10:25,272 That a lot of people thought there must be some 202 00:10:25,367 --> 00:10:27,626 Deranged serial killer on the loose. 203 00:10:29,855 --> 00:10:32,038 People were on edge. 204 00:10:32,190 --> 00:10:33,447 People were questioning, 205 00:10:33,541 --> 00:10:35,467 Do we have a serial killer in tacoma? 206 00:10:37,286 --> 00:10:38,637 Is there gonna be another victim? 207 00:10:45,312 --> 00:10:46,770 (somber music) 208 00:10:50,558 --> 00:10:52,208 - Every single day 209 00:10:52,227 --> 00:10:55,302 A police officer named pat o'malley had been assigned 210 00:10:55,322 --> 00:10:58,156 To come in the morning to inform the family 211 00:10:58,383 --> 00:10:59,640 Of what the police were going to do 212 00:10:59,734 --> 00:11:01,326 To look for jennifer today, 213 00:11:01,553 --> 00:11:02,994 And in the evening, 214 00:11:03,146 --> 00:11:06,147 Come and tell the family what the results of that were. 215 00:11:06,166 --> 00:11:10,085 I never gave up, never gave up hope. 216 00:11:17,085 --> 00:11:19,994 I distinctly remember around noonish 217 00:11:20,013 --> 00:11:22,071 Being on the ladder, painting. 218 00:11:22,090 --> 00:11:24,908 I just heard the latch on the screen door go. 219 00:11:25,001 --> 00:11:28,169 And it was pat walking in, 220 00:11:28,263 --> 00:11:29,913 And he walked up to the ladder, 221 00:11:30,006 --> 00:11:32,749 And he reached up and he took the paint brush 222 00:11:32,767 --> 00:11:34,359 Out of my hand. 223 00:11:34,510 --> 00:11:37,086 And he helped me down the ladder and sat me on a chair. 224 00:11:37,180 --> 00:11:38,530 And he said, "we found her." 225 00:11:43,186 --> 00:11:46,520 And truthfully, I can't remember who said what 226 00:11:46,540 --> 00:11:48,957 Or what was said or how it was said. 227 00:11:50,526 --> 00:11:54,771 But the two detectives that worked on the case 228 00:11:54,789 --> 00:11:59,467 Were there and explained as much as they could, 229 00:12:00,387 --> 00:12:01,720 As gently as they could. 230 00:12:05,374 --> 00:12:08,301 - Her body itself was positioned on its back, 231 00:12:08,453 --> 00:12:10,395 Arms above her head, 232 00:12:10,622 --> 00:12:14,140 Knees somewhat bent and out to the side. 233 00:12:14,234 --> 00:12:17,402 Her bathing suit was pulled down to her right ankle. 234 00:12:18,813 --> 00:12:21,740 Her bicycle was located maybe 60 feet away. 235 00:12:23,151 --> 00:12:25,318 Because of the level of decomposition, 236 00:12:25,412 --> 00:12:27,653 It was very difficult to tell for certain, 237 00:12:27,748 --> 00:12:31,232 But there was a ligature that was around her neck 238 00:12:31,251 --> 00:12:33,659 And based on everything that we saw 239 00:12:33,812 --> 00:12:34,919 And everything that we knew, 240 00:12:35,146 --> 00:12:36,496 We believe that was most likely going to be 241 00:12:36,648 --> 00:12:37,922 The cause of death. 242 00:12:38,149 --> 00:12:39,841 That was subsequently confirmed at autopsy. 243 00:12:42,245 --> 00:12:44,411 - [narrator] the murder of a second young girl 244 00:12:44,431 --> 00:12:47,173 Sparks a wave of fear. 245 00:12:47,267 --> 00:12:50,101 - I went to college in washington state in seattle, 246 00:12:50,253 --> 00:12:52,586 And I remember hearing about both of the murders 247 00:12:52,680 --> 00:12:54,022 And just being horrified. 248 00:12:55,517 --> 00:12:57,758 There's nothing more all american than 249 00:12:57,778 --> 00:13:00,427 Kids out riding their bikes in our parks, 250 00:13:00,522 --> 00:13:02,429 In our beautiful state, 251 00:13:02,449 --> 00:13:05,174 And to have two of them within a few months of each other, 252 00:13:05,268 --> 00:13:08,286 Snatched off their bicycles, raped and murdered 253 00:13:08,513 --> 00:13:10,622 With no sense of who's out there doing this. 254 00:13:12,367 --> 00:13:14,867 Tacoma now believes there's a serial rapist and killer 255 00:13:14,961 --> 00:13:16,536 On the loose. 256 00:13:16,630 --> 00:13:19,780 And everyone's just on the edge wondering 257 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:23,134 Will they catch this person before he strikes again. 258 00:13:24,638 --> 00:13:26,712 - This is in the background of my childhood. 259 00:13:26,865 --> 00:13:29,957 I was thinking some wacko is gonna jump out of the, 260 00:13:30,051 --> 00:13:31,643 The bushes and grab me. 261 00:13:33,221 --> 00:13:35,897 - After that summer, I never rode a bike again. 262 00:13:41,971 --> 00:13:44,322 - [narrator] as the investigation intensifies, 263 00:13:44,549 --> 00:13:46,399 The people of tacoma come together 264 00:13:46,493 --> 00:13:48,384 To support the bastian family 265 00:13:48,477 --> 00:13:50,829 And say goodbye to jennifer. 266 00:13:52,165 --> 00:13:53,389 - As we were leaving, 267 00:13:53,482 --> 00:13:56,409 I glanced up and saw that that foyer 268 00:13:56,503 --> 00:13:58,503 Was filled with law enforcement, 269 00:13:59,581 --> 00:14:00,654 Not in uniform. 270 00:14:00,748 --> 00:14:02,323 These were moms and dads. 271 00:14:02,342 --> 00:14:03,925 These were family people 272 00:14:06,012 --> 00:14:09,264 Who cared and felt and had journeyed with us. 273 00:14:10,925 --> 00:14:12,684 That was pretty powerful statement. 274 00:14:15,597 --> 00:14:17,246 - [narrator] tacoma police get help 275 00:14:17,265 --> 00:14:19,190 From the green river task force 276 00:14:19,417 --> 00:14:22,768 To investigate the number of incoming tips. 277 00:14:22,863 --> 00:14:25,254 - Based on the similarities between the two cases, 278 00:14:25,273 --> 00:14:27,014 It was believed that the same person 279 00:14:27,108 --> 00:14:29,350 Must be responsible for both cases. 280 00:14:29,369 --> 00:14:33,779 So, detectives were following up on the hundreds of leads 281 00:14:33,932 --> 00:14:35,932 That were coming in. 282 00:14:35,950 --> 00:14:39,285 - Fairly early on, there was a potential suspect identified. 283 00:14:39,379 --> 00:14:42,605 He, to some extent at least, lived out of his van. 284 00:14:42,624 --> 00:14:44,716 The thing that was very compelling about him 285 00:14:44,867 --> 00:14:48,369 Was that he spent a great deal of time 286 00:14:48,388 --> 00:14:50,555 At point defiance park in the parking lot. 287 00:14:51,966 --> 00:14:53,799 And somebody that there had been a number of 288 00:14:53,952 --> 00:14:57,453 Issues with over the years. 289 00:14:57,546 --> 00:14:59,972 Once he was identified as a potential suspect, 290 00:15:00,066 --> 00:15:02,308 It was a matter of locating him. 291 00:15:02,402 --> 00:15:04,903 And it was my partner and I that located him 292 00:15:05,130 --> 00:15:06,571 Down on the waterfront of tacoma. 293 00:15:07,908 --> 00:15:10,391 The van was detained, as was he, 294 00:15:10,410 --> 00:15:13,077 And the search of the van then took place. 295 00:15:13,229 --> 00:15:14,654 During the course of that search, 296 00:15:14,806 --> 00:15:18,141 There was a number of things that were interesting to us. 297 00:15:18,159 --> 00:15:22,086 One of the items was a wooden mallet type thing 298 00:15:22,313 --> 00:15:24,071 That was roughly three inches around. 299 00:15:24,090 --> 00:15:27,241 And it was actually relatively close in size 300 00:15:27,335 --> 00:15:29,761 To the injury that michella had sustained on her head. 301 00:15:31,339 --> 00:15:34,323 Additionally, there was a number of drawings 302 00:15:34,342 --> 00:15:37,084 Within the vehicle that had juvenile females 303 00:15:37,103 --> 00:15:40,329 In rather explicit positions, 304 00:15:40,348 --> 00:15:42,348 But nothing that was specifically able 305 00:15:42,500 --> 00:15:44,609 To be associated with either one of the victims. 306 00:15:45,946 --> 00:15:48,671 And he provided a dna sample voluntarily, 307 00:15:48,764 --> 00:15:52,951 And was able to be excluded because of the dna 308 00:15:53,178 --> 00:15:55,370 That had been found in michella's case. 309 00:15:56,698 --> 00:15:59,031 - [narrator] by the summer of 1987, 310 00:15:59,125 --> 00:16:02,034 New leads coming in vanish like tiny leaves 311 00:16:02,187 --> 00:16:04,111 In the forest wind. 312 00:16:04,205 --> 00:16:05,213 And the case goes cold. 313 00:16:07,133 --> 00:16:09,634 (somber music) 314 00:16:12,621 --> 00:16:15,289 - This case originally had multiple detectives 315 00:16:15,308 --> 00:16:17,976 Assigned to it as part of this task force, 316 00:16:19,795 --> 00:16:23,389 But eventually the leads had pretty much dried up. 317 00:16:23,483 --> 00:16:25,316 - It's a very difficult thing 318 00:16:25,468 --> 00:16:28,987 To be intimately involved in these investigations, 319 00:16:30,657 --> 00:16:33,741 And to not be making progress. 320 00:16:36,404 --> 00:16:39,146 - It was very clear that they had done everything 321 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:40,164 That was possible. 322 00:16:42,168 --> 00:16:45,753 They were extremely, extremely professional, 323 00:16:47,582 --> 00:16:50,233 And that's gotta be hard when the person you're going to see 324 00:16:50,326 --> 00:16:53,094 Wants an answer, and you don't have it. 325 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:00,167 - We already had ted bundy 326 00:17:00,261 --> 00:17:03,763 And in 1986, the green river killer was in full force. 327 00:17:03,857 --> 00:17:06,249 So, we had a history in our area 328 00:17:06,267 --> 00:17:10,361 Of really brutal serial killings. 329 00:17:11,606 --> 00:17:14,273 The green river killer became active 330 00:17:14,367 --> 00:17:18,094 And king county police started finding bodies 331 00:17:18,112 --> 00:17:20,763 Of young women on the banks of the green river 332 00:17:20,782 --> 00:17:22,189 And in the green river, 333 00:17:22,208 --> 00:17:24,191 Which was the county north of us. 334 00:17:24,285 --> 00:17:27,378 And everyone knew about that case because it was huge. 335 00:17:29,049 --> 00:17:32,216 There was some evaluation done at that time. 336 00:17:32,443 --> 00:17:34,701 - The victimology was totally different. 337 00:17:34,721 --> 00:17:36,629 The location of occurrence, pierce county, 338 00:17:36,781 --> 00:17:38,948 Rather than in king county. 339 00:17:38,966 --> 00:17:40,966 There was really nothing that suggested 340 00:17:41,061 --> 00:17:43,710 That these were, or could even potentially be, 341 00:17:43,730 --> 00:17:45,897 Linked to the green river killer. 342 00:17:47,642 --> 00:17:50,476 Really, the department took ownership of these cases, 343 00:17:50,570 --> 00:17:53,796 And made me want to be a homicide detective one day. 344 00:17:53,815 --> 00:17:55,314 And then subsequently made me want to start 345 00:17:55,466 --> 00:17:56,908 The cold case unit. 346 00:17:57,059 --> 00:17:59,577 And just that we gotta find a way to solve them. 347 00:18:00,747 --> 00:18:03,081 (somber music) 348 00:18:06,586 --> 00:18:08,994 When I began to develop the cold case unit 349 00:18:09,147 --> 00:18:10,737 For the tacoma police department, 350 00:18:10,757 --> 00:18:13,591 I collected information on all the unsolved homicides 351 00:18:13,742 --> 00:18:15,426 That took place in the city of tacoma. 352 00:18:17,822 --> 00:18:19,263 It was during the course of 353 00:18:19,490 --> 00:18:21,599 Putting all of that information together 354 00:18:21,826 --> 00:18:25,252 That I identified two other juvenile females 355 00:18:25,271 --> 00:18:28,347 That had been the victims of sexual assault homicides 356 00:18:28,441 --> 00:18:29,774 In 1986. 357 00:18:31,611 --> 00:18:33,336 The thing that was very interesting about it 358 00:18:33,354 --> 00:18:35,929 Was one of the victims, denise sally, 359 00:18:35,949 --> 00:18:38,691 Went missing in January, 1986. 360 00:18:38,785 --> 00:18:41,026 Her body was subsequently located just a few days after 361 00:18:41,179 --> 00:18:42,453 Michella had passed. 362 00:18:43,848 --> 00:18:45,772 So, you have four juvenile females, 363 00:18:45,867 --> 00:18:47,959 All within pierce county. 364 00:18:48,186 --> 00:18:51,295 So, I began looking at the overall case files 365 00:18:51,447 --> 00:18:53,947 Of both jenny bastian, michella welch, 366 00:18:53,967 --> 00:18:55,358 And then denise sally, 367 00:18:55,451 --> 00:18:57,802 And kimberly payne on the county side. 368 00:18:58,029 --> 00:18:59,453 And there was a name that continued 369 00:18:59,547 --> 00:19:00,805 To show up on occasion. 370 00:19:02,142 --> 00:19:03,599 It was timothy burkhart. 371 00:19:09,983 --> 00:19:11,941 (gentle music) 372 00:19:14,896 --> 00:19:17,380 I start looking and I'm able to identify 373 00:19:17,398 --> 00:19:19,657 A timothy ray burkhart. 374 00:19:19,808 --> 00:19:22,067 And it was when I dug into that name 375 00:19:22,220 --> 00:19:23,786 That it peaked my curiosity. 376 00:19:32,505 --> 00:19:36,248 Timothy burkhart, at the time that the cases occurred, 377 00:19:36,401 --> 00:19:38,584 Was a 20 year old male. 378 00:19:38,736 --> 00:19:40,845 In looking at his criminal history. 379 00:19:41,072 --> 00:19:42,755 It's rather limited, 380 00:19:42,907 --> 00:19:45,683 But there is one case where he's a suspect 381 00:19:45,910 --> 00:19:48,001 In an attempt abduction about a year and a half 382 00:19:48,021 --> 00:19:50,313 Prior to the denise sally case. 383 00:19:52,083 --> 00:19:53,858 And as I looked further into him, 384 00:19:54,009 --> 00:19:56,252 I actually found that he was listed as a suspect 385 00:19:56,270 --> 00:19:59,864 In two homicides that occurred in 2001. 386 00:20:00,015 --> 00:20:01,866 I looked further and found that he had actually 387 00:20:02,017 --> 00:20:03,201 Committed suicide. 388 00:20:05,205 --> 00:20:06,779 And as a result, 389 00:20:06,873 --> 00:20:08,539 Those cases were never able to be fully adjudicated. 390 00:20:10,284 --> 00:20:13,878 - [narrator] using evidence found at the 2001 crime scenes, 391 00:20:14,105 --> 00:20:17,122 The state crime lab develops a dna profile 392 00:20:17,275 --> 00:20:18,382 Of timothy burkhart. 393 00:20:19,886 --> 00:20:21,886 - What we ended up learning was that 394 00:20:22,037 --> 00:20:24,204 Timothy ray burkhart's dna 395 00:20:24,224 --> 00:20:28,059 Matched the evidence from the kimberly payne homicide. 396 00:20:28,210 --> 00:20:31,545 So, that links him to kimberly payne and denise sally, 397 00:20:31,639 --> 00:20:34,398 But is not consistent with the profile 398 00:20:34,550 --> 00:20:36,692 Developed in the michella welch case. 399 00:20:38,721 --> 00:20:41,072 So, the bad news was jenny and michella's cases 400 00:20:41,299 --> 00:20:42,073 Were still unsolved. 401 00:20:48,306 --> 00:20:49,747 Detective wade and I 402 00:20:49,898 --> 00:20:51,898 Were actually partners when we worked sau cases, 403 00:20:51,918 --> 00:20:53,642 Special assaults, sex crimes. 404 00:20:53,736 --> 00:20:55,753 And so whenever I needed something, 405 00:20:55,980 --> 00:20:59,072 She was kind of my go-to person for help. 406 00:20:59,092 --> 00:21:01,484 - [narrator] while speaking with a forensic expert, 407 00:21:01,502 --> 00:21:03,986 Detectives miller and wade are advised 408 00:21:04,079 --> 00:21:07,490 To submit jennifer's swimsuit to the crime lab. 409 00:21:07,583 --> 00:21:10,434 The hope is to obtain a reference dna 410 00:21:10,661 --> 00:21:12,419 Sample for jennifer, 411 00:21:12,438 --> 00:21:14,105 In case it's needed in the future. 412 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,350 - So, gene submits jennifer's swimsuit to the crime lab. 413 00:21:18,503 --> 00:21:20,093 And a few months later, 414 00:21:20,113 --> 00:21:22,004 He gets a call from the crime lab, 415 00:21:22,097 --> 00:21:25,508 And the forensic scientist says to gene, 416 00:21:25,601 --> 00:21:28,344 "hey, are you interested in the male dna 417 00:21:28,362 --> 00:21:31,363 That we found on jennifer's swimsuit?" 418 00:21:31,516 --> 00:21:35,017 And it was like, "what do you mean male dna?" 419 00:21:35,036 --> 00:21:39,522 The scientist tells gene that there is male dna 420 00:21:39,540 --> 00:21:41,799 In the form of spermatozoa 421 00:21:41,950 --> 00:21:45,377 In the crotch of jennifer's swimsuit. 422 00:21:45,530 --> 00:21:47,029 This is a bombshell 423 00:21:47,048 --> 00:21:49,214 Because not only are we learning for the first time 424 00:21:49,367 --> 00:21:52,551 That we do have dna evidence from an unknown perpetrator, 425 00:21:52,703 --> 00:21:56,647 But we also learn at that same time that this dna profile 426 00:21:56,874 --> 00:22:00,151 Was entered into the state and the national dna database, 427 00:22:00,378 --> 00:22:03,487 And it did not match the dna in the michella welch case. 428 00:22:05,325 --> 00:22:07,140 This is crazy. 429 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:09,568 We have two different killers, 430 00:22:09,662 --> 00:22:10,953 Like what is going on? 431 00:22:12,406 --> 00:22:14,999 So, the first thing that gene did was 432 00:22:15,150 --> 00:22:17,668 To go back through and look at who had been identified 433 00:22:17,820 --> 00:22:20,412 And eliminated previously, 434 00:22:20,565 --> 00:22:23,732 Either by alibi or, in some cases, by dna, 435 00:22:23,751 --> 00:22:26,177 And then pull those people back up again 436 00:22:26,328 --> 00:22:28,679 And resubmit their samples 437 00:22:28,831 --> 00:22:30,681 So that they could be compared against the dna profile 438 00:22:30,908 --> 00:22:32,016 In jennifer's case. 439 00:22:33,928 --> 00:22:35,411 - [narrator] detectives submit the dna 440 00:22:35,504 --> 00:22:38,097 Found on jennifer's swimsuit to codis, 441 00:22:38,191 --> 00:22:39,690 But there's no match. 442 00:22:41,419 --> 00:22:45,011 With the case still unsolved at the end of 2014, 443 00:22:45,031 --> 00:22:47,865 Detective gene miller makes the difficult decision 444 00:22:48,016 --> 00:22:49,182 To retire, 445 00:22:49,202 --> 00:22:51,660 Leaving the case with detective wade. 446 00:22:53,264 --> 00:22:55,598 - Detective wade is one of those people 447 00:22:55,616 --> 00:22:56,932 That if you're a bad guy, 448 00:22:56,951 --> 00:22:59,359 You do not want her in your rear view mirror 449 00:22:59,453 --> 00:23:00,544 Because she will not quit. 450 00:23:08,462 --> 00:23:11,280 - This was a case that I grew up with, 451 00:23:11,298 --> 00:23:13,724 And I wanted to know what happened. 452 00:23:13,876 --> 00:23:16,285 When I took over the case, 453 00:23:16,303 --> 00:23:18,729 I recognized that the cases were so massive 454 00:23:18,956 --> 00:23:22,975 That I took on the daunting task of creating a database 455 00:23:23,127 --> 00:23:26,295 So that I could take every single male name 456 00:23:26,313 --> 00:23:29,632 That appeared in either one of the cases, 457 00:23:29,650 --> 00:23:33,077 And I entered that name into this database, 458 00:23:33,228 --> 00:23:35,821 Along with whether or not they had dna in codis, 459 00:23:35,973 --> 00:23:37,564 Whether or not we had collected their dna 460 00:23:37,583 --> 00:23:39,232 As a part of the investigation, 461 00:23:39,252 --> 00:23:40,309 Were they dead. 462 00:23:40,327 --> 00:23:41,977 Were they incarcerated? 463 00:23:42,070 --> 00:23:45,923 There were like 2300 plus names in the database. 464 00:23:47,743 --> 00:23:50,486 - [narrator] as detective wade searches for jennifer's killer, 465 00:23:50,579 --> 00:23:54,006 The bastian family mourns another loss. 466 00:23:54,100 --> 00:23:57,768 In 2015, jennifer's father dies. 467 00:23:57,995 --> 00:24:01,772 He goes to the grave without seeing justice done. 468 00:24:03,184 --> 00:24:05,684 - Our faith has seen us through a lot, 469 00:24:05,836 --> 00:24:09,095 And sure, he wanted to know. 470 00:24:09,190 --> 00:24:12,024 You carry the burden you carry. 471 00:24:12,176 --> 00:24:16,579 That's just life, and its natural progression. 472 00:24:17,940 --> 00:24:19,623 When you've got a burden, you carry it. 473 00:24:20,943 --> 00:24:21,959 We all do. 474 00:24:24,130 --> 00:24:28,799 - I met patty and ralph in 2013, 475 00:24:29,026 --> 00:24:30,526 Working on the case, 476 00:24:30,544 --> 00:24:32,953 And I can't explain it, 477 00:24:32,972 --> 00:24:34,546 But for whatever reason, you know, 478 00:24:34,699 --> 00:24:37,032 Patty and I just clicked, 479 00:24:37,125 --> 00:24:40,978 And she was really inspirational to me. 480 00:24:41,129 --> 00:24:44,039 We got to really know each other on a deeper level, 481 00:24:44,058 --> 00:24:48,652 And you know, really gained a mutual respect for each other. 482 00:24:50,397 --> 00:24:54,158 - [narrator] in early 2015, fbi agent terry postma, 483 00:24:54,309 --> 00:24:57,310 Working from one of the fbi's satellite offices, 484 00:24:57,330 --> 00:24:59,221 Helps detective wade with the case 485 00:24:59,314 --> 00:25:02,741 By obtaining dna samples from a wider pool 486 00:25:02,893 --> 00:25:04,910 Of possible suspects. 487 00:25:05,004 --> 00:25:08,247 - One of the primary roles is to collaborate on cases 488 00:25:08,399 --> 00:25:10,249 And investigations. 489 00:25:10,343 --> 00:25:14,327 How we prioritize who we were gonna collect dna from 490 00:25:14,347 --> 00:25:17,756 Was based on the reason they were originally included 491 00:25:17,850 --> 00:25:19,517 In the investigation. 492 00:25:19,668 --> 00:25:20,834 - [narrator] one sample leads them 493 00:25:20,853 --> 00:25:24,021 Outside of tacoma to aberdeen. 494 00:25:24,172 --> 00:25:25,581 - We believe that this individual 495 00:25:25,674 --> 00:25:27,674 Is living there in aberdeen, right? 496 00:25:27,693 --> 00:25:30,085 And so we have a couple of addresses, 497 00:25:30,104 --> 00:25:33,422 And lindsay and I went to the local police department there. 498 00:25:33,515 --> 00:25:34,773 They're like, "oh yeah, this guy, 499 00:25:34,925 --> 00:25:36,325 He lives down here by the river." 500 00:25:37,928 --> 00:25:40,262 They took us to him. 501 00:25:40,355 --> 00:25:42,765 The van is just packed full of stuff. 502 00:25:42,858 --> 00:25:44,875 You can't even see that he's in there. 503 00:25:45,027 --> 00:25:48,120 He had stuff strapped onto the back of the van. 504 00:25:48,272 --> 00:25:51,106 It was pretty, pretty surreal, but you know, 505 00:25:51,125 --> 00:25:52,866 You just never knew, right? 506 00:25:52,885 --> 00:25:54,459 You never knew. 507 00:25:54,554 --> 00:25:56,053 Is this gonna be him? 508 00:26:02,228 --> 00:26:04,395 (somber music) 509 00:26:05,956 --> 00:26:08,566 He was parked in a van under this overpass, 510 00:26:08,793 --> 00:26:10,626 Living in the van right next to the river 511 00:26:10,719 --> 00:26:12,027 That goes through aberdeen there. 512 00:26:18,226 --> 00:26:20,244 Obviously we'd introduce ourselves, right? 513 00:26:20,471 --> 00:26:22,971 I'm detective wade from tacoma police department. 514 00:26:23,065 --> 00:26:25,565 And this is fbi special agent postma. 515 00:26:25,585 --> 00:26:27,659 The reason that we're here today 516 00:26:27,812 --> 00:26:32,089 Is in relation to a cold case homicide from 1986, 517 00:26:32,316 --> 00:26:34,741 And we would like to eliminate you as a suspect. 518 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:36,594 And he willingly gave us the sample. 519 00:26:38,322 --> 00:26:40,672 - [narrator] analysts run the dna sample, 520 00:26:40,825 --> 00:26:42,507 But it's another letdown. 521 00:26:42,602 --> 00:26:44,660 The dna from the man in aberdeen 522 00:26:44,678 --> 00:26:47,896 Doesn't match the dna found in jennifer's swimsuit. 523 00:26:49,016 --> 00:26:50,833 - Here we have jenny's case 524 00:26:50,851 --> 00:26:53,685 That's actively being investigated, 525 00:26:53,779 --> 00:26:55,595 And we have a profile. 526 00:26:55,689 --> 00:26:56,688 We don't know whose it is. 527 00:26:56,782 --> 00:26:58,264 It's frustrating, right? 528 00:26:58,284 --> 00:26:59,116 It's frustrating. 529 00:27:00,694 --> 00:27:02,527 - [narrator] despite the years of frustration, 530 00:27:02,622 --> 00:27:04,104 And all the dead ends, 531 00:27:04,123 --> 00:27:06,531 Detective wade never gives up. 532 00:27:06,626 --> 00:27:10,944 - This case was so important to me for many reasons. 533 00:27:10,963 --> 00:27:13,279 I never dreamed as a youngster 534 00:27:13,374 --> 00:27:15,207 That I would be in a position one day 535 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:17,426 To work on the case. 536 00:27:18,971 --> 00:27:22,973 - Lindsay worked so hard on these two cases. 537 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:26,702 She was 11 years old when this happened to jenny. 538 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:29,872 There's just something about lindsay 539 00:27:29,965 --> 00:27:33,375 And her total dedication, her total involvement, 540 00:27:33,394 --> 00:27:35,043 Her intelligence. 541 00:27:35,137 --> 00:27:39,823 She gave so much for us as a community. 542 00:27:41,476 --> 00:27:44,219 - [narrator] with leads once again running thin, 543 00:27:44,312 --> 00:27:48,165 Detective wade learns of a murder case in arizona. 544 00:27:49,910 --> 00:27:52,577 - I had heard about a woman named colleen fitzpatrick 545 00:27:52,730 --> 00:27:54,505 Who had helped the phoenix police department 546 00:27:54,732 --> 00:27:58,509 Solve these cold cases from, I think it was 1990 or '91. 547 00:27:58,660 --> 00:28:01,753 And I had talked to the detective on that case. 548 00:28:01,906 --> 00:28:05,683 And when they told me what she had done using genealogy, 549 00:28:05,834 --> 00:28:08,334 I was intrigued, to say the least. 550 00:28:08,354 --> 00:28:10,913 So, with the help of the fbi, 551 00:28:10,931 --> 00:28:14,599 We were able to pay for colleen's assistance 552 00:28:14,752 --> 00:28:17,486 In working on the case. 553 00:28:18,923 --> 00:28:21,181 Our crime lab basically created a profile 554 00:28:21,275 --> 00:28:23,108 From the dna from the swimsuit, 555 00:28:23,260 --> 00:28:28,597 And ystr dna is dna that's passed down from father to son. 556 00:28:29,283 --> 00:28:31,208 And so theoretically, if you follow the paternal line, 557 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:33,618 The last name should stay the same. 558 00:28:33,771 --> 00:28:36,438 We gave colleen the ystr profile. 559 00:28:36,457 --> 00:28:39,291 She did her research and looked through 560 00:28:39,443 --> 00:28:40,959 Her genealogy databases, 561 00:28:41,111 --> 00:28:45,055 And came up with three potential last names for the suspect 562 00:28:45,207 --> 00:28:46,515 Based on that dna. 563 00:28:48,227 --> 00:28:51,729 The three names were smith, holbrook and washburn. 564 00:28:53,215 --> 00:28:56,308 No one in the case file named holbrook. 565 00:28:56,460 --> 00:29:00,070 So, I went back and I looked at washburn, 566 00:29:00,297 --> 00:29:02,981 And I saw that a guy named robert washburn 567 00:29:03,133 --> 00:29:07,911 Had called in a tip back in like may of 1986 568 00:29:08,063 --> 00:29:08,537 In michella's case. 569 00:29:10,641 --> 00:29:12,750 - So, this was before jennifer was killed. 570 00:29:14,236 --> 00:29:16,661 And he says that he had seen a jogger, 571 00:29:16,814 --> 00:29:19,982 And he often jogs in point defiance park. 572 00:29:20,075 --> 00:29:21,574 And he had seen someone through there 573 00:29:21,668 --> 00:29:23,318 That maybe they should look at, 574 00:29:23,411 --> 00:29:26,263 Someone that might be suspicious. 575 00:29:26,490 --> 00:29:28,098 - The detectives, they didn't find anything 576 00:29:28,250 --> 00:29:29,916 Unusual about him. 577 00:29:29,935 --> 00:29:32,344 And so they just wrote the report up, 578 00:29:32,496 --> 00:29:35,105 And moved on to continue investigating. 579 00:29:37,425 --> 00:29:41,503 He made it into my high priority offender pile 580 00:29:41,596 --> 00:29:43,447 Of people that I wanted to get dna from, 581 00:29:43,598 --> 00:29:45,449 But he certainly wasn't the only one. 582 00:29:46,677 --> 00:29:48,193 - His name is, is there. 583 00:29:48,345 --> 00:29:51,121 So, they have to try to get some answers. 584 00:29:58,297 --> 00:30:00,522 - We would've done the basic record checks 585 00:30:00,541 --> 00:30:02,207 And determined that he was most likely 586 00:30:02,359 --> 00:30:03,300 Living there in illinois, 587 00:30:03,527 --> 00:30:04,968 Had a house address, 588 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:07,304 Had his driver's license and photo. 589 00:30:08,866 --> 00:30:13,051 I contacted the local fbi resident agency 590 00:30:13,145 --> 00:30:16,462 And provided them with the necessary information and said, 591 00:30:16,482 --> 00:30:18,631 "we're asking people to voluntarily 592 00:30:18,725 --> 00:30:20,709 Provide their dna samples 593 00:30:20,727 --> 00:30:23,728 So they can be eliminated as a suspect. 594 00:30:23,881 --> 00:30:25,138 Can you have somebody go out 595 00:30:25,232 --> 00:30:27,825 And attempt to contact this person?" 596 00:30:27,976 --> 00:30:31,219 - The fbi goes to washburn and says, 597 00:30:31,238 --> 00:30:32,663 "can we have your dna?" 598 00:30:32,890 --> 00:30:33,738 And he says, "sure." 599 00:30:33,891 --> 00:30:35,499 And he gives it to him. 600 00:30:37,911 --> 00:30:39,503 - I called the agent out there. 601 00:30:39,730 --> 00:30:41,246 I asked him, 602 00:30:41,340 --> 00:30:44,490 Was there anything remarkable about your contact with him? 603 00:30:44,510 --> 00:30:45,250 And, and it was just very routine, 604 00:30:45,344 --> 00:30:46,301 Very straightforward. 605 00:30:48,330 --> 00:30:50,238 - I mean, what is going on here? 606 00:30:50,257 --> 00:30:51,831 I don't know if we're ever gonna get to 607 00:30:51,925 --> 00:30:52,766 The bottom of the case. 608 00:30:54,261 --> 00:30:55,577 There were days when I would go into my office, 609 00:30:55,596 --> 00:30:58,522 And I would look at the stacks of case files 610 00:30:58,749 --> 00:31:00,274 And think that this case is unsolvable. 611 00:31:07,867 --> 00:31:09,491 (somber music) 612 00:31:13,521 --> 00:31:17,190 Once we had collected all of these dna samples, 613 00:31:17,209 --> 00:31:20,785 We decided to start submitting them to the crime lab. 614 00:31:20,938 --> 00:31:23,271 But this honestly is kind of like 615 00:31:23,290 --> 00:31:24,840 Searching for a needle in a haystack. 616 00:31:29,613 --> 00:31:32,631 The first batch came back with no matches. 617 00:31:32,725 --> 00:31:37,895 Then I sent the second batch and waited for months. 618 00:31:38,046 --> 00:31:40,805 I sent my last batch of samples to the crime lab 619 00:31:40,958 --> 00:31:42,733 In January of 2018. 620 00:31:42,884 --> 00:31:46,236 And by this point I was not optimistic at all 621 00:31:46,463 --> 00:31:49,364 That anybody in these samples was the suspect. 622 00:31:50,817 --> 00:31:51,983 - [narrator] as she waits for results 623 00:31:52,077 --> 00:31:54,319 From this last batch of samples, 624 00:31:54,413 --> 00:31:58,064 Detective wade is forced to make a difficult choice. 625 00:31:58,083 --> 00:32:01,084 - I had been approached to apply for a job 626 00:32:01,236 --> 00:32:02,920 With the attorney general's office 627 00:32:03,071 --> 00:32:05,905 To work on the sexual assault kit initiative. 628 00:32:05,925 --> 00:32:08,592 And I did a lot of soul searching, 629 00:32:08,743 --> 00:32:12,654 Trying to decide like, do I really wanna leave now? 630 00:32:12,673 --> 00:32:14,765 But that's ultimately what I decided to do. 631 00:32:15,935 --> 00:32:18,160 The hardest part about leaving 632 00:32:18,178 --> 00:32:21,830 Is not having solved jennifer and michella's cases. 633 00:32:21,923 --> 00:32:23,523 Like it was just terrible. 634 00:32:24,926 --> 00:32:27,002 But there was something in the back of my mind 635 00:32:27,020 --> 00:32:30,839 That thought maybe working on the sexual assault kit testing 636 00:32:30,857 --> 00:32:32,357 Will provide an answer. 637 00:32:32,509 --> 00:32:34,600 Maybe one of these untested sexual assault kits 638 00:32:34,620 --> 00:32:35,744 Will provide a match. 639 00:32:37,181 --> 00:32:41,866 My last day was April 13th, 2018, 640 00:32:42,019 --> 00:32:45,420 And I was gone 25 days, and I get a phone call. 641 00:32:52,362 --> 00:32:55,363 It was from the detective who took over for me 642 00:32:55,457 --> 00:32:57,882 And he said, "are you sitting down?" 643 00:32:57,977 --> 00:33:00,978 And he tells me we have a match on jennifer bastian. 644 00:33:03,983 --> 00:33:05,223 I'm speechless at this point. 645 00:33:05,317 --> 00:33:07,375 And I'm also like tearing up. 646 00:33:07,394 --> 00:33:08,543 So, I'm like, "well, who is it? 647 00:33:08,562 --> 00:33:09,820 What's the name?" 648 00:33:10,047 --> 00:33:11,947 And he says, "it's robert washburn." 649 00:33:14,234 --> 00:33:15,400 I got dressed really quick. 650 00:33:15,552 --> 00:33:17,402 And then went back to the station 651 00:33:17,554 --> 00:33:19,979 So that I could help dig through the case 652 00:33:19,999 --> 00:33:22,499 To pull out the information about robert washburn. 653 00:33:24,503 --> 00:33:27,078 - Robert washburn graduated from high school 654 00:33:27,231 --> 00:33:28,672 In the tacoma area. 655 00:33:28,823 --> 00:33:32,325 And he worked for a while as a engineer at boeing. 656 00:33:32,344 --> 00:33:35,679 He moved to illinois and was living a very quiet life, 657 00:33:35,906 --> 00:33:39,182 Caring for his disabled daughter. 658 00:33:39,409 --> 00:33:41,685 Neighbors described him, it's almost a cliche, 659 00:33:41,836 --> 00:33:45,247 As you know, the quiet guy who kind of kept to himself, 660 00:33:45,340 --> 00:33:47,816 But seemed dedicated to his daughter. 661 00:33:49,269 --> 00:33:51,269 - [narrator] at the time of jennifer's murder, 662 00:33:51,363 --> 00:33:54,347 Robert washburn was living just nine blocks 663 00:33:54,366 --> 00:33:55,532 From the bastian family. 664 00:34:04,284 --> 00:34:06,543 - Someone in our office here in tacoma 665 00:34:06,694 --> 00:34:09,771 Called out there and let them know 666 00:34:09,864 --> 00:34:11,864 That tacoma pd would be coming out, 667 00:34:11,958 --> 00:34:14,384 That there was a match to this person, 668 00:34:14,536 --> 00:34:16,720 And they would have a warrant for his arrest. 669 00:34:18,540 --> 00:34:21,224 - They got eyes on robert washburn pretty quickly, 670 00:34:21,376 --> 00:34:23,477 Had the swat team in eureka arrest him. 671 00:34:24,955 --> 00:34:26,063 - [narrator] police arrest washburn, 672 00:34:26,214 --> 00:34:28,690 And began his extradition to washington. 673 00:34:30,385 --> 00:34:33,052 - I think the arrest took place around 7:00 am. 674 00:34:33,072 --> 00:34:35,980 And so immediately one of the assistant chiefs and myself 675 00:34:36,133 --> 00:34:39,818 Drove from the police department to patty's home 676 00:34:39,970 --> 00:34:41,986 And knocked on her door. 677 00:34:42,139 --> 00:34:45,415 I had rehearsed in my head something to say to her, 678 00:34:45,642 --> 00:34:47,751 Of course it all went out the window. 679 00:34:47,902 --> 00:34:50,736 And I couldn't remember what I was gonna say. 680 00:34:50,756 --> 00:34:53,906 - Doorbell rings, open the door, 681 00:34:53,926 --> 00:34:57,177 And she just says, "we got him." 682 00:35:00,006 --> 00:35:02,748 Lindsay and I are hugging one another 683 00:35:02,843 --> 00:35:04,750 And alternately crying and laughing 684 00:35:04,770 --> 00:35:06,752 And crying and laughing. 685 00:35:06,772 --> 00:35:10,107 Just the raw emotion. 686 00:35:10,258 --> 00:35:15,612 Just an awesome, awesome reality that took over. 687 00:35:17,507 --> 00:35:20,242 And my first thought, I gotta call theresa. 688 00:35:21,954 --> 00:35:23,528 - She does the whole, 689 00:35:23,622 --> 00:35:25,455 I've got someone here who wants to say something to you. 690 00:35:25,607 --> 00:35:29,868 And then I hear, "theresa, it's lindsay. 691 00:35:30,020 --> 00:35:30,877 We got him." 692 00:35:32,447 --> 00:35:36,207 And I dropped to my knees. 693 00:35:36,301 --> 00:35:37,759 I just said, tell me everything. 694 00:35:40,881 --> 00:35:42,455 When I heard the name, robert washburn, 695 00:35:42,474 --> 00:35:44,307 It didn't mean anything to me. 696 00:35:44,459 --> 00:35:46,459 I couldn't come up with anything. 697 00:35:46,553 --> 00:35:47,769 I don't know any connection. 698 00:35:49,631 --> 00:35:52,207 - Robert washburn is behind bars. 699 00:35:52,225 --> 00:35:54,376 He's voluntarily given his dna. 700 00:35:54,394 --> 00:35:57,061 It matches to jennifer bastian, 701 00:35:57,214 --> 00:35:59,547 To the evidence left at the crime scene, 702 00:35:59,566 --> 00:36:01,399 But he pleads not guilty. 703 00:36:01,551 --> 00:36:05,287 And we all know anything can happen in a jury room. 704 00:36:06,740 --> 00:36:10,149 Will they trust that that dna was preserved? 705 00:36:10,169 --> 00:36:11,393 It's decades old. 706 00:36:11,411 --> 00:36:12,794 Was it tested properly? 707 00:36:14,231 --> 00:36:17,340 So, there is still a very real fear 708 00:36:17,492 --> 00:36:19,134 That he could get away with murder. 709 00:36:27,168 --> 00:36:28,977 (somber music) 710 00:36:31,839 --> 00:36:35,508 - We had hoped that robert washburn would talk 711 00:36:35,527 --> 00:36:38,603 And answer a lot of the questions that we all have, 712 00:36:38,755 --> 00:36:40,947 But he declined to do that. 713 00:36:47,689 --> 00:36:50,040 - [narrator] two weeks after his arrest, 714 00:36:50,267 --> 00:36:52,617 60 year old robert washburn is arraigned 715 00:36:52,711 --> 00:36:54,377 In a pierce county court 716 00:36:54,604 --> 00:36:56,955 And charged with the first degree murder 717 00:36:57,107 --> 00:36:58,957 Of jennifer bastian. 718 00:36:59,109 --> 00:37:01,384 Washburn pleads not guilty. 719 00:37:03,129 --> 00:37:07,282 - My overwhelming fear was that this case would go to trial. 720 00:37:07,375 --> 00:37:10,560 Because my mom is in tacoma alone, 721 00:37:10,787 --> 00:37:14,639 And I really was quite anxious and fearful 722 00:37:14,791 --> 00:37:16,900 About what that would look like. 723 00:37:17,903 --> 00:37:20,070 - I think the idea of a trial 724 00:37:20,221 --> 00:37:25,300 Was the biggest black cloud since his arrest. 725 00:37:25,318 --> 00:37:27,652 There's a bunch of things that he may have to say 726 00:37:27,746 --> 00:37:29,487 That I don't wanna know. 727 00:37:29,581 --> 00:37:32,398 - As a family, like no one wants to sit through that. 728 00:37:32,417 --> 00:37:36,086 No one wants to sit in the courtroom 729 00:37:36,237 --> 00:37:39,981 And look at graphic photographs of their family member 730 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:42,575 Who's been sexually assaulted and murdered. 731 00:37:42,669 --> 00:37:43,927 I mean, that's horrifying. 732 00:37:45,505 --> 00:37:48,490 - [narrator] a judge sets a 2019 trial date, 733 00:37:48,508 --> 00:37:51,101 But just three months later, 734 00:37:51,328 --> 00:37:53,436 The bastian family receives a phone call 735 00:37:53,588 --> 00:37:55,272 That changes everything. 736 00:37:56,758 --> 00:37:58,683 - It was the prosecutor saying they felt washburn 737 00:37:58,777 --> 00:38:01,019 Was ready to change his plea. 738 00:38:01,113 --> 00:38:02,504 They were clear. 739 00:38:02,522 --> 00:38:05,189 It wouldn't necessarily be the longest sentence 740 00:38:05,342 --> 00:38:06,674 They would hope for, 741 00:38:06,693 --> 00:38:10,120 But under the situation, it would be no trial. 742 00:38:10,271 --> 00:38:11,846 And given his age, 743 00:38:11,865 --> 00:38:14,291 It kind of made sense to not push the issue. 744 00:38:21,207 --> 00:38:24,634 - [narrator] it took 32 long, painful years, 745 00:38:24,786 --> 00:38:29,288 But finally the bastian family gets a measure of justice. 746 00:38:29,308 --> 00:38:31,308 - Walking into the courtroom that day 747 00:38:31,459 --> 00:38:32,642 Was really intense 748 00:38:32,869 --> 00:38:33,959 Because it's all kind of like overwhelming 749 00:38:34,054 --> 00:38:36,462 To see so many old friends and family 750 00:38:36,556 --> 00:38:38,723 And colleagues of my dad. 751 00:38:38,817 --> 00:38:41,392 But made it really clear how important this case was still 752 00:38:41,545 --> 00:38:43,545 For so many people. 753 00:38:43,563 --> 00:38:45,213 - I mean, lindsay tried to prepare me, 754 00:38:45,306 --> 00:38:47,490 But I knew I was going to see him. 755 00:38:47,642 --> 00:38:48,491 I wanted to see him. 756 00:38:50,329 --> 00:38:52,387 - And then when it was our time to walk into the courtroom 757 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:54,405 And stand in the same room as him, 758 00:38:54,499 --> 00:38:56,315 It was impactful, 759 00:38:56,335 --> 00:38:58,335 But it also left a lot to be desired 760 00:38:58,562 --> 00:39:00,820 Because he didn't make eye contact. 761 00:39:00,914 --> 00:39:03,398 He just kind of sat there. 762 00:39:03,491 --> 00:39:04,490 - There was no eye to eye. 763 00:39:04,584 --> 00:39:05,825 He never raised his head. 764 00:39:05,844 --> 00:39:07,177 He looked down the whole time. 765 00:39:09,072 --> 00:39:11,739 - I went to the sentencing, 766 00:39:11,758 --> 00:39:15,185 And it was really emotional. 767 00:39:15,336 --> 00:39:18,262 I don't think there was a dry eye in the courtroom 768 00:39:18,415 --> 00:39:21,674 From the judge to one of the cameramen in the courtroom, 769 00:39:21,768 --> 00:39:24,102 To people in the gallery. 770 00:39:24,196 --> 00:39:26,604 I remember patty saying, 771 00:39:26,756 --> 00:39:29,090 "do you know how many birthdays we missed, 772 00:39:29,109 --> 00:39:31,534 And how many christmases we missed?" 773 00:39:31,761 --> 00:39:34,687 I mean, you'd pretty much have to be a psychopath 774 00:39:34,706 --> 00:39:37,040 To sit through that and not tear up. 775 00:39:40,103 --> 00:39:42,528 - [narrator] as the bastian family watches, 776 00:39:42,547 --> 00:39:47,217 Washburn admits he murdered jennifer back in 1986. 777 00:39:48,703 --> 00:39:52,055 - He's strangely stoic in the courtroom. 778 00:39:52,206 --> 00:39:56,709 A written statement is read saying, you know, he's sorry. 779 00:39:56,803 --> 00:40:01,305 He admits that he grabbed jennifer and strangled her. 780 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:04,901 He never admits to, or talks about the sexual assault. 781 00:40:06,571 --> 00:40:10,556 And there's very little revealed about his motives, 782 00:40:10,575 --> 00:40:13,076 Why he did it, how he did it. 783 00:40:13,227 --> 00:40:16,162 Other than that he strangled this little girl. 784 00:40:17,807 --> 00:40:19,474 - And he basically confessed 785 00:40:19,567 --> 00:40:21,976 In the most bare bones way possible 786 00:40:21,995 --> 00:40:25,171 That he had murdered jennifer, period. 787 00:40:26,650 --> 00:40:27,999 - [narrator] robert washburn is sentenced 788 00:40:28,151 --> 00:40:30,760 To 26 and a half years in prison. 789 00:40:32,264 --> 00:40:34,079 - You know, me as a detective, 790 00:40:34,174 --> 00:40:35,265 I wanna solve the case, 791 00:40:35,492 --> 00:40:37,508 And I'm excited when the case is solved, 792 00:40:37,602 --> 00:40:41,771 But that family is now ripping off a scab, 793 00:40:41,923 --> 00:40:45,608 And all the pain, all the grief, all the trauma, it's back. 794 00:40:47,353 --> 00:40:49,279 That's something that has to really be considered 795 00:40:49,506 --> 00:40:52,115 And addressed from the law enforcement perspective. 796 00:40:52,342 --> 00:40:55,434 When one of these cases is solved is that 797 00:40:55,454 --> 00:40:57,787 It's not just happy feelings. 798 00:40:59,458 --> 00:41:02,200 - That is not the end for patty. 799 00:41:02,352 --> 00:41:04,127 And it's not the end for teresa. 800 00:41:04,354 --> 00:41:06,629 This family is determined to make sure that 801 00:41:06,856 --> 00:41:09,874 This isn't just about one girl's murder, 802 00:41:09,968 --> 00:41:12,117 Or two girls' murders. 803 00:41:12,137 --> 00:41:16,473 This is about keeping young people safer everywhere. 804 00:41:18,051 --> 00:41:19,476 - So, starting in 2015, 805 00:41:19,703 --> 00:41:22,370 We teamed up and we introduced a number of bills 806 00:41:22,388 --> 00:41:25,056 To really move forward on the dna collection. 807 00:41:25,208 --> 00:41:26,557 We had people leaving the court 808 00:41:26,710 --> 00:41:28,133 That had never given their dna, 809 00:41:28,228 --> 00:41:29,711 And all kind of problems. 810 00:41:29,729 --> 00:41:33,990 And then in 2018 we passed house bill 1326, 811 00:41:34,217 --> 00:41:35,975 Is when we really brought it all together 812 00:41:35,994 --> 00:41:38,143 To expand who we collected dna from, 813 00:41:38,238 --> 00:41:40,555 And closing the most loopholes. 814 00:41:40,573 --> 00:41:43,166 It was a bipartisan support, 815 00:41:43,317 --> 00:41:45,317 And it was really a huge team effort 816 00:41:45,337 --> 00:41:47,912 With patty and detective wade. 817 00:41:48,064 --> 00:41:50,898 - [narrator] on may 21st, 2019, 818 00:41:50,917 --> 00:41:54,660 The governor of washington, with patty bastian by his side, 819 00:41:54,754 --> 00:41:57,162 Signs the new legislation, 820 00:41:57,182 --> 00:42:00,408 Now named jennifer and michella's law. 821 00:42:00,426 --> 00:42:02,501 - Thank you for never letting us feel alone 822 00:42:02,595 --> 00:42:04,020 Over the past 32 years. 823 00:42:05,506 --> 00:42:07,598 The fact that the bill itself was named 824 00:42:07,692 --> 00:42:12,362 The jennifer and michella's law is pretty awesome, 825 00:42:13,198 --> 00:42:13,530 Pretty darned awesome. 826 00:42:15,091 --> 00:42:18,350 - [narrator] on March 22nd, 2022, 827 00:42:18,444 --> 00:42:20,778 A pierce county man is found guilty 828 00:42:20,930 --> 00:42:23,264 Of michella welch's murder. 829 00:42:23,283 --> 00:42:27,210 He is sentenced to more than 26 years in prison. 830 00:42:27,437 --> 00:42:29,963 Dna evidence helps link him to the crime. 831 00:42:31,550 --> 00:42:35,777 - This country needs a national law 832 00:42:35,870 --> 00:42:39,447 About what to do with dna, 833 00:42:39,465 --> 00:42:42,725 When to collect it, when to put it in the database. 834 00:42:42,952 --> 00:42:47,471 And it's gotta be before a felon is released from prison. 835 00:42:47,624 --> 00:42:51,067 It's to help the guilty and the innocent. 836 00:42:53,797 --> 00:42:56,072 It's to help parents 837 00:42:56,299 --> 00:42:58,575 And people who have lost someone, 838 00:43:00,637 --> 00:43:04,747 As well as help prevent, period.