Chewed Gum DNA Links Elusive Washington Killer to Decades-Old Cold Case Murders
Detective work and a clever chewing gum DNA ruse link a Washington sex offender to two decades-old murders, bringing justice after 40 years of cold cases.
POLICY WIRE — Everett, United States — Detective Susan Logothetti of the Everett Police Department spent years plumbing the depths of regional cold cases, hunting for perpetrators who believed they had outrun justice. One file in particular weighed heavily on her career: the 1984 homicide of Judy Weaver, a 42-year-old bar manager and mother who was bound, sexually assaulted, and strangled in her apartment. For decades, Weaver’s fiancé, Bill Richards, remained the prime suspect in the case, but investigators lacked the definitive proof needed to file charges before Richards died in 1994.
The investigation stalled until January 2023, when departmental leadership urged a fresh look at the evidence using modern genetic technology. When forensic analysts processed the preserved items, the resulting DNA profile pointed not to Richards, but to Mitchell Allen Gaff, a Level 3 registered sex offender and violent felon with a long history of preying on women in the area. At the time of Weaver’s murder, Gaff was already on probation for a brutal 1979 attack on a young local woman named Jackie Brown, and he would go on to commit a horrific assault against two teenage sisters later that same summer in 1984.
To secure an airtight case and lock Gaff away permanently, investigators needed a fresh genetic sample to match against the decades-old evidence. Detective Logothetti devised an undercover operation on January 17, 2024, deploying three detectives posing as energy gum marketers to knock on Gaff’s door. Gaff eagerly participated in the ruse, tasting several samples of flavored gum and spitting the chewed pieces into a collection container provided by the undercover team. Laboratory analysis quickly confirmed that the saliva samples matched the DNA profiles recovered from the crime scenes associated with Weaver’s murder.
Confronted by authorities at a local breakfast spot and brought in for questioning, Gaff eventually realized the gravity of the situation and was arrested for the historic killing. While investigators prepared for trial in the Weaver case, another grieving husband, Ken Vesey, contacted the department regarding the unsolved 1980 murder of his 21-year-old wife, Susan Vesey. Detective Logothetti reviewed the 1980 case files and submitted additional evidence for genetic testing, which swiftly returned a positive match to Mitchell Gaff, linking him to a second horrific slaying where two young children had been left alive in the apartment with their deceased mother.
Faced with overwhelming forensic proof, Gaff pleaded guilty five months before his scheduled September 2026 trial date. During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors detailed his predatory methods and desire to inflict suffering, while defense counsel pointed to his age and years of therapeutic programming. Judge Edirin Okoloko ultimately sentenced Gaff to 50 years in prison, ensuring he will spend the remainder of his life behind bars. Following the conclusion of the legal proceedings, Detective Logothetti personally placed the handcuffs on Gaff, bringing a definitive end to decades of fear for his surviving victims and the families of the deceased.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
