A Washington man has pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder after investigators used DNA from discarded chewing gum to link him to two killings that went unsolved for decades. Prosecutors say the plea agreement means the defendant is likely to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Plea
Mitchell Gaff, 68, admitted in court to murdering Judy Weaver in 1984 and Susan Vesey in 1980, both in Everett. The guilty plea brings an end to two long-running cold cases that investigators reopened using advances in DNA technology.
Prosecutors said the plea avoids a lengthy trial and ensures accountability for crimes that occurred more than 40 years ago.
Breakthrough
The case against Gaff gained momentum after investigators received a DNA match from evidence preserved in Weaver’s case. A profile taken from a wrist ligature matched Gaff through the national Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS.
To confirm the connection, detectives carried out an undercover operation in 2024. Officers posing as gum-industry researchers went to Gaff’s home and asked him to sample chewing gum. After he discarded the gum, investigators collected it and sent it for testing. The DNA matched biological evidence from Weaver’s crime scene, prosecutors said.
Evidence
Investigators later reexamined evidence from Vesey’s murder using updated forensic methods. DNA taken from white cord used to bind Vesey was found to match Gaff. Testing of a second cord also linked him to the crime.
Prosecutors said the DNA evidence from ligatures in both cases formed the core of the murder charges.
Victims
Susan Vesey was 21 years old when she was killed on July 12, 1980. Court records state she was attacked in her Everett home while her infant and toddler were present. She was tied up, raped, and strangled. Her children were not physically harmed.
Judy Weaver was found dead on June 1, 1984, after firefighters responded to a blaze at her apartment. Investigators later determined she had been hogtied with an extension cord, raped, and strangled before the fire was set.
Prosecutors said the similarities between the crimes were noted early on, but the cases could not be conclusively linked until recent DNA testing.
Background
Gaff had a lengthy criminal history before being charged with the murders. Court records show he was previously convicted of violent sexual assaults in Everett in 1979 and 1984, including an attack involving two teenage sisters.
He later spent years under civil commitment on McNeil Island after being deemed a violent sexual predator. Authorities said that in more recent years, he lived under a new name in Olympia and was registered as a Level III sex offender, the highest risk category.
Sentencing
Gaff’s sentencing is scheduled for May 13. Prosecutors are seeking a minimum sentence of 61 years, which they said would effectively keep him incarcerated for life. Under Washington law, he faces a potential sentence ranging from 20 years to life in prison.
Family members and survivors will be allowed to address the court before sentencing. One survivor, Jackie O’Brien, described the plea as bittersweet, noting that while it brings resolution, it does not erase the harm caused.
Context
The case highlights how advances in forensic science continue to resolve cold cases decades later. Prosecutors said the investigation relied on careful preservation of evidence, modern DNA analysis, and unconventional investigative techniques.
Officials emphasized that the outcome reflects long-term efforts by detectives and forensic experts to bring accountability in cases where justice was delayed but not abandoned.
FAQs
Who pleaded guilty in the case?
Mitchell Gaff, a 68-year-old Washington man.
How was he linked to the murders?
Through DNA taken from discarded chewing gum.
Who were the victims?
Susan Vesey and Judy Weaver, killed in Everett.
When is sentencing scheduled?
Sentencing is set for May 13.
What sentence are prosecutors seeking?
A minimum of 61 years in prison.
