The Tacoma Girls // 527

Summary

Podcast Summary: "The Tacoma Girls // 527"

Introduction

In episode 527 of Going West: True Crime, hosts Daphne Woolsoncroft and Heath Merryman delve into the haunting cases of two young girls who disappeared and were subsequently murdered in Tacoma, Washington, in the summer of 1986. This episode explores the investigations, breakthroughs, and eventual resolutions of these tragic cases, uncovering the unsettling connections and twists that emerged over three decades.

---

Case Overview: Michella Welch and Jenny Bastion

Timestamp: [03:15]

Daphne begins by recounting the disappearances of Michella Welch and Jenny Bastion, two young girls whose cases perplexed the Tacoma community for years. Michella, a 12-year-old sixth-grader, vanished on March 26, 1986, during spring break while riding her bike with her sisters at Puget Park. Despite extensive searches, her body was discovered two days later in a secluded grove, showing signs of sexual assault and a throat slit.

Similarly, Jenny Bastion, aged 13, disappeared on August 4, 1986, while biking alone in Point Defiance Park. Her remains were found nearly three weeks later, also showing evidence of sexual assault and strangulation. Both cases remained unsolved for decades, fueling fear and speculation within the community.

---

Initial Investigations and Challenges

Timestamp: [07:55]

Heath discusses the initial investigations, highlighting the difficulties faced by law enforcement due to limited forensic technology in the 1980s. Witnesses provided descriptions of potential suspects, but without advanced DNA testing, no arrests were made. Both cases shared disturbing similarities: the victims were young girls with light hair and blue eyes, and both were sexually assaulted. These factors led authorities to suspect a possible connection, raising fears of a serial predator in Tacoma.

Notable Quote:
Marilyn Aarons, a school program coordinator, remembered Michella as "very family conscious... always watching out for her younger sisters" ([04:24]).

---

Breakthroughs Decades Later

Timestamp: [31:02]

The turning point came in the mid-2000s when the Tacoma Police Department established a Cold Case Division to tackle over 200 unsolved cases. In 2006, preserved DNA samples from both crime scenes were re-examined using modern forensic techniques. While the DNA did not match anyone in the existing CODIS database, it revealed that two different individuals were responsible for the murders, debunking the initial theory of a single perpetrator.

---

Unraveling the Truth: Robert Washburn and Gary Hartman

Timestamp: [35:06]

The revamped investigation identified Robert Washburn and Gary Hartman as the culprits behind Jenny and Michella's murders, respectively.

• Robert Washburn
  Washburn, aged 28 during the time of the murders, became a suspect after his DNA matched the seminal fluid found on Jenny's body. Despite having a seemingly normal life, Washburn confessed to Jenny's murder in 2018, explaining, "I strangled her until she died" ([43:29]). He was sentenced to approximately 27 years in prison.

• Gary Hartman
  Hartman, 34 at the time, was linked to Michella's murder through a DNA match from a discarded napkin at his workplace. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, expressing remorse: "I am deeply sorry for the death of Jennifer" ([43:29]). Hartman received a similar 27-year sentence.

Notable Quotes:

• Detective Lindsey Wade on solving Jenny's case: "I think a black cloud has been lifted in Tacoma" ([50:59]).
• Gary Hartman's statement: "I sleep with regret every day" ([49:22]).

---

Impact and Aftermath

Timestamp: [51:34]

The resolution of these cases brought a semblance of closure to the families and the Tacoma community. Barbara Welch, Michella's mother, praised the detectives' unwavering commitment: "They hadn't forgotten. That really says a lot" ([50:59]). Additionally, the cases spurred legislative change with the enactment of Jennifer and Michella's Law in 2019, mandating DNA collection from individuals convicted of certain offenses to aid in solving future cases.

---

Conclusion

Timestamp: [53:00]

Daphne and Heath reflect on the parallel nature of the two cases and the unsettling revelation that two separate individuals were responsible for the murders. They emphasize the importance of advancements in forensic science and the perseverance of law enforcement in bringing justice, even decades later.

Notable Quote:
Daphne remarks, "It's too parallel in the weirdest way" ([52:16]).

---

Final Thoughts

This episode of Going West: True Crime not only sheds light on the tragic stories of Michella Welch and Jenny Bastion but also underscores the evolution of criminal investigations. The hosts effectively portray the emotional journey of the victims' families and the relentless pursuit of justice by the Tacoma Police Department, offering listeners a comprehensive and engaging exploration of these cold cases.

---

Connect with Going West: True Crime

Follow Daphne and Heath on their social media platforms to stay updated on future episodes and behind-the-scenes content:

• Instagram: @goingwestpodcast
• Facebook: Going West Podcast
• YouTube: Going West Podcast

Stay tuned for more gripping true crime stories every Tuesday and Friday.

Transcript

[Teeth]

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[Teeth]

What is going on, true crime fans? I'm your host, Teeth.

[Daphne]

And I'm your host, Daphne, and you're.

[Teeth]

Listening to Going West.

[Daphne]

Hello, everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of Going West. Today we're going to be talking about two cases that are or are not connected. We're not going to tell you yet, but what I will tell you is that in very recent years, both of these cases have been solved.

[Teeth]

Yes, and there's definitely a shocking twist in this story today. So stay tuned for that. And yeah, I mean, I don't think we have anything else to say today.

[Daphne]

Let's just dive right in.

[Teeth]

All right? Wait, I just. I just said my line. All right, guys, this is episode 527 of Going West. So let's get into it.

[Daphne]

In the summer of 1986, two young girls vanished mere months apart, both while out riding their bikes in Tacoma, Washington. Despite exhaustive efforts, both cases went cold until decades later when a surprising breakthrough revived the investigation. With new forensic tools And a fresh set of eyes. Detectives began to piece together a puzzle that had haunted the community for years, finally finding answers over three decades later. These are the murders of Michella Welch and Jenny Bastion, otherwise known as the missing Tacoma girls.

[Teeth]

Foreign.

[Daphne]

Welch was born on June 7, 1973 in Wildwood, Georgia, which is a tiny town outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. But her family later settled in Tacoma, Washington. So they moved across the country out west. And by the way, Tacoma is located just south of Seattle along the beautiful Puget Sound. Growing up, Michella was kind, quiet and creative. Like she enjoyed drawing, reading, and playing piano. But her family also remembers her as brave and a fierce protector of her younger sisters, Angela and Nicole. When their parents split up, the girls moved to a home on the north side of Tacoma with their mom, Barbara. So luckily, they did not have to move far at all. Stayed right there in Tacoma. So at the time of her murder, 12 year old Michella was a 6th grader at Grant Elementary School right there in Tacoma. And it was amazing because even at her young age, Michella volunteered in a program at her school that gave breakfast to kids who were food insecure. She did this every single week. The woman in charge of that program, Marilyn Aarons, remembered fondly, quote, michelle was very family conscious. She always worried if her sisters didn't show up for school. She was always watching out for them, making sure her little sister had her hair combed. Michella's March 26, 1986 disappearance fell during their spring break. And during it, she and her sisters were enjoying their free time and spending as much of their break outside as they could. Now, all three girls were due at a piano lesson that afternoon, so they asked their mom Barbara, if they could play at the nearby park before, before they had to attend their lesson. Now, since it was pretty close, I mean, it was like a 10 minute bike ride, I guess that's not that close. It's not like it was around the corner, it was a few blocks away. But it was also a normal spot for them to play. So Barbara agreed and the girls rode their bikes to Puget park to enjoy their spring morning. After they arrived, they realized that they had left their packed lunches at home. You know, it's really cute. They were going to go play at the park, enjoy some lunch, hang out.

[Teeth]

Adorable little morning, you know, at a park.

[Daphne]

Yeah, exactly. But they realized when they got there that they left them at home. So Michella being the very responsible older sister that she was, offered to ride back to the house to pick them up, thinking that Angela and Nicole were safe because they would be together. You know, she doesn't know about the creeps that can be out there. And she's just thinking, all right, they'll hang out here, I'm going to go get the lunches, do them a solid, and I'll be back.

[Teeth]

We also have to remember that this is the 1980s, and I do feel like the culture back then was a little bit different. You know, that whole saying about the kids come home and the streetlight comes on. So it's like these were those days. These were just those days. Well, while they waited for their big sister Michella to return, Angela and Nicole found themselves needing to go to the bathroom. So they rode their bikes down the street to the nearest one. When they returned to Puget park around 1:15pm that day, expecting to see Michelle waiting for them, they couldn't find her anywhere. Her bike had been parked and locked. And their lunches, this is a really creepy detail. Their lunches were set out on a picnic table, but there was no sign of Michella.

[Daphne]

So that's kind of weird off the bat because obviously if their lunches are now suddenly at the park, that meant that Michella had successfully grabbed them and brought them over.

[Teeth]

Right. But obviously she was not there now, of course, because Angela and Nicole were so young, they didn't really seem to be alarmed about this right away. You know, they just kind of played at the park for another half hour. But Angela and Nicole later remembered using the proprietary family call that they had come up with to signal each other, which was basically them saying yoo hoo in this, like, certain tone and cadence that they all knew and that they all recognized. It was almost like their kinda like secret safety call, if you will. But when they didn't hear a response, Michella's sisters grew gravely concerned about her whereabouts. Nervously, the girls called their babysitter, who then called their mom, who then called the police. And Barbara was actually at work while they were at the park, so it's not like the girls could run home to her. But once she learned what was going on, she headed to the park right away to look for her daughter. By 3:30pm that day, so about two hours in, the search was in full swing. When night fell and they still hadn't found Michella, the Tacoma Police Department called in search and rescue and specifically the canine unit. And luckily, these search dogs actually picked up Michelle as scent and tracked her movements down a short path through the park. But sadly, they wouldn't find her alive. Because around 11:25 that evening in A secluded grove of brush under some trees. 12 year old Michella's body was discovered near an impromptu fire pit. She had been struck on the head, sexually assaulted, and then slit across the throat. Her body was only about a quarter of a mile or less than a half kilometer away from this playground that she was at with her sisters. So whatever sick person did this was very close.

[Daphne]

Those who knew Michella best wondered if maybe somebody had exploited her more protective nature by telling her that her sisters were hurt or needed help as like a guise to lure her into the woods. And this is what her school principal, Earling C. Melum had to say about this. That sounds like Michella. There's other kids a little more responsible who might wander off, but not Michella. She would have been out looking for her sisters. She would have been out trying to track them down because we also have to remember that when she would have gotten back with the lunches, her sisters would have been off at the bathroom. So it is possible that she went off looking for them and somebody used that opportunity to, to try to trick her. You know, that or they just grabbed her, but we really don't know because nobody actually saw or heard the crime occur. But a 13 year old classmate of Michella's who had also been in the vicinity of the park that day did offer up a description of a man that she thought she saw leering at these three sisters. The girl told authorities that she spotted a man lurking under a bridge near the playground, just watching them. She described him as a white man in his mid-30s, thin, but of average height. And she also said that he was wearing a jean jacket paired with jeans and white tennis shoes. So not super descriptive, but it's something. And another eyewitness also recalled seeing Michella at the park that afternoon with a man. So here's what happened there. An employee from Michella's school had driven by the park and allegedly saw Michella speaking to a man with a mustache, dark hair and tan skin. She also said he was around 30 years old and was wearing light colored clothing. So that's quite different from what her classmate said about him wearing a jean jacket and jeans, which obviously would most likely be blue. So two kind of similar, kinda different descriptions. But very quickly a sketch of the possible perpetrator was shared far and wide and yielded a lot of tips and sightings, but none of them led to Michella's killer. Then about a month and a half later, on May 9, 1986, a 16 year old girl came forward and she said that she had been accosted by a man three weeks before Michella's murder and that his build closely matched that second eyewitness's account, the employee at Michella's school. She added that this man emerged from under a bridge, which turned out to be the same bridge that, you know, a man had been spotted watching Michella and her sisters from, on the day Michella was killed. That was from the classmate's description, remember. So this man attempted to grab the 16 year old girl and pull her away from the sidewalk, but she was able to break free from him and make it to a nearby parking lot where her friends were waiting for her. And as a group, actually, they tried to chase this guy down, but. But sadly he got away. She did not end up reporting this until after she heard about Michella's disappearance. And I can guess that probably it was because she didn't understand the gravity of what had happened to her that day. But her account definitely helped in the aftermath because it's seemingly helping prove that there was a man lurking in that same spot under the bridge, looking to abduct a girl. And sadly he wasn't caught before he was successfully able to do so with Michella and kill her. And at this point in the investigation, that might tell us and tell police that he's at least a local if he is able to frequent this spot. But even with the massive amount of media attention that the case was receiving and the witness sightings, authorities found themselves unable to make an arrest in the case of Michella's murder. And they were powerless to stop it from happening to another little girl in Tacoma.

[Teeth]

Jennifer, or Jenny Bastian was born on April 15, 1973 in Chicago, Illinois to parents Patty and Ralph as the youngest of two siblings, joining her older sister named Teresa. Now, like Michella's family, the Bastions relocated to Tacoma when Jenny was of course young. So she spent most of her life there. Jenny is remembered as active and a naturally gifted athlete who loved to spend time outside. So naturally, in the summer of 1986, 13 year old Jenny was thoroughly enjoying her new Schwinn brand bicycle, which she was absolutely thrilled to take out to explore the lush and just very picturesque Washington foliage that enveloped Tacoma on the day of her disappearance, which was August 4, 1986. So a little over four months after 12 year old Michella was killed, 13 year old Jenny had been planning a lengthy bike ride through a scenic area with a friend of hers in order to prepare for their upcoming bike race. But to Jenny's disappointment, her Friend backed out of their plans last minute. Not one to turn down a challenge, Jenny decided to ride her bike anyway, setting her sights on Five Mile Drive, which is this nice little loop trail that circled through nearby Point Defiance Park. Now Point Defiance park is at the northern tip of Tacoma along the water, which offers scenic trails and beaches. And we actually talked about this park in episode 403 of Going west on the murder of Cassandra Cantrell, which is a crazy story. So if you haven't heard that one, go check it out. And for those wondering, Point Defiance is about three miles or about five kilometers away from Puget park, so roughly an eight minute drive. Now, for the very first time, Jenny was actually given permission to ride her bike by herself as long as she promised that she made it home by dinner. She left a note for her dad that read a quite quote, at Point Defiance, try to be home at 6:30. Latest Jenny, three classmates of Jenny's actually saw her on her bike along Five Mile Drive, proving that she did actually make it there. But they also spotted a man riding behind her, noting that she did not seem scared or distressed.

[Daphne]

Which I think is a good note to make. Like it's not like oh yeah, she was being chased by a guy. Like if that guy was involved, Jenny didn't know that anything bad was going on, at least when they saw her.

[Teeth]

Right. And then we have this, this other sighting that occurred when two people chatted with Jenny at the Dowko Passage viewpoint, which is the northernmost lookout in the park that boasts views of the water. So according to these eyewitnesses, this conversation took place between 3 and 5pm she reportedly took her helmet off and sipped from her water bottle while telling them about her upcoming race. And this was the last confirmed sighting of her. Her dad Ralph grew very nervous when Jenny was late coming home. Cause even though she hadn't given like a concrete time of arrival, he was of course wondering where she was when Patty raced home. They reported their daughter missing around 8:30pm that night, just minutes before sunset.

[Daphne]

Well, despite the night encroaching on their search efforts at this point, police raided the park trails hoping to find a sign of 13 year old Jenny or her bike. So like they had done in the search for Michella, investigators asked for a piece of Jenny's clothing to give to the scent dogs. But different than it was in Michella's case, these dogs failed to turn up any sign of her, which is really tough because Puget park is a lot smaller than Point Defiance park. So they could have really used those dogs. At this point to help them out.

[Teeth]

Oh, yeah. And then on top of that, it's. It's already starting to get dark at this point, so.

[Daphne]

Or, yeah, would have been dark by the time the dogs are out there.

[Teeth]

So they.

[Daphne]

Yeah, they really need all the help they can get, but this element is not working. But they actually did close point defiance park for two to three days just so that they could thoroughly search all of its vegetation, because they really were wondering if she was in there somewhere, and they obviously didn't want it to become contaminated or anybody traipsing through to mess with their investigation. Hundreds of volunteers joined forces with the police and Jenny's family, Just passing out and posting missing persons flyers and raising awareness by stopping people who were walking through the area. And also at this time, her family was just pleading with the community for answers because they felt like it was clear that somebody out there had taken her. They knew that Jenny wouldn't have run off. She was just going for a bike ride. You know, she was gonna come home for dinner. She even wrote a note saying. So her sister Teresa spoke on the news, addressing anyone who may have been in the park that day, saying, just take time. Just think back. Just sit down and remember. Any little bit would help. As the investigation continued without finding any concrete evidence, Michelle's mom Barbara, paid Jenny's mom Patty, a visit. Just to kind of commiserate about the fates of their young daughters. They're kind of finding solace in each other at this point.

[Teeth]

Yeah. Because investigators believe that there could be a link between the two cases. So they're trying to connect with each other because they're going through the exact, exact same thing.

[Daphne]

And it's kind of hard because for Patty, she's probably like, well, I hope what happened to my daughter didn't happen, Or, I hope what happened to your daughter didn't happen to my daughter. But the community and law enforcement, like you're saying, really were starting to see this pattern between the two cases, and they are wondering if they're related. But of course, Jenny's family was really holding out hope that she would be found alive. But those hopes were dashed on August 28, 1986, just over three weeks after she went missing, When Jenny's remains were found. Because a jogger passing through point defiance park noticed a foul smell coming from a dense thicket about 60ft away from the trail. And in a small grove of brush near a fallen tree was Jenny's body. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death. And you'll remember that Michella was also sexually assaulted, but she had been struck in the head and had her throat slit. Now, found near Jenny's body was her beloved bicycle, tossed on its side in the lush greenery of the park and covered with fern fronds that her attacker seemed to have pulled from the ground. Like, almost like they were trying to cover it up a little bit. So that seemed to be the spot that her assault and murder had taken place. Right there in Point Defiance park, like the police had originally believed.

[Teeth]

And also, they did only search for about two or three days. But this park is 760 acres, so it's a fairly large park. And then, you know, eventually her body was found three weeks later.

[Daphne]

Yeah. So it's like they can only. Like you're saying it's a. It's a huge park. That's a lot of ground to cover.

[Teeth]

Especially, like, if you only have a limited amount of volunteers as well and.

[Daphne]

Resources, because police can't look every single day, all day, until she's found. So they're really focusing on the last area that she was seen and the places where witnesses actually spotted her. But obviously on a bike, she can get a lot further than that. And we don't know exactly when she went missing, so it does make sense why it was a pedestrian that found her. But luckily somebody did, and fairly quickly.

[Teeth]

And after Jenny's body was found, yet again, tips flooded in. Like, one person even offered up videotape footage, which, you know, is very rare for that era, that he had taken at Point Defiance park on the day that Jenny disappeared, wondering if maybe he had accidentally captured the murderer on his recording. Though nothing of use came from this, which was awesome.

[Daphne]

You know, it's just like we were just talking about in our last episode on the Devil's den murders, which, if you haven't listened to that one, go listen. Especially when you're in parks or large areas like this where there's a lot of people around, police want to be seeing that footage.

[Teeth]

Yeah, exactly. They are encouraging people to come forward with photos and, you know, video. But Again, this is 1986, so it's kind of a miracle that this guy actually had footage from Point Defiance Park. I mean, obviously, it didn't help, but had some random person been on that recording, it could have. Well, even more so after Jenny's body was found, the cases were presumed to be linked because even though the cause of deaths were a little bit different here, the other similarities seemed just too stark to ignore. And here's the similarities that police found that kinda made them think that the two cases could be linked. So both Michella and Jenny had light hair and blue eyes. They were aged just two months apart, and they had both been out riding their bikes alone on the day they were abducted. On top of that, the presence of sexual assault in their attack seemed like the mark of a serial killer who was preying on vulnerable young girls. So as you can imagine, the community was great. Ripped in terror after losing two young girls in such a horrific way and knowing that their killer was still on the loose. Parents in the community were on edge, and many even refused to allow their kids out by themselves. I mean, understandably so. So a task force employing six investigators was established after the murders, and more than 10,000 hours of work went into this investigation in 1986 alone. And although both of the girls had been sexually assaulted, DNA testing being almost non existent at this time would keep law enforcement from being able to test the samples. Sadly. And as the months wore on, the investigation slowed. In the year after the murders, Michella's mom Barbara said sadly, this last year has been, I'm sure, the worst year that I will ever have to go through. There have been many things to learn through an experience such as this, such as other people not knowing how you feel. In order for them to understand, they would have to go through the same thing. Understanding is based on experience. I wouldn't wish they understood because they would have to go through the same thing now. Unfortunately, the years went on with no answers. And after four years passed, a local publication, the News Tribune, ran another story about the murders of the two girls. Sharing the family's frustration with the investigation, Jenny's mom Patty, said in an interview, I've often thought about what it will mean to us when he's caught. I do think there would be more of a sense of finality for us if it had happened by now. Nothing will bring Jennifer back. Nothing. We're very realistic about that. But some of the gut wrenching fear I feel whenever I see a child alone would be gone because he wouldn't be out there. But despite the efforts of the families and the Tacoma Police Department, the murders would go cold for three decades. Everybody needs a good thrill once in a while, like the thrill of the deal that you get with Rakuten. Rakuten is the most rewarding way to shop because you can stack cash back on top of sales and deals at your favorite stores like Nike, Levi's and Target.

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[Daphne]

The disappearances of these girls was actually the impetus for the formation of the Tacoma Police Department's Cold Case division. So this was established in 2009 when the department had over 200 unsolved missing persons cases. So they like really needed this added division to focus on all of those and finally get people some justice. So yeah, they got a lot of work ahead. But it wasn't until 2006. 6. So 20 years after the murders that the DNA left behind on the bodies of Michella and Jenny was given a second look. Now, thankfully, the samples from the original crime scene were preserved and still intact all those years later, which obviously is super important for any case. But as we've seen many times, a lot of evidence is lost over the years or it's contaminated or destroyed or what have you. But in this case, they still had everything. And this is exactly what would crack the case all these years later. Not to spoil, but in this case, there was a sample of seminal fluid taken from Michella's body. And remember, they couldn't test that back when she was murdered. But there was also male DNA found in the gusset of the swimsuit that Jenny had been wearing on the day of her murder. So both scenes had DNA left behind. And interestingly, the sample at Jenny's crime scene actually wasn't discovered on her swimsuit until 2012. But here's the thing. Neither of the samples matched anybody in the CODIS database, meaning their perp or their perps may have never been caught for any of the crimes that he committed in the past, or at least he hadn't been previously arrested and swabbed. But what investigators were able to find, to everybody's shock, was that the male samples came from different people.

[Teeth]

And there's your twist right there, because you would assume that these two murders that happened just a couple months apart from each other in the same area, both of the girls are around the same age, that, you know, it would be one person. But shockingly, we've got two people out there killing little girls in the same area.

[Daphne]

Yeah. And now we've got 30 years of these suspicions of them being connected now being proved wrong. So, yeah, just like you're saying, now they've gotta find two people, you know.

[Teeth]

And now these families, who had long assumed that these cases were connected were absolutely gobsmacked at this development. But now that detectives had comprehensive DNA testing available, as well as a sex offender registry to work from, the investigation had more options, just in terms of nailing down a person of interest than ever before. In 2016, the Tacoma Police department released digital composite sketches of what the men were believed to have looked like back in 1986, just based on their DNA profiles. And this is what the Tacoma police spokesperson, Loretta cool said in a statement about this. These are composites much like a witness giving a description and a computer program making a sketch based on known appearance factors. These composites will not be exact, but the outcome is a visual reference that may look similar to what the suspects looked like in 1986.

[Daphne]

And by the way, we will post those on our socials. But this is amazing that they're able to do this. But it's also tough because it's so many years later. So the right person who Knew that person 20 years earlier would have to recognize them, if it's even accurate.

[Teeth]

Well, let's talk about what police kind of came up with with this DNA. So Michelle is attacker was found to be of northern European and native American descent, Whereas Jenny's killer was of eastern European and northwestern European descent. And weirdly, the men in the sketches were similar, but not identical.

[Daphne]

It's kind of eerie how similar they look. You know, to be fair, they're not photos, but they are those super advanced composites that. That look kind of like animated.

[Teeth]

Yeah. And I'm sure most of you guys have seen these animated composite sketches before.

[Daphne]

It's pretty much most of what they do now because they have the resources, especially when they have this DNA, but they do have a lot of similar features.

[Teeth]

I completely agree with that. Well, Tacoma Police Department Detective Lindsey Wade took a very personal interest in the case, even befriending Jenny's mom. Patty. And Lindsay spent nine years, so a third of her time with the Tacoma Police Department, working in their cold case division. Lindsay had grown up in this area of Tacoma and was around the same age as the girls when they were killed. So it obviously felt kind of personal for her. She explained in an interview, it was a case that I remembered as a child. It was an unsolved case that haunted the whole community. She was a couple of years older than me, so it was something that I always remembered. It was sort of a mystery that was just hanging out there. So I was certainly interested when I became a detective.

[Daphne]

And it was Lindsay, who is partially credited with solving Jenny's case, after bringing on noted forensic genealogist Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick to take a second look at the DNA profiles of both of the killers. Now, Dr. Fitzpatrick uploaded the two samples into her database, and she didn't find any exact matches either. But it did link the seminal fluid found on Jenny's body to a surname, Washburn. And when detectives cross reference this name with their tips and their eyewitness accounts from Michella's case file, because they're trying to see if a Washburn ever came up in the old and original investigation at all. And they actually made an interesting connection. One tip that they received had come from a man, you know, again, back in Michella's case, named Robert Washburn. So months before Jenny was found and even before she was killed, this guy, Robert Washburn, told investigators he called into the police and told them that he frequently jogged through Point Defiance park, obviously where Jenny later would be found, and that he had spotted someone whose description matched that of Michella's killer.

[Teeth]

Oh, very, very interesting here, because it almost seems like he was calling in so that he could kind of divert police into a different direction. Like, hey, it wasn't me. It must be this other guy that I saw at Point Defiance Park. You know what I mean?

[Daphne]

But that's why it's so weird. Cause, like, why? Because he didn't kill Michella.

[Teeth]

I know, but he knew about Michella' case, and he knew that if police couldn't link Michella and Jenny, but he.

[Daphne]

Hadn'T killed Jenny yet.

[Teeth]

Yeah, that's true. That's very true.

[Daphne]

So it's like, that's why it's so weird. It's like, why did he do this? We're going to talk about a little bit more later. But I'm like, literally, like, this is weird that this happened, especially because in the park that he's talking about is where he would later kill Jenny. So it's so strange.

[Teeth]

I mean, did this idiot, like, you know, hear about Michelle's murder case and then decide, hey, like, I want to do that too, right?

[Daphne]

It's like, maybe. And also, it's not like Michella's killer's description was that, you know, it wasn't that detailed. And by then they didn't have this fancy composite. So the fact that he was calling it all just. It felt phony. It feels phony now. Like, it does feel like he was almost trying to be a part of an investigation before he would commit a crime himself. Like, I can't think of any other.

[Teeth]

Reason, you know, just a very, very stupid thing to do.

[Daphne]

Well, now that they have this information, detectives scanned over 2,000 names on their list of sex offenders and possible suspects and included Robert Washburn, just in case. Cause they're, you know, they have the surname, they have his actual name for Michelle's investigation, but they're trying to, like, cast a really wide net here, including Robert, but also a bunch of other people that could have killed Jenny. Over a hundred people from this list of 2000, including Robert Washburn, willingly and voluntarily offered up their DNA in hopes of being eliminated. So you would imagine that Robert, plus 100 people didn't do it. If they're saying, yeah, take my DNA, I didn't do this. Here's proof that I didn't do it, Run my DNA, take me off the list.

[Teeth]

I think at that point, Robert was like, you know what if I don't off offer up my DNA, then they're gonna think that I'm being very suspicious and strange. But at the same time, you did kill her. So, yeah, you're kind of screwed here.

[Daphne]

And also, it's like, if they don't have his DNA, they could have easily just forgotten about him or not have enough to proceed forth in investigating him anyway. So it's kind of like, I don't know. I mean, I'm glad he gave up his DNA, but it's like, dude, because when Robert's DNA was compared with that found on Jenny's body, there was a match. Now, Robert was kind of a surprising suspect at the time of the murder. He had no criminal record and he seemed like a pretty straightforward and hard working guy. He had been 28 years old at the time. Remember Jenny was 13, and he lived a relatively quiet and simple life. But the year before the murders, remember, they both happened in 1986. He was arrested for vehicle prowling and criminal trespassing. But he was never charged with either of these offenses. So if he had been, it's possible that in 1986. Well, I don't know because it's not like they had his DNA. He was just a, a quote unquote witness in Michelle's case. So maybe they wouldn't have really found anything anyway.

[Teeth]

Yeah, that's true. They wouldn't have been able to test anything back then anyway.

[Daphne]

But if they did look him up back in 1986, nothing would have come up because. But maybe if he was charged, they would have taken his DNA. You know, it's like, who the heck knows? We could have found out it was Robert a lot sooner if he had been charged with this crime. But years passed. He wasn't charged with anything else after murdering Jenny and actually years before killing Jenny in 1979, he was married, but divorced in 1985, again the year before both murders. He then married a second wife in 1990 and the two had a daughter together. Which is pretty disgusting that this guy had a daughter later.

[Teeth]

That's horrible.

[Daphne]

Well, then he moved around Washington state for a bit, but eventually settled in Eureka, which is a moderately sized town in central Illinois. So he moved to quite a few states over. After a bankruptcy filing, he went unemployed for years while he took care of his daughter, who apparently had developmental disabilities and requires full time assistance. So he was in charge of that care. His neighbors right there in Eureka, Illinois described him as soft spoken and kind, but added that he and his daughter mostly kept to themselves. Themselves.

[Teeth]

So based on the match to his DNA, 60 year old Robert was arrested at his home in May of 2018, 32 years after Jenny's murder. He seemed exceedingly anxious when he was brought in to be questioned, Maintaining to the FBI that he didn't have anything to do with Jenny's murder.

[Daphne]

Again, crazy. He gave up his DNA willingly. Yeah, that put the nail in his coffin.

[Teeth]

Exactly. And they're like, dude, you're full of shit. We know it's you at this point.

[Daphne]

We literally know.

[Teeth]

Because even without having been given context, he seemed to know that the arrest had something to do with the DNA sample that he had offered up back in March of 2017. So over a year earlier, though he initially feigned ignorance, Robert was extradited to Washington for his court proceedings, and he eventually accepted a plea deal from the prosecution. And he did plead guilty to first.

[Daphne]

Degree murder, which he certainly wouldn't have done if he was innocent. He would have fought this thing.

[Teeth]

Yep. Well, in the terms of his plea deal, he was forced to explain what had played out on that fateful day in Point Defiance Park. And although he kept it brief, he admitted that he had also been in the park that day and that he spotted Jenny out on her bike. On a whim, he just pulled her off of her bike, dragged her into the woods, raped her, and strangled her. His statement in court was simple and direct reading. I strangled her until she died. I am deeply sorry for the death of Jennifer. But Jennifer's sister Teresa, later scoffed at this, calling the apology insincere. In January of 2021, Robert was sentenced to about 27 years in prison, meaning that he won't get out until he's around 90 years old, if he even lives that long.

[Daphne]

I still really want to know why he had called in about Michella's case, unless he really thought that he saw somebody that matched her description. But, I mean, he never explained why he called in that tip. I just want to know. It's just too weird.

[Teeth]

It is very weird. And it's like he really just wanted to put himself in the center of Michella's murder investigation, and then he ended up killing a different girl.

[Daphne]

Yeah, maybe it was like the curiosity of committing a crime like that made him want to, like, dip his toe. Maybe he was planning on doing the same thing, and he thought if he talked to police, it would kind of put him in that direction, like get him involved in something similar.

[Teeth]

Well, as we know, you know, well, we're going to talk about the guy that was responsible for Michella's murder, But both of these men were pedophiles, so maybe in his mind, he's like, hey, this is kind of something that I'm interested in, and this other person killed this young girl, so maybe I'm going to do the same thing, too. I mean, I don't know. Maybe that was the connection there.

[Daphne]

Well, we know that he didn't kill Michella, because her case has since also been solved in recent years. The same month that Robert Washburn was arrested, the DNA found on Michella's body linked investigators to a Family tree as well, offering hits on two brothers, both of whom had been living in the vicinity of Puget park at the time Michella was murdered there. In June of 2018, the Tacoma Police Department began tracking the movements and whereabouts of one of these brothers in particular, a guy named Gary Hartman. After dining with a co worker for breakfast one day, investigators snatched a used napkin from the trash in order to cross reference it with the sample found on Michella's remains. I love when they do that. I love when they're, like, staking out, waiting for the trash to be taken out, or they're, like, watching them eat. I think it's so exciting.

[Teeth]

And how many of these cases have been solved just because of that? Like, somebody smokes a cigarette, drops on the ground, and then police is like, whoops, it's like that.

[Daphne]

Boom.

[Teeth]

Yeah, you.

[Daphne]

And in this situation, the DNA was a match. So that same month, Gary was pulled over while driving for what seemed like a routine traffic stop. But he was taken into custody instead. This is when he was arrested for Michelle's murder. Although he initially pleaded not guilty, he, like Robert, eventually agreed to accept a plea deal. Gary waived his right to a jury trial and would instead see his fate decided by a judge. And in an attempt to justify his actions and soften him in the eyes of the judge who was presiding over his case, his defense attorney, Brian Hirschman, told the court at the time of this offense, he didn't know Tuesday from Wednesday his mental health and his addiction was so severe that he convinced himself he did not do this. He woke up at some point in the county jail with the realization that he was the one who committed this atrocious act. I gotta give it to judges who have to hear bullshit like this.

[Teeth]

Oh, yeah, it must be just so infuriating because they.

[Daphne]

The defense always tries something, so they're trying to say, hey, he didn't know. Tuesday from Wednesday, he just. He didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know he was murdering a little girl.

[Teeth]

Yeah, he was an addict, and he had mental health problems, and that's exactly why he raped and killed a little girl.

[Daphne]

Well, he went even further to say that Gary's childhood was hell, blaming his abusive parents because apparently his father gave him alcohol when he was a toddler, and his mom apparently had him hooked on pills by the time he was 10. Obviously, this is all horrible, accompanied with the fact that he was apparently also beaten and sexually assaulted at a very young age. But, of course, no excuse for committing an act like this against an Innocent young girl who had nothing to do with any of that stuff.

[Teeth]

Nope. Zero justification.

[Daphne]

Like Robert Washburn, Gary Hartman, who was 34 when he killed Michella. Remember, Robert was 28, went on to live somewhat of a normal life after killing her. He was married four times and had two daughters. And after getting sober in 1989, in his late 30s, he studied to become a registered nurse and worked as a community nurse specialist at a local hospital. On March 22, 2022, 70 year old Gary Hartman pleaded guilty to charges of first degree murder. And pitifully, he addressed the court saying, I am so sorry. God knows I'm so sorry. And that doesn't help. I'm just sorry.

[Teeth]

As Michella's mom and sister read their victim impact statements to the court, Gary's sobs grew so loud that they became distracting. This guy is literally bawling his eyes out.

[Daphne]

I mean, at least you got to live most of your life free for doing this horrible, unthinkable thing. Like, you're pretty lucky here.

[Teeth]

Well, Barbara told him, quote, michella was a happy child. She was also trusting. Too trusting. This is the day Hartman faces the judge. I say lock him up and throw away the key. It won't bring her back, but justice will have been served. Now, like Robert, Gary was sentenced to about 27 years in prison. In the aftermath of the verdict, Barbara shared with the press, I'm really impressed by the detectives who found these people and their doggedness to find it. They hadn't forgotten. That really says a lot. It makes us all feel a little bit better about justice and what is happening now. With the cases finally solved, Detective Lindsay Wade said proudly, I think a black cloud has been lifted in Tacoma. The murders became urban legends because it was just so horrific what was done to those girls. I think a lot of people were affected by both of those cases. In 2019, Jennifer and Michella's law was enacted, championed by the families of these girls. And essentially this requires a DNA sample to be collected from anybody who's convicted of indecent exposure or a felony charge.

[Daphne]

Love it.

[Teeth]

Amazing work here. So, sadly, Jenny's dad Ralph did die in 2015 before his daughter's case could see any resolution. But Patty kept up the fight for both of them. Robert Washburn is 67 years old and Gary Hartman is 73. And to the relief of the girls families, both men will likely die in prison.

[Daphne]

Thank you so much everybody for listening to this episode of Going West.

[Teeth]

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. I honestly still cannot believe that there were two perpetrators within the same city that were murdering little girls and that.

[Daphne]

They did it so close to each other. They did it in very similar manners. The girls were just about the same age. And then they were caught and arrested and charged at the same time, too. Like, the way this whole thing unfolded is really wild.

[Teeth]

And then we also got to talk about the fact that both Michella and Jenny were, you know, both blonde haired, blue eyes, little girls, and the composite sketch looked exactly the same.

[Daphne]

So it's too weird.

[Teeth]

It's so parallel in the weirdest way.

[Daphne]

Well, thank you guys so much for tuning in. Go follow us on socials. We just finally made a TikTok for the show.

[Teeth]

Yeah, it's been. It's been a long time coming for that.

[Daphne]

Heath has been making such fun trivia videos like true crime trivia over there. I've been doing some, you know, case breakdown. So Follow us at GoingWest Podcast. Follow us on Instagram @goingwest podcast there as well. And then we are also on Facebook. Oh, and you can now listen to going west on YouTube. Starting with the last episode we did on the Devil's Den murders, we're going to be putting our audio up there with photos for you guys to see as well. If you'd rather listen on YouTube, watch. You might be listening on YouTube right now, who knows?

[Teeth]

And we're also going to be putting some YouTube shorts up as well. So anything that we put on TikTok or any of the videos that we make for Instagram or elsewhere, those are going to be on YouTube shorts as well.

[Daphne]

So check them out, Check them out. And we will see you on Tuesday.

[Teeth]

All right, guys. So for everybody out there in the.

[Daphne]

World, don't be a stranger. Sam. Ever since switching to T Mobile, something weird has been happening. I get to cut lines.

[Robert Washburn]

Oh, right this way.

[Daphne]

Who, me? I can stream shows at 30,000ft and I was able to buy reserve tickets for my favorite band.

[Robert Washburn]

It's not just you. With T Mobile, everyone can get VIP status. That means access to exclusive events and experiences just for being a customer. At T Mobile, VIP means y o u. Check out the VIP treatment@t mobile.com benefits.

[Gary Hartman]

Hi, I'm Angie Hicks, co founder of Angie. One thing I've learned is that you buy a house, but you make it a home. And for decades, Angie's helped millions of homeowners hire skilled pros for the projects that matter. Get all your jobs done [e-mail].

[Ang Hicks]

What does possibility mean to you?

[Teeth]

Um, that's a hard question. Something that you can strive for.

[Ang Hicks]

I'm able to do anything I set my mind to.

[Daphne]

You're confident in yourself and you believe in yourself. Stuff that you could achieve. I feel at Saita, anything is possible.

[Ang Hicks]

When you're more confident.

[Teeth]

Shoes are a huge part of that. They are the most important part of my style.

[Daphne]

You can like extend express yourself. In the right shoes, anything is possible. Dsw countless shoes at bragworthy prices.

[Ang Hicks]

Imagine the possibilities.