national
Undercover Chewing Gum Sting Solves Decades-Old Washington Cold Cases
Just the facts
Detectives in Everett, Washington, successfully linked suspect Mitchell Gaff to the cold case homicides of Judy Weaver and Susan Vesey. Law enforcement officers obtained a fresh DNA sample by recovering discarded chewing gum during a covert surveillance operation. Laboratory analysis confirmed a match between the collected DNA and evidence preserved from both crime scenes. Prosecutors subsequently filed murder charges based on the forensic identification.
Why this is news
Investigators in Everett, Washington, utilized an undercover operation to obtain DNA evidence from a long-time suspect.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.