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DNA From Chewing Gum Leads Washington Man To Plead In Two Cold-Case Murders
A Washington man pleaded guilty in two decades-old murders after DNA from chewing gum linked him to the crimes. Authorities said the DNA match came from a discarded piece of chewing gum tied to the cold cases. The plea ends years of investigation into killings that had remained unsolved for decades. Officials described him as a longtime sexual predator whose alleged crimes stretched across many years.
Fox News reported the development, citing law enforcement sources and court filings. The account did not include the man's name, the dates of the killings, or details of the plea terms. No major public reaction or social media commentary was noted in the reporting available.
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đ Key Facts
- Mitchell Gaff, 68, pleaded guilty in Snohomish County Superior Court to the rapes and murders of Judith Weaver and Susan Vesey.
- Everett police obtained Gaff's DNA by posing as gum researchers, collecting his discarded gum, and running it through the CODIS database.
- The killings occurred in Everett, Washington, in July 1980 and June 1984, and Gaff was arrested in May 2024 after decades of additional violent offenses and sex-offender registration.
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April 20, 2026