Mitchell Gaff, 68, was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison Wednesday by a Snohomish County Superior Court judge for the cold case murders of Susan Vesey and Judith “Judy” Weaver in the 1980s in Everett. Decades after the killings, DNA evidence linked Gaff to both crimes.
“This sentencing marks the end of a multi-year investigation and legal process to deliver justice to the victims and their loved ones,” Everett Police said in a news release.
On April 16, Gaff pleaded guilty to two counts of 1st-degree murder.
“Gaff ultimately provided statements in both homicides, admitting to his crimes in open court,” police said. “The details he provided were consistent with the determinations of the police investigations.”
Susan Vesey: Killed on the Morning of Her 21st Birthday
On March 13, Gaff was charged with the rape and murder of then-21-year-old Susan Vesey in 1980. Gaff was 22 years old at the time of the alleged crime.
Vesey’s husband found her tied up and beaten inside her home on Casino Way in Everett on the morning of her 21st birthday, according to court documents obtained by KIRO 7.
Vesey was a mom of two children, both under the age of two, with her youngest being just three months old. Vesey’s children were not harmed in the attack.
In Weaver’s case, someone entered her home and attacked her between June 1 and June 2 in 1984. Weaver was found bound, beaten, and strangled. She had also been raped, according to court documents obtained by KIRO 7.
Weaver’s attacker removed batteries from her smoke alarm and attempted to set her apartment on fire in an effort to destroy evidence.
How DNA Evidence Cracked Both Everett Cold Cases
DNA samples from each victim were taken in both cases, though technology at the time was not as advanced as it is currently, according to court documents. Both samples were stored for testing at a later date.
In November 2023, a detective looking into Weaver’s case sent the DNA sample out for testing and received a match, which was Gaff.
Gaff’s DNA was already in the system at that time, following a 1984 conviction for rape and torture of two teen sisters inside their home. Gaff was arrested and charged in May 2024 for Weaver’s death.
The detective assigned to her case noticed similarities in how Weaver and Vesey were found. The detective then tested Gaff’s DNA against the sample found at Vesey’s home. Both samples were a match, according to court documents obtained by KIRO 7.
Court Documents: ‘Sexual Sadist’ Designated a ‘Sexually Violent Predator’
Court documents state there is currently no evidence that suggests Gaff knew either Weaver or Vesey, and that there wouldn’t be any “innocent reason” for why his DNA would be at the scene.
A doctor who evaluated Gaff labeled him a “sexual sadist,” and designated him a “sexually violent predator” by Washington in 1994 and 2000, according to court documents.
This story was originally posted to MyNorthwest.com
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