point defiance park murders

Police initially believed the deaths of Michella Welch and Jennifer Bastian were connected because of similarities in their age and appearance, and because both murders occurred in parks in the North End neighborhood of Tacoma, Washington. She pored through binders filled with tips and collected the names of any males who had intersected with the original investigation, whether they had been witnesses, tipsters, or potential suspects at the time and came up with a lengthy list of approximately 2,300 names. Before she left, she sent the final 18 DNA samples collected for testing. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! There are now about a million people in the database, which is enough to get valuable forensic information. Boasting wooded trails, scenic sights, a world class zoo and more, this popular Tacoma park brings in more than three million visitors each year. At the time of the murder, he lived two miles from Point Defiance Park and a few blocks from the Bastian home. Advancing Native voices in the telling of Puget Sound history. })(document,window). Wade decided to go back to her list of 2,300 men somehow involved with either case and identified a few hundred higher probability suspects. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Eager to help do something, Pattie began to volunteer in the cold case department, helping detectives with anything she could although she was never given access to the case files. It was DNA, a genealogist and perseverance that zeroed in on Michella Welchs suspected killer after 32 years. Point Defiance Park 5400 North Pearl Street, Tacoma, WA 98407 0.5 miles from Point Defiance Park 5 Mile Drive & Trails #2 of 65 things to do in Tacoma 250 reviews 5400 N Pearl St, Tacoma, WA 98407-3224 1 miles from Point Defiance Park Escape Hour Point Ruston #1 of 34 Fun & Games in Tacoma 58 reviews 5020 Main St Suite P, Tacoma, WA 98407-3148 2023 Cox Media Group. In May, 2018 60-year-old Robert Washburn, who had long been a suspect of both murders, was charged with the murder of Jennifer Bastian. Parking:There are three designated parking stalls on site. We are an independent government agency creating healthy opportunities to play, learn and grow since 1907. Investigators chased down leads for years, but eventually the murders went cold until Tacoma Police Detective Lindsey Wade took a new look at the case. Reforging Glory. In 2016, a list was made of suspects police wanted DNA from. Quickest way to get there Cheapest option Distance between. Many young professionals and retirees live in Point Defiance Park and residents tend to lean conservative. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. But Stephanie Brookens, a nurse who crossed professional paths with him over the years, said several co-workers believed him to be a liar. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Monday, January 1st, Research Library Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. All Tacoma parks' hours are set by the Tacoma municipal code (chapter 8.27.220). Point Defiance is a great place to glimpse beachside geology while hiking through old-growth forests, enjoying colorful gardens, and maybe mingling with a polar bear or shark. Fort Nisqually was originally located in what is now DuPont, WA. Staff is available for assistance. Getting there. In 2016, he had agreed to provide DNA to the FBI. I was in one of the police cars and they told me that theyd found her body and you know when you say found a body, its not a person. Yes, Point Defiance Park, located in Tacoma, Washington, is one of the most haunted areas in the state. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. June 20 Hartman is arrested during a traffic stop in Lakewood. On May 10, 2018, sixty-year-old Robert Dwane Washburn was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in Jenny's case. Captured . Friends and family members stopped park visitors, asking everyone if they had seen anything that could help detectives find Bastian. 2.Sezon 8.Blm. Learn More Point Defiance Park 5400 N Pearl St If you think that the Tacoma Police Department is going to give up, youre wrong. Date: August 4, 1986. As time went on, advances in DNA technology were also emerging. Five months later, Jennifer Bastian, 13, was riding her bike at Point Defiance Park, just a few miles away. "I know they're going to solve it.". Stay to the left and follow Schuster Parkway toward Ruston Way. His plea statement detailed how he had killed Jenifer. Jennifer Bastian, 13, disappeared Aug. 4, 1986, during a bike ride in Point Defiance Park. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Police used new methods to drum up leads. Created by Alfred Petterson, the park featured various figurine characters from fables such as Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, and the Little Red Riding Hood. Composites were made of the killers based on their DNA profiles. Five months later, a 13-year-old Tacoma girl also went missing. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Located near the mouth of Sequalitchew Creek on the plains north of the Nisqually River Delta, in the present town of DuPont, Washington, Nisqually House was built in April 1832. It has everything you could ask for in a park: sweeping ocean views, gorgeous forest trails, friendly wildlife, an easy drivable route and a spooky ghost? Tacoma Police Department. On Thursday, the Tacoma Police Department says it found the man they believe killed the young girl.Whenever we would go to one anothers house, we would meet right in the middle, said Jennys former friend Stephanie Hatch.Hatch walks the same path she did more than 30 years ago to see her friend Jenny. In 2016, they activated the departments Child Abduction Response Team to rework the homicides as if they were recent. I think people who dont believe in the devil are in for a big surprise., While nothing will bring the either girl back, Wade and Pattie worked together to honor the pre-teens. The man tried to climb a cliff to get away but likely fell to his death. This case first aired on the December 6, 1989 episode, which focused on Fisher. Police had released a composite sketch of a man they believed was the suspect in Michella's murder and Robert called to let them know that he frequently jogged in Point Defiance Park and had seen a man who matched the description of the suspect in Michella's case. In May, the DNA results came back, linking him to Bastians death, according to charging papers. Point Defiance Park has an area of 700 acres that overlook Puget Sound and the famous Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Security video shows distinct, red van may have been used in multiple break-ins in Seattle, Edmonds, Seven people arrested in Seattle connected to national drug trafficking operation, A look at Day 1 at Emerald City Comic Con. Several witnesses saw her at the park later that day. He frequented Point Defiance Park, often jogging there. vioptional1: '', Christiansburg 29. . The Challenge "There are more things in heav'n and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."Hamlet. Two days later, on August 28, a group of joggers found her body hidden in brush in a wooded area near Five Mile Drive and Commencement Bay. 1:15 p.m. Welchs sisters return to the park but dont see Welch. Investigators had recovered DNA from semen in Michellas body, but initially did not have any DNA evidence in Jennifers case. Police said Gary Hartman did not submit a DNA sample to a genealogy database, and it was a relative whose DNA was first found and traced to Hartman. 2023 Cox Media Group. Members must register to receive complimentary admission HERE . He confessed that while she was riding her bike in the park, he grabbed her by the arm and led her into the woods. Valid for general admission. Jennys case is often linked to the murder of twelve-year-old Michella Welch. The technology was developed in 2014 and Tacoma was the fifth law-enforcement agency to use it and release the suspect composites publicly. Fort Nisqually Living History Museums Mission: Engage a diverse regional audience with Puget Sounds first globally connected settlement through historic preservation, experiential learning, and interpretation. After more than three decades of working the cold case, police in May called on a genetic genealogist to help. When investigators interviewed him in December 1986, he told them he jogged in Point Defiance Park almost twice a day and thought he saw Michella's killer while jogging along Five Mile Drive. Point Defiance Park Overview - Location, Parking & Hours Address: Point Defiance Park, 5400 N Pearl St, Tacoma, WA 98407 Phone: (253) 305-1088 General park hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset She sent both samples off for testing, but was shocked when the lab report showed the two samples didnt match, revealing the two girls had been killed by two different murderers. Now, as cold case detective, Wade returned to the scene of the crimes and began immersing herself in the quiet wilderness to try to find some new clue that would lead her to a killer. Its terrible, her mom, Barbara Leonard, told "Dateline" correspondent Keith Morrison of the moment her life changed forever. All Tacoma parks hours are set by the Tacoma municipal code (chapter 8.27.220). Witnesses saw her talking to a man pointing down a trail into a gulch. Her bike was found not far away carefully concealed with branches and leaves. document.write("