The Everett Police Department in Washington announced the arrest of Mitchell Allen Gaff in connection with the 1984 murder of Judy Weaver and the 1980 murder of Susan Vesey. Detective Susan Logothetti linked Gaff to the cold cases through DNA evidence after the victims' partners were treated as primary suspects for decades. To secure the charges, detectives used an undercover sting to obtain a fresh DNA sample from Gaff by posing as marketing representatives for a gum company.
The investigation into Judy Weaver’s death began after her body was found in a smoldering apartment on June 1, 1984. Investigators determined she had been bound, sexually assaulted, and strangled. For 40 years, Weaver’s fiancé, Bill Richards, was the prime suspect until his death in 1994. In January 2023, Logothetti submitted evidence for testing using modern DNA technology, which returned a match for Gaff, a Level 3 registered sex offender who had been released from civil confinement in 2018.
To confirm the match, Logothetti and two other detectives visited Gaff’s home on January 17, 2024. Posing as employees of a fictitious company called "Zolt Energy," they asked Gaff to sample and compare flavors of chewing gum. Gaff chewed four pieces of gum and returned them to the detectives, providing the saliva needed for lab confirmation. Following the match, Gaff was arrested.
While preparing for the Weaver trial, Logothetti received a call from Ken Vesey, whose wife, Susan Vesey, was murdered on July 12, 1980. Ken Vesey had also been under suspicion for his wife's death for more than four decades. Logothetti noted similarities between the two crime scenes, including the use of electrical cords for ligatures. DNA evidence from the 1980 crime scene was subsequently matched to Gaff, leading to a second murder charge.
A person living in Washington would notice the use of specific undercover tactics, such as the "gum ruse," which allowed police to collect DNA without a traditional warrant. The case highlights how law enforcement may use marketing-based stings to obtain biological evidence from suspects in the community. Gaff, who had previously served 10 years in prison and 23 years in civil confinement for other violent crimes, had been living under the name Sam Wise Price following his 2018 release.
The legal proceedings now move toward trial for both the Weaver and Vesey murders. Prosecutor Craig Matheson and co-counsel Sarah Johnson are handling the cases, which rely on the DNA evidence and testimony from original witnesses. Gaff, now in his 60s, remains in custody. Dates for the upcoming trials were not reported in the source text.