Gum DNA Solves 40-Year-Old Murders

A Washington man, Mitchell Gaff, 68, has pleaded guilty to the rapes and murders of Judith Weaver and Susan Vesey, crimes committed over four decades ago. The breakthrough in these cold cases reportedly came about through a deceptive yet effective DNA analysis of chewing gum. Investigators with the Everett Police Department visited Gaff's home, posing as researchers from the gum industry. They offered him a free sample, and Gaff, unaware, discarded pieces of gum into cups. These samples were then tested, and the DNA was matched to both crime scenes, ultimately leading to his confession.

Judith Weaver's body was discovered in her home on June 2, 1984, following a fire. Susan Vesey was murdered in her home on July 12, 1980, shortly after her 21st birthday. Gaff's conviction is the culmination of a lifetime of documented violent offenses. In 1979, he brutally assaulted Jackie Brown, for which he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and burglary. Just four years later, while on probation, he attacked two teenage girls, tying them up and sexually assaulting them. He pleaded guilty to rape and burglary in that case. Gaff has previously confessed to attempting to attack up to 30 women and girls, raping at least eight.