Mitchell Gaff Gets 50 Years to Life for 2 Cold-Case Murders After Gum DNA Link

5 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 18

74-year-old Mitchell Gaff was sentenced last week to 50 years to life after pleading guilty to the 1980 killing of Susan Vesey and the 1984 murder of Judith Weaver in Everett, Washington.
A piece of gum provided to undercover detectives posing as gum-industry researchers yielded DNA that was run through CODIS and tied Gaff to Weaver’s case, leading to his 2024 arrest and a later charge in Vesey’s killing.
Judge Karen Moore rejected a defense request for the minimum sentence, citing Gaff’s sexually motivated violence against women and efforts to cover up the crimes; she said the minimum term should reflect the families’ 42-year wait.
Victims’ relatives described decades of unresolved grief in court, while survivor Jacqueline O’Brien recounted a 1979 attack by Gaff that helped investigators identify him years later.

A diagnosed sadist killed while on probation. How did the justice system fail to stop him for 40 years?

His DNA solved two cold cases. How many other victims might his genetic profile now help identify?

When does a clever police trick to get DNA cross the line into a violation of rights?