MURDERED: Michella Welch & Jennifer Bastian
Digest
This episode delves into the chillingly similar murders of two young girls, Michelle Welch and Jennifer Bastion, in Tacoma, Washington. The episode begins by detailing the disappearance of 13-year-old Jennifer Bastion on August 4, 1986. Jennifer, a responsible and punctual girl, went for a bike ride in a local park and never returned home. Her parents, Patty and Ralph, immediately launched a search effort, but Jennifer and her bike were nowhere to be found. As the search for Jennifer continues, police begin to suspect an abduction. Witnesses report seeing a man on a bike following Jennifer in the park. Police release a composite sketch of the suspect and Patty pleads for Jennifer's safe return. The episode then introduces Barbara Welch, the mother of Michelle Welch, who disappeared four months earlier. Barbara shares the similarities between her daughter's case and Jennifer's, including the girls' ages, bike rides in local parks, and physical similarities. After weeks of searching, Jennifer's body is found in the park, hidden under brush. She was found with signs of sexual assault and strangulation. The discovery of Jennifer's body further strengthens the connection between her case and Michelle's. Police investigate both cases, focusing on the similarities between the murders. They find evidence, including a sperm sample from Michelle's body, but face challenges due to the time elapsed and the lack of a national DNA database. In 2009, Detective Jean Miller forms a cold case unit in Tacoma and begins investigating Michelle and Jennifer's cases. He discovers two other teen girls, Denise Sally and Kimberly Payne, who were murdered by strangulation in 1986. Detective Miller applies for a federal grant to fund DNA testing for cold cases. He partners with Detective Lindsay Wade, who is personally invested in the case. They run the DNA profile through CODIS, but it doesn't match any profiles in the database. Detective Wade learns that DNA from residents of the Special Commitment Center, a facility for sexually violent offenders, has never been collected. They test these samples, but they don't match the DNA profiles. Detective Wade learns about familial DNA testing and creates a database of names from the case files. She sends YSTR DNA from Jennifer's killer's profile to a genealogy expert, who identifies three potential last names: Smith, Holbrook, and Washburn. Detective Wade recognizes the name Washburn from the case files. Robert Washburn had called in a tip about seeing someone who looked like the composite sketch in Michelle's case, but the park he mentioned was the same park where Jennifer went missing. The FBI obtains a DNA sample from Robert Washburn, who is a match to the DNA on Jennifer's swimsuit. He is arrested and charged with first-degree murder. With Robert's arrest, the investigation into Michelle's case continues. Police use Jedmatch, a public genealogy database, to identify two brothers, Gary and David Hartman, who share DNA with Michelle's killer. Gary Hartman is arrested and charged with first-degree rape and first-degree murder. He pleads not guilty, but his DNA is a match to the sperm sample found on Michelle's body. Robert Washburn pleads guilty to Jennifer's murder and is sentenced to 26.5 years in prison. Gary Hartman is found guilty of Michelle's murder in a bench trial and receives the same sentence. Detective Wade and Patty Bastion work to close the DNA collection loophole that they discovered during the investigation. They advocate for legislation that requires DNA samples to be collected from deceased offenders and those convicted of certain crimes.
Outlines
The Chilling Murders of Michelle Welch and Jennifer Bastion
This episode introduces the chillingly similar murders of two young girls, Michelle Welch and Jennifer Bastion, in Tacoma, Washington. The episode promises to delve into the details of these cases and the long journey to find justice for the victims.
Jennifer Bastion's Disappearance and the Search for Answers
The episode details the disappearance of 13-year-old Jennifer Bastion on August 4, 1986. Jennifer, a responsible and punctual girl, went for a bike ride in a local park and never returned home. Her parents, Patty and Ralph, immediately launched a search effort, but Jennifer and her bike were nowhere to be found. The episode explores the initial investigation and the growing suspicion of an abduction.
The Connection Between Michelle and Jennifer's Cases
The episode highlights the similarities between Michelle Welch's and Jennifer Bastion's cases, leading investigators to believe they may be connected. The episode explores the shared characteristics of the victims, the locations of their disappearances, and the growing evidence suggesting a common perpetrator.
The Discovery of Jennifer's Body and the Investigation Intensifies
The episode details the discovery of Jennifer's body in the park, confirming the suspicions of foul play. The episode explores the evidence found at the scene, including signs of sexual assault and strangulation, further solidifying the connection between Jennifer's case and Michelle's.
The Challenges of Investigating Cold Cases
The episode explores the challenges faced by investigators in solving cold cases, including the lack of a national DNA database in the early years of the investigation, the degradation of evidence over time, and the difficulty of identifying suspects without a clear lead.
The Formation of the Cold Case Unit and New Leads
The episode introduces Detective Jean Miller and his formation of a cold case unit in Tacoma. The episode explores the renewed investigation into Michelle and Jennifer's cases, the discovery of two other teen girls murdered by strangulation in 1986, and the pursuit of new leads.
The Use of DNA Testing and the Search for a Match
The episode details the use of DNA testing in the investigation, including the application for a federal grant to fund testing and the partnership with Detective Lindsay Wade. The episode explores the challenges of obtaining a match in CODIS and the pursuit of alternative DNA testing methods.
The Breakthrough: Familial DNA Testing and the Identification of Suspects
The episode highlights the use of familial DNA testing as a breakthrough in the investigation. The episode explores the creation of a database of names from the case files, the use of YSTR DNA to identify potential suspects, and the identification of Robert Washburn and Gary Hartman as potential killers.
The Arrests and Trials of Robert Washburn and Gary Hartman
The episode details the arrest of Robert Washburn based on DNA evidence and his subsequent guilty plea to Jennifer's murder. The episode also explores the arrest of Gary Hartman, his trial, and his conviction for Michelle's murder.
Justice for Jennifer and Michelle and the Legacy of Their Cases
The episode concludes with the sentencing of Robert Washburn and Gary Hartman, bringing closure to the families of Jennifer and Michelle. The episode also explores the impact of these cases on DNA collection laws and the advocacy for legislation to close the DNA collection loophole.
Keywords
Familial DNA Testing
A technique used in investigative genetic genealogy to identify potential suspects by comparing DNA evidence from a crime scene to DNA profiles in public genealogy databases. This method can help identify relatives of the perpetrator, leading investigators to the suspect.
Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG)
A forensic technique that uses public genealogy databases to identify potential suspects in criminal investigations. IGG involves comparing DNA evidence from a crime scene to DNA profiles uploaded by individuals who have taken ancestry tests.
CODIS (Combined DNA Index System)
A national database of DNA profiles from convicted offenders and crime scene evidence. CODIS is used by law enforcement to identify suspects and link crimes.
YSTR DNA
Y-chromosome Short Tandem Repeat (YSTR) DNA is a type of DNA that is passed down from father to son. It is used in familial DNA testing to identify potential suspects by tracing their paternal lineage.
Jedmatch
A public genealogy database that allows users to upload their DNA data to find family members who have also uploaded data. Jedmatch is also used by law enforcement to identify suspects in criminal investigations.
Cold Case
A criminal investigation that has been inactive for a significant period of time, often due to a lack of leads or evidence.
DNA Justice Project
A non-profit organization that advocates for the use of DNA technology to solve cold cases, exonerate the innocent, and prevent future crimes.
Q&A
How did the discovery of Jennifer's body change the investigation?
The discovery of Jennifer's body, along with the similarities to Michelle's case, led police to believe that they were dealing with the same killer. This focused their investigation on finding a single suspect who could be responsible for both murders.
What challenges did investigators face in solving these cases?
Investigators faced several challenges, including the lack of a national DNA database in the early years of the investigation, the degradation of evidence over time, and the difficulty of identifying suspects without a clear lead.
How did familial DNA testing help solve these cases?
Familial DNA testing allowed investigators to identify potential suspects by comparing DNA evidence from the crime scenes to DNA profiles in public genealogy databases. This led them to Robert Washburn and Gary Hartman, who were eventually identified as the killers.
What impact did these cases have on DNA collection laws?
The cases of Michelle Welch and Jennifer Bastion led to the passage of \"Jennifer and Michelle's Law\" in Washington state, which requires DNA samples to be collected from deceased offenders and those convicted of certain crimes. This law helps close the DNA collection loophole that existed in the state.
Show Notes
When a 13-year-old Tacoma girl disappears on a bike ride in her local park, the community rallies to find any trace of her. But investigators can’t ignore similarities to a murder of another girl in another park nearby. Is the same killer responsible?
Source materials for this episode cannot be listed here due to character limitations. For a full list of sources, please visit: crimejunkiepodcast.com/murdered-michella-welch-jennifer-bastian
Don’t miss out on all things Crime Junkie!
- Instagram: @crimejunkiepodcast | @audiochuck
- Twitter: @CrimeJunkiePod | @audiochuck
- TikTok: @crimejunkiepodcast
- Facebook: /CrimeJunkiePodcast | /audiochuckllc
Crime Junkie is hosted by Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat.
- Instagram: @ashleyflowers | @britprawat
- Twitter: @Ash_Flowers | @britprawat
- TikTok: @ashleyflowerscrimejunkie
- Facebook: /AshleyFlowers.AF
Text Ashley at 317-733-7485 to talk all things true crime, get behind the scenes updates, and more!
I was so excited for this week's episode 🥰🥳