DNA Evidence Leads to the Arrest of Mitchell Gaff in 1984 Everett Murder Case

An arrest was made on May 1st, 2024 in the 1984 homicide case of Judith “Judy” Weaver, a 42-year-old woman from Everett, WA. Judy was a mother, grandmother, sister, and daughter.

Nearly forty years after the murder, new DNA evidence led investigators to Mitchell Gaff in Olympia, WA. Mitchell has been booked in the Snohomish County Jail and is charged with Murder in the 1st degree, plus first-degree rape, first-degree arson, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree burglary.

After walking home in the dark from the cafe she co-owned (Bell-Ness Cafe on Hewitt Avenue), Judy Weaver stopped by Dairy Queen on her way home. That was the last time she was seen before her body was found in her residence on Rucker Ave. She was discovered by the Everett Fire Department in response to a fire that was called in. She was found dead in her home, tied up with a phone cord, strangled and brutalized.

Convicted sex offender Mitchell Gaff

Mitchell Gaff was convicted of assaulting a woman in 1979. She escaped after her hands being bound and being repeatedly hit with a pistol. Gaff also was convicted of raping two teenage girls in Everett in 1984. He spent nearly two decades in the McNeil Island Corrections Center, which famously housed Robert “Birdman of Alcatraz” Stroud for manslaughter and Charles Manson for federal check forgery back when it was a Federal Penitentiary.

“After nearly 40 years, Judy Weaver’s loved ones and our community will finally see someone held accountable for her tragic killing,” said Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin. “My heart is with Judy’s family and friends as they continue grieving this difficult loss. I also want to commend our police department and our partner agencies for their continued focus on cold cases like this.”

“Our investigators have worked tirelessly to get justice for Judy Weaver’s family,” said Everett Police Chief John DeRousse. “We are incredibly proud of Detective Susan Logothetti for her effort and persistence which ultimately led to the identification and arrest of this suspect.”

Logothetti submitted old crime scene evidence to the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab where their scientists were able to extract DNA that matched Mitchell Gaff. Much of this credit goes to years of DNA work by Lisa Collins and Mary Knowlton of the WSP Crime Lab in Marysville.

Charges were filed against Mitchell Gaff in Snohomish County Superior Court. The remaining legal process will be administered through the court system with inquiries about the process handled by Snohomish County Superior Court. Mitchell is expected to appear in court on Thursday.