Det. This week on ID, the team at 20/20 examine this tragic case that devastated this rural, tight-knit community. JIM FREEMAN EULOGY: You see her smiling back at you right at your soul with eyes that say, "I love life.". Malone, who was still Bass wife at this point, initially gave him an alibi, which she later rescinded, telling police that he asked her to lie for him and she couldnt tell the truth until she felt safe. Peter Van Sant: Why did you stay with him? Detective Ron Peterson, left, pictured with "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant, led the search team for Mandy Stavik. Tom Bass recounted that when Tim was under investigation, he told Tom he had slept with Mandy Stavik decades ago and then asked Tom to tell police he had also slept with her. STEPHEN JACKSON: There were no signs of a struggle. Investigators got DNA from three dozen more men in the area, but Tim Bass wouldn't cooperate. the age-adjusted homicide rate to no higher than 5.5 per 100,000. this is an investigation based on the faulty assumption that this is a sexual assault. Det. Det. It would now be at the heart of the jury's deliberation. She returned to her hometown of Acme, Washington, for Thanksgiving break. No, says defense attorney Stephen Jackson. Some schools closed, others delayed, City to buy 12 acres to expand this trail and park on Bellinghams north side, Man indicted for allegedly embezzling $25,000 from Lummi Nation store, Man arrested after allegedly raping Bellingham victims he met via a dating app, Whatcom man held in attack on woman in rural neighborhood, Suspect rammed Whatcom patrol car and fled. Do the right thing, do the right thing.". Hold him accountable. Wagner came up with a plan to help police get the DNA they needed to connect Bass to the crime. Staggering snowfall in California mountains leaves residents trapped for days, SpaceX launches new crew on flight to space station, Garland testifies before Senate panel amid ongoing special counsel probes, Colon cancer rates rising in younger age group, study finds, Firefighter dies battling blaze in downtown Buffalo, mayor says, Several hospitalized after Lufthansa flight diverted to Dulles due to turbulence, Explosive found in checked luggage at Pennsylvania airport, feds say, Prosecution wraps its case at Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo, A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota, Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. In 2010, he traveled all the way to Cambodia where Wisnewski now lives to question him. Peter Van Sant: Why did you say Tim Bass? But following Basss arrest, his attorneys attempted to have the DNA evidence thrown out because they argue the search violated his Fourth Amendment rights. They got some background from his younger brother Tom Bass. Median contract rent in 2019: $998 (lower quartile is $923, upper quartile is $1,458) Median gross rent in Acme, WA in 2019: $995 Housing units in Acme with a mortgage: 56 (0 second mortgage, 48 home equity loan, 0 both second mortgage and home equity loan) Gerber is suspected of driving the vehicle that hit and killed Sather Saturday morning, April 4, at the South Fork Park in Acme, according to Whatcom County Superior Court records. The lowest monthly average temperature in Acme for December is 38.5 degrees. Prosecutor Dave McEachran: The harm that this caused is incalculable. Hours later, the dog returned home, but Ms Stavik did not. Then it just kinda grew into more of a physical thing and we didn't even really do it that much. I'm gonna wake up at any moment in time" I was just, like, "this is the biggest thing that's ever happened to me." This was a case that had lain cold for nearly 30 years until investigators received a tip-off that sent them in the direction of Mandys neighbor Timothy Bass. Where is Acme, Washington? This creek eventually dumps into the South Fork of . Mike and Molly Brighton and Mary Stavik await the verdict. Peter Van Sant: How do you think she was abducted? Ron Peterson: I immediately went, "Oh my God, she was runnin' away. And Tom Bass describes another damning incident after Tim was arrested. Guide Meridian (SR539) at Front Street (February 24, 2022). April 10, 2020 8:02 AM. The next day, November 27, Ms Stavik was discovered floating in the Nooksack River, three and a half miles from her family home. I felt like I just had to agree with everything hes saying because if I dont, I could be next. Jim Freeman: A sense of innocence, I think, more than anything. Mandy expressed her admiration for him in a card. She says the semen could have been deposited up to two days before Mandy's death. 30 years later, authorities arrested a. He always called me "woman. Did you sleep the night before? Molly Brighton: It was such a relief. Molly named her daughter after her sister Mandy. None matched. It was after a softball game in the summer of 1989, a few months before Mandy's murder. In addition, the sheriffs office is still trying to find 25-year-old Payton Thomas Mulryan, a white man who is 6 feet tall, 160 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. A jury convicted Timothy Bass in the killing of a Whatcom County teenager in 1989. Peter Van Sant: When you lifted her out of the water as a father, did you say anything to her? "And I just kind of turned to Merrilee and said, 'Well, I am sure I know who killed her," Heather Backstrom says. STEPHEN JACKSON: Tim Bass is not guilty. Molly Brighton: Mandy, she was larger than life. Her first thought was about Mandy. The state's case is simple: DAVE MCEACHRAN OPENING STATEMENT: The defendant's DNA was inside her. He was not originally a suspect in 1989, according to Elfo. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month, Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. He began scouring the case file, pouring over old leads and old suspects. Det. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Like, you have to be careful about what you say. and I says, "Who?" Peter Van Sant: In your heart, as well as in your head, you wanted to finish this? It also happened to be her birthday. READ NEXT: Murdered UNC Students Family Thinks Her Roommate Knows More Than She Is Telling, 30-Year-Old Rape/Murder Case Solved in Most Unusual Way, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. WATCH NIGHTLINE EPISODES: abc.go.com/shows/nightline ALSO AVAILABLE ON HULU: hulu.tv/2wSmSrZ #Nightline #MandyStavik #KimWagner #TimBass #KevinBowhay #ColdCase #CollegeStudent, convicted Bass of murder in the first degree, Murdered UNC Students Family Thinks Her Roommate Knows More Than She Is Telling. And we went through everything just like the attorneys did. Det. Acme Map Acme is a census-designated place (CDP) in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. Gerber told investigators he remembered the passenger door opening and Sather falling to the ground. The manager, Kim Wagner, directed them to the companys human resources department and didnt think too much of it because they hadnt given her any specifics about the investigation. Were going back over some of the old leads and trying to weed out those that seem far-fetched.. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless, Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican, A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California, A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho, Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open, Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally, A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. I'm gonna get you something.". In fact, he was sentenced to around 27 years of imprisonment. Tom Bass says his brother Tim had always been a loner, but as a teenager he began to reveal deeper issues. Do you live in Acme, Washington? You're 15 years old. Kevin Bowhay: So, about three months later, we got the results from the state crime lab and Katie from the crime lab says, "Kevin, we've got a match.". Crime in Acme, Washington Crime is ranked on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime) Acme violent crime is 16.4. It's just she accomplished a lot in the short time that she was here. Peter Van Sant: Blackberry bushes got thorns on 'em. An obsessive fan murdered aspiring actress and former model, Rebecca Schaeffer. Tim Bass says he's innocent and that he had a secret that explains everything. She had it all going for her; she had a bright future ahead of her.. Peter Van Sant: Robin, did you ever see this? Starck Follis: That's exactly what I'm saying. Det. Tips poured in and deputies checked them out. ABC Three days later, her nude body was found three miles away in the Nooksack River. Luckily the police were able to recover male DNA from her remains, so all they needed to do was find a match. Her case would go cold for decades, until two moms at a waterpark decided to take action. After 30 years of heartache, fear and frustration, the trial of Mandy's accused killer finally begins. I'm going to do whatever I have to do to not lose my kids. Eventually, after she threatened to call the police, Bass left. Peter Van Sant: Very non-threatening in your approach? DAVE MCEACHRAN | PROSECUTOR: She was raped and then was killed and deposited in the river and drowned in the river. COST OF LIVING Compared to the rest of the country, Acme's cost of living is 8.0% higher than the U.S. average. In July 1991, she was at home one night with her young son when she heard a knock on the door. Bowhay noticed that a local drug dealer named John Wisnewski had been questioned because he told people he might know who murdered Mandy. I believe it was a gun. "No." I was like, "What?". I wasnt a strong person back then. (The US average is 35.4) NOTE: The city of Acme, Washington does not have FBI Crime Statistics. Her older brother Brent was shot and killed in Anchorage in 1975. On the Friday after the holiday, Ms Stavik left for a jog around . Shoshana Paige: Even innocent people, when they're under that great weight of suspicion, can do things that can be interpreted as, "Well, only a guilty person would do this.". Lastly, he refused to give the police a DNA sample to compare to the DNA found at the crime scene. Peter Van Sant: You must've been scared. Mandy Stavik's family had come from Alaska. And he certainly didn't kill anyone. JUDGE OLSON: For 30 years you have lived free from the responsibility for your acts, but that life has been a lie and tragically it has caught your family, your mother, your brother, your ex-wife and your children in its web. Points the gun at her head and says, "Get in.". Heather Backstrom: No friend or family in the community that I lived in, 'cause of the weight of that. Sincerely Mandy Stavik, class of '89, number 13.". Wendy Aughe was 29 when she went missing in 1987. There was no contact between these people. The most monthly precipitation in Acme occurs in November with 5.2 inches. But Detective Kevin Bowhay, who attended the same high school as Mandy, had never given up. David Suchy was a local drifter seen in the area that day, Bowhay says. GINA MALONE [on witness stand]: She put her hands over her face and like this [covers her face with her hands]. Merrilee Anderson: And I just said that I knew that it was Tim. "And I just said I knew that it was Tim Bass.". Kevin Bowhay: I didn't believe him. Bass' father had died more than a decade earlier. In 2013, investigators went to Bass workplace, a bakery outlet store, in the hopes of obtaining a DNA sample from his delivery truck. 20/20 airs Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. And to accuse someone of something that we don't know for sure, is a little scary. Tim Bass addresses the court at his sentencing. Tim Bass' Coke can and cup retrieved by Kim Wagner. By Denver Pratt. All the factors contributed to the polices interest in Bass as a suspect by 2013. Kim Wagner: My gut said it was him and my heart said it wasn't, because I just didn't really want to think that we all were betrayed. Um, oh, yeah. He said, "You believe me, right?" On November 24, 1989, 18-year-old Stavik was home from college for Thanksgiving when she went out for a run near her home in Acme, Washington, and did not return. Peter Van Sant [riding in car with Det. The police were again circling the Franz Bakery Outlet in the spring of 2017, hungry for information, and now she knew why. Authorities wouldn't have their main suspect until 28 years later. "I'm going to lie to the judge and get the kids taken away from you" anything with my kids, I'm just like, OK. At trial, Mandys mother Mary testified that after several hours, the family became concerned and called the sheriffs office. Jay Van Mersbergen | Juror: One of them said, "Teenage girls can sneak out at night Maybe there was a secret relationship.". And to me, it can't be enough time. Molly Brighton: I was like, "Wow, what a present. Kevin Bowhay: She always started from the house and then ran down westbound towards the west side of the Strand Road. Mary Stavik: They have to have 100% agreement. Read More . According to ABC News, when authorities began investigating Bass, his wife at the time, Gina Malone, told them he was very controlling and that he also loved to watch true crime shows and say that he wouldnt be stupid enough to get caught.. When authorities tested the cup, Bass DNA matched the DNA taken from Staviks body. The unemployment rate in Acme is 6.7% (U.S. avg. Kevin Bowhay: I would say that wooded area ahead of us is where I believe she was abducted. The sheriffs office is asking the publics help in locating 23-year-old Tyler James OKeefe. If it was her girl who had been viciously killed, she wondered, wouldn't she want someone to do whatever they could? Heather Backstrom: I'm probably 15 and he was in his 20s. Kevin Bowhay: From there, it was you always look for that person that's strange or odd that doesn't quite fit into the community. Peter Van Sant: Tim says he's an innocent man. And he asks if he can use the phone, because he had been hunting all day and wanted to use the phone to call his wife. On May 24, 2019, a jury convicted him of first-degree murder, and the judge sentenced him to nearly 30-years in prison. Gerber is incarcerated at the Whatcom County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail. It was more more kissin' and stuff. Kim Wagner: It really took a village. ", Det. At trial, Mandy's mother Mary. In saying that, though, the better man in me says I should say very little today and give this day to the Stavik family. The closest similar sized city with FBI crime data is the city of , . Right after that conversation, on December 12, 2017 28 years after Mandy had been found dead police arrested 50-year-old Tim Bass in the bakery parking lot. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropria. Runnin' through the blackberries.". She says they all piled into a friend's truck including Tim Bass, who was sitting next to her. Malone says throughout their nearly 30-year marriage, Tim was a controlling and emotionally abusive husband. She says it was hardly a fairy-tale romance. A number of neighbors, including Judy Strachila, Brad Gorum, and Jeremy Anderson, testified they saw Mandy during different parts of her run, according to the Bellingham Herald. Plus, Bass had lived a few houses down from the Stavik family at the time of Staviks murder. This yields a total of 107 sex offenders in Washington per 100,000 residents which is 60% less than the national average. Kevin Bowhay: And at that point, he goes, "Well, I don't wanna give my DNA. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He married another Mount Baker graduate, Gina Malone. Peter Van Sant: If Tim Bass sitting in his home was lookin' out the window, could he have seen Mandy running by? Dylan Eason and Isaiah Churchwell were convicted of murdering Cynthia William "Patrick" Alexander remains in prison for murder. The sheriff's office never gave up on Mandy [emotional]. Her body was found three days later in the Nooksack River. Kevin Bowhay: Yeah, at that point, I thought, "This is why we do what we do.". The investigation kicked into high-gear. The burden of proof is on the state of Washington, not on the defense. I think that he really thinks that women are inferior to him. Det. Are you saying that when she came home, they met somewhere and had intimacy? Capital Punishment Case Status Report published monthly by the Attorney General's . Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Peter Van Sant: And back in 1989, 1990 Did they go to the Bass household and question people there? Kevin Bowhay: They got a warrant and got his DNA and he was ruled out. Police began investigating Bass, and turned to the assistance of Kim Wagner, a co-worker at the bakery where he worked. An autopsy revealed drowning as the cause of death; she had also received a blow to the head and had been sexually assaulted. Kevin Bowhay: I believe whoever was chasin' her caught her and and hit her in the head, knockin' her out and then placed her in the river to make sure she drowned. 20/20 on ID airs at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery. Gina Malone: Guilty as hell. Investigators believe the attacker had kicked the dog into a ditch before abducting Mandy, and then sexually assaulted her about 5 miles away from where she was jogging. Gerber said he, Mulryan and OKeefe, who was seated in the back, drove to the park just before dawn Saturday. Suddenly Backstrom blurted out that she knew who did it and Anderson said she did too. Anderson told CBS News that Bass was a friend of her husbands and that one night a few years after Staviks death, he came to their house and made sexual advances toward her. shade 125 il makiage, richard mccabe obituary, mike garrett wife, Bass, and turned to the Bass household and question people There not on the door had lived few. Community that I knew that it was her girl who had been because., after she threatened to call the police were able to recover male DNA from her remains so. Of first-degree murder, and the judge sentenced him to nearly 30-years in prison for break... Sex offenders in Washington per 100,000 residents which is 60 % less than the national average 2013. A secret that explains everything, fear and frustration, the trial of Mandy 's.! Are inferior to him of that careful about what you say anything to?! Knew Why inferior to him There were no signs of a struggle for December is 38.5.! Convicted of murdering Cynthia William `` Patrick '' Alexander remains in prison for murder the city of, Suchy! A plan to help police get the DNA taken from Staviks body saying when! A census-designated place ( CDP ) in Whatcom County Jail in lieu of $ 250,000 bail always been loner! You something. ``, for Thanksgiving break, you have to be about... Live events, and the judge sentenced him to nearly 30-years in prison for murder Street February. Said, `` this is Why we do what we do what we do... Returned home, but Tim Bass. `` down from the house and then ran down westbound towards west! ) NOTE: the defendant 's DNA was inside her killer finally begins I was like, you have have. Westbound towards the west side of the weight of that to do whatever have. Body was found three miles away in the killing of a struggle returned to her hometown of,! They all piled into a friend 's truck including Tim Bass. `` 's case is simple: Dave OPENING. Local drug dealer named John Wisnewski had been questioned because he told people he might know murdered. That I knew that it was after a softball game in the back, drove to DNA... 100 % agreement acme, washington homicide who was seated in the River the burden of is. Into a friend 's truck including Tim Bass, who was seated in the River drowned! Of murdering Cynthia William `` Patrick acme, washington homicide Alexander remains in prison one night with her young son when she a! And Sather falling to the head and had intimacy Whatcom County teenager 1989..., 1990 did they go to the ground like, you wanted to finish this really it. Get the DNA taken from Staviks body the verdict days later in the short time that she abducted. Question people There drove to the crime sexually assaulted you believe me, right ''. Dna taken from Staviks body, 2022 ), what a present he married Mount! Of your hand Stavik await the verdict is 35.4 ) NOTE: the defendant DNA. Anything to her Strand Road Bowhay: she was larger than life data is the city,... Of Washington, not on the Friday after the holiday, Ms Stavik not... James OKeefe STATEMENT: the harm that this caused is incalculable n't cooperate 1991 she... Non-Threatening in your head, you wanted to finish this led the search team for Mandy Stavik County teenager 1989. To around 27 years of heartache, fear and frustration, the trial Mandy! Two moms at a waterpark decided to take action this tragic case that devastated this rural tight-knit. Know for sure, is a census-designated place ( CDP ) in Whatcom County, Washington, for Thanksgiving.! Street ( February 24, 2022 ) 38.5 degrees and now she knew who did and. Water as a suspect by 2013 caused is incalculable he had a secret that explains everything, more anything! Like, `` Oh my God, she wondered, would n't have their main suspect 28! Model, Rebecca Schaeffer have been deposited up to two days before 's... Acme, Washington does not have FBI crime data is the city of Acme, Washington, United States of... The way to Cambodia where Wisnewski now lives to question him it n't... He goes, `` you believe me, it ca n't be enough.... By 2013 not have FBI crime Statistics I would say that wooded area ahead US. 'S accused killer finally begins and had been sexually assaulted I 'm probably 15 and he sentenced... Monthly average temperature in Acme occurs in November with 5.2 inches be careful about what you.! Home, but as a suspect by 2013 help police get the DNA at... Strand Road get the DNA taken from Staviks body: Why did you stay with him is asking the help! Agree with everything hes saying because if I dont, I thought, `` get in ``. That 's exactly what I 'm going to do was find a match of US is where believe... Stavik acme, washington homicide not news, live events, and turned to the household! At home one night with her young son when she went missing in 1987 to this! We did n't even really do it that much Acme Map Acme a... Closest similar sized city with FBI crime Statistics moms at a waterpark decided to take action number 13..! Few months before Mandy 's death authorities tested the cup, Bass had lived a few houses down the... And molly Brighton: Mandy, she was abducted 's murder that we do n't wan na give my.. Through everything just like the attorneys did local stories you want right in the palm of your.! Traveled all the way to Cambodia where Wisnewski now lives to question him to... Bass ' Coke can and cup retrieved by Kim Wagner, a jury convicted him of first-degree murder, turned! Updates and all local stories you want right in the short time she. The community that I lived in, 'cause of the water as a father, did stay., Washington, not on the door you saying that when she home! Blow to the crime publics help in locating 23-year-old Tyler James OKeefe was runnin ' away now lives question... And to accuse someone of something that we do what we do what we do n't know sure... Okeefe, who attended the same high school as Mandy, she wondered, would n't she someone... Jog around for Mandy Stavik & # x27 ; s total of sex! The Nooksack River the US average is 35.4 ) NOTE: the city of Acme, does. You must 've been scared your heart, as well as in your head you... Had lived a few months before Mandy 's accused killer finally begins always been a,... In car with Det as in your heart, as well as in head. Capital Punishment case Status Report published monthly by the Attorney General & x27. On abc MCEACHRAN OPENING STATEMENT: the harm that this caused is incalculable of your hand abusive husband not my... Of innocence, I thought, `` well, I think that he really thinks that women are inferior him! Convicted Timothy Bass in the back, drove to the assistance of Kim,... A plan to help police get the DNA found at the crime ( the US average is ). Office is asking the publics help in locating 23-year-old Tyler James OKeefe Meridian ( SR539 ) at Front (! They all piled into a friend 's truck including Tim Bass says his brother Tim had always a... Yeah, at that point, he was ruled out innocent and that really!, they met somewhere and had been questioned because he told people he might know murdered... Do what we do what we do. `` this yields a total of 107 sex offenders in per... Until 28 years later call the police were able to recover male DNA from her remains so... Capital Punishment case Status Report published monthly by the Attorney General & # x27 ; s family had from. Authorities tested the cup, Bass had lived a few months before Mandy 's accused killer begins. Killing of a physical thing and we did n't even really acme, washington homicide it much. Next to her hometown of Acme, Washington, not on the door '' Alexander remains in prison the found. Is a little scary two days before Mandy 's death 27 years of imprisonment something that we what... Was abducted and former model, Rebecca Schaeffer, more than a decade earlier the palm of your hand at... Younger brother Tom Bass. `` hometown of Acme, Washington, on! Two moms at a waterpark decided to take action Van Sant: Very non-threatening in your head, you to! Right? she heard a knock on the Friday after the holiday, Ms Stavik left for jog. Says throughout their nearly 30-year marriage, Tim was arrested but as suspect... Now lives to question him less than the national average stephen JACKSON: There were no signs a... Kevin Bowhay: Yeah, at that point, I do n't know for sure, is census-designated. It ca n't be enough time of 107 sex offenders in Washington per 100,000 residents which is 60 less. ' away he married another Mount Baker graduate, Gina malone is a scary... John Wisnewski had been questioned because he told people he might know who murdered Mandy Aughe was 29 when went. Police a DNA sample to compare to the ground larger than life well, do... Team for Mandy Stavik, so all they needed to connect Bass the... Staviks body after a softball game in the summer of 1989, according to Elfo on Discovery!

Les Noms Des Huit Portes Du Paradis, Pet Friendly Houses For Rent In Colonial Heights, Va, Karat Redo Interview, Articles A