On a warm August afternoon in 1986, 13-year-old Jennifer Bastian set out on a solo bike ride through Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park. She never made it home. As hours turned into days, panic swept across her neighborhood. Police, family, and volunteers launched an intense search, but hope dwindled with each passing week.
Then came the grim discovery. A jogger, drawn by the foul stench of decay, stumbled upon her body hidden deep in the woods. Jennifer had been sexually assaulted and strangled. The innocence of a community was shattered—and so was the heart of a young boy named Lindsey Wade.
The Tragedy That Changed a Life Forever
Back in 1986, Lindsey Wade was just a few years younger than Jennifer. Her murder terrified him. The idea that a young girl could vanish so quickly and be murdered so brutally didn’t just scare him—it marked him.
“For me and my friends, it was like the moment we realized evil really exists,” Wade later shared.
Haunted by the case, Lindsey’s childhood was shaped by the constant fear that someone was lurking, waiting. He started avoiding shortcuts through wooded areas and always stayed close to safe paths. That fear eventually grew into resolve. Years later, it would evolve into a lifelong mission: to become a detective and bring justice to Jennifer Bastian’s family.
The Puzzle Police Couldn’t Crack
Jennifer’s case wasn’t the only horror to hit Tacoma in 1986. Months earlier, 12-year-old Michella Welch had vanished from nearby Puget Park. Her body, discovered in the woods, showed signs of brutal sexual assault and a fatal throat wound. Given the similarity in age, location, and violence, authorities suspected the same killer in both cases.
But after an exhaustive investigation, the leads ran dry. Decades passed. The community moved on—but not Lindsey Wade. Jennifer’s face stayed with him.
When Wade finally joined the Tacoma Police Department, he didn’t just remember the case. He pursued it. By 2009, a newly formed cold case unit began reopening long-forgotten files, including Jennifer’s.
Science Brings New Hope
The tide began to turn in 2012. Forensic analysts discovered male DNA on Jennifer’s swimsuit. It was a major break—but the DNA profile didn’t match anyone in the national criminal database. Frustrated but undeterred, Wade pushed forward.
That’s when she reached out to forensic genealogist Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick specialized in using genetic material to map out family trees. Her work often led to suspects no one expected.
Sure enough, the surname “Washburn” surfaced during the genetic search. That name stuck in Wade’s mind. Going back through tips from the original investigation, she noticed a man named Robert Washburn had once called in information about Michella Welch—months before Jennifer was killed. He wasn’t a suspect then. But now, something about him felt off.
A Detective’s Gut Instinct Pays Off
Wade added Washburn to a list of people whose DNA she wanted tested. Then, after years of dedication, she retired in 2018. She believed she might never see the case solved.
But fate had one last twist.
Just one month into retirement, Wade got a call. The DNA from Jennifer’s swimsuit matched a new sample. The suspect was none other than Robert Washburn.
“I was in my kitchen when they called,” she recalled. “I just said, ‘Who is it?’ And when they said Washburn, I nearly dropped the phone.”
It turned out Washburn had willingly submitted a DNA sample to the FBI, thinking it wouldn’t matter. That simple decision sealed his fate. In 2019, he pleaded guilty to the murder of Jennifer Bastian and was sentenced to 27 years in prison.
The Case of Michella Welch—Another Shocking Revelation
Just as the Jennifer Bastian case reached closure, another break stunned investigators. DNA from Michella Welch’s crime scene matched a different man—Gary Hartman. The theory that one man had killed both girls turned out to be wrong. In reality, two predators had stalked Tacoma that fateful year.
With both killers behind bars, decades of fear and sorrow began to lift. Families who had waited for answers could finally begin to heal.
Justice, Finally Served
For Lindsey Wade, calling Jennifer’s mother with the news was the moment that made everything worth it.
“She knew before I even said a word,” Wade said. “I could see it in her eyes when I walked up the driveway.”
Years of pain couldn’t be undone, but a measure of peace had been delivered. Thanks to a relentless detective who never let go of a childhood nightmare, Jennifer Bastian and Michella Welch now had justice.
FAQs
Who was Jennifer Bastian?
Jennifer Bastian was a 13-year-old girl from Tacoma, Washington, who was abducted and murdered while riding her bike in Point Defiance Park in 1986.
Who solved the Jennifer Bastian murder case?
Detective Lindsey Wade, who had been personally affected by the case as a child, helped solve it after a DNA breakthrough in collaboration with genealogist Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick.
Who killed Jennifer Bastian?
Robert Washburn was identified through DNA evidence as the man who murdered Jennifer Bastian. He pleaded guilty in 2019.
Is Jennifer Bastian’s killer in prison?
Yes, Robert Washburn is serving a 27-year prison sentence after admitting to Jennifer’s murder.
Was Jennifer Bastian’s murder connected to Michella Welch’s case?
Initially, police believed the two cases were related, but DNA evidence later revealed they were committed by different individuals.
How was DNA used to solve the case?
DNA found on Jennifer’s swimsuit was matched through forensic genealogy to a suspect’s family line, eventually leading to Robert Washburn.