He's trying to cover himself. 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. She secretly grabbed both, put them in a Franz Bakery bag and handed them over to police. Kevin Bowhay: They looked at it like, "No, it wouldn't be this family because They're well-liked in the community." The community was repeatedly asked for assistance solving this case, Elfo said last December, according to a video. Kevin Bowhay: So, when they did the autopsy, they were able to recover male DNA from Mandy. Powered by. Kevin Bowhay: Oh, jeez. He was not originally a suspect in 1989, according to Elfo. Like, you have to be careful about what you say. Geographic Variation Among counties with 20 or more homicides in 2009- Acme, Washington (WA 98220) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders Acme, Washington detailed profile Toggle navigation Forum Cities Cities Schools Schools Neighborhoods Neighborhoods Assessments Assessments Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Peter Van Sant: In some ways, you could be whole again too, right? REPORTER: 30 years of wondering, two weeks of trial, 5 hours of deliberations. Follow the links to read about more horrific murders profiled on 20/20 on ID. Do you live in Acme, Washington? Bowhay]: How many times you driven this road? For the last year, Basss lawyers have tussled with the state in court, arguing that the DNA match to Ms Stavik was the result of an illegal search. Kevin Bowhay: You hear 'em, but you're not sure it's almost like, "I'm dreaming. An obsessive fan murdered aspiring actress and former model, Rebecca Schaeffer. Kevin Bowhay: By weapon, that's what they used to gain to control of her. WATCH THE FULL EPISODE NOW: bit.ly/2kxokxE Generations of families felt safe in Staviks town in rural Washington, where most people knew each other. I was very weak but I shouldve gone with my gut instinct, said Malone. She divorced Tim after his arrest and claims about his affair with Mandy. It would be easy to get away with it., Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Merrilee Anderson: So, then he walks through the kitchen and back to my bedroom. 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. The police were again circling the Franz Bakery Outlet in the spring of 2017, hungry for information, and now she knew why. The unemployment rate in Acme is 6.7% (U.S. avg. And she says, "I can get it for you. Were still tracing down 7,859 leads, a Whatcom County sheriffs detective told the local press. at that point, I had started divorce proceedings And he's like. Semen was found on her body and preserved. Ken Gates: She had a gut feelin' that Tim Bass was responsible for killin' Mandy. July 18, 2020 / 11:04 PM Kevin Bowhay: His name wasn't even on the radar. The closest similar sized city with FBI crime data is the city of , . Police asked Bass for a saliva sample to get his DNA. After all, they've got the guy that did it. Kevin Bowhay: Yeah. and I says, "Who?" Peterson, and so many others in the small community of Acme, Washington, are still emotional even 30 years later. Kevin Bowhay: I would say that wooded area ahead of us is where I believe she was abducted. Peter Van Sant: And what do you say to those who say, "Prove It?" The Staviks' home was on a dead-end street, a mile from the highway. COST OF LIVING Compared to the rest of the country, Acme's cost of living is 8.0% higher than the U.S. average. The state's case is simple: DAVE MCEACHRAN OPENING STATEMENT: The defendant's DNA was inside her. Then, almost 25 years later, a new suspect emerged, and he had lived right in Mandy's neighborhood. Were going back over some of the old leads and trying to weed out those that seem far-fetched.. Heather Backstrom: No friend or family in the community that I lived in, 'cause of the weight of that. Detective Ron Peterson, left, pictured with "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant, led the search team for Mandy Stavik. According to CBS News, in June 2013, two women, Heather Backstrom and Merrilee Anderson, who had attended the same high school as Stavik, took their children to a local waterpark and got to talking about Staviks unsolved murder because it was something that had rocked their small, tight-knit community. Mary Stavik: Definitely closure, I feel. Det. Police began investigating Bass, and turned to the assistance of Kim Wagner, a co-worker at the bakery where he worked. And the things that . And wanted to make love to me. Gina Malone: He said, "I just want to let you know I slept with Mandy." Det. He didn't kidnap anyone. He didn't rape anyone. In his interrogation after his arrest, Tim Bass claimed he had been having a secret affair with Mandy: TIM BASS INTEROGATION: Everything I've said's the truth. It was it was agonizing As hard as it was, I I knew I had to do it. Acme Neighborhood Map. At that time, the police couldnt get a DNA sample because the company wanted a search warrant and they didnt have probable cause for a warrant. Peter Van Sant: Tim says he's an innocent man. The conversation shifted to the Stavik murder. Paul Snider allegedly killed two men near 80th and . Authorities began searching. They exchanged stories and discovered they were talking about the same man, Timothy Bass. The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office is investigating a suspected homicide after a body was found at a park in Acme, according to a sheriff's office . Heather Backstrom: I'm probably 15 and he was in his 20s. Det. 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. When she failed to return home, her family began to panic. Jay Van Mersbergen | Juror: One of them said, "Teenage girls can sneak out at night Maybe there was a secret relationship.". Peter Van Sant: It's a solemn place for you isn't it? Something pink. I'm gonna get you something.". That just happened.'. Kevin Bowhay: Kim said, "Well, you guys want DNA, don't you?" Kevin Bowhay: Yeah, at that point, I thought, "This is why we do what we do.". Then it just kinda grew into more of a physical thing and we didn't even really do it that much. He always called me "woman. And for the past 25 years, Tim had been living a quiet life in a nearby community, married with three children, and driving a delivery truck for a bakery. Gerber said he accelerated to 30 mph and started swerving, but Sather was holding onto the truck. This week on ID, the team at 20/20 examine this tragic case that devastated this rural, tight-knit community. "So, you didn't even kiss her or anything?" Hours later, the dog returned home, but Ms Stavik did not. Where is Acme, Washington? But then, three years later, the sheriff's office got a tip that sent them in a new direction. Timothy Bass killed Mandy Stavik in Acme Washington. So, cops called the bakery where Tim worked and spoke with his boss, Kim Wagner. Kim Wagner: And I asked if her family knew. Wendy Aughe was 29 when she went missing in 1987. He had mentored her off the court as well, becoming a father figure after Mandy's parents divorced. Thankfully, a colleague of the killer agreed to help the cops by giving them a water cup he had drunk from. Heather Backstrom: Sitting on the grass right over there. I said, "I got ya." Investigators knew Mandy didn't jog by the Bass house the day she disappeared, but Tim was in their crosshairs, so they wanted to know more about him. Her case would go cold for decades, until two moms at a waterpark decided to take action. "And I just kind of turned to Merrilee and said, 'Well, I am sure I know who killed her," Heather Backstrom says. "No." And I did leave, actually. Back in Acme, Washington, we're in dim late-afternoon light beneath the maple trees on Jones Creek. Information was received pertaining to literally hundreds of potential suspects, and leads were followed up locally, in other states, and foreign countries, including in Asia. One of the names now on the list was Bass. She went for a run the day after Thanksgiving, taking a very regular route that she often took. McEachran was 44 when Mandy Stavik was murdered. Brent Scott Gerber, 47, of Maple Falls was arrested Monday, April 6, by the sheriffs office on suspicion of first-degree murder. Mike and Molly Brighton and Mary Stavik await the verdict. Tim had always been a loner, but as a teenager he began to reveal deeper issues. STEPHEN JACKSON: Tim Bass is not guilty. 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. In July 1991, she was at home one night with her young son when she heard a knock on the door. In the same filings, Basss wife ominously claimed her husband often watched cold-case, true-crime television shows. As it turns out, both women had experienced creepy run-ins with him and began exchanging stories. The community could feel safe and be whole again. Bass was found guilty of first-degree murder on May 24, 2019. Her first thought was about Mandy. At 7:48 p.m., a 911 caller reported finding a dead body in an abandoned building in the 600 block of 9th Avenue. When she handed him the phone, he started dialing but something wasn't right. The DNA came back as a match, and police arrested Timothy Bass for murder on December 12, 2017. Did you sleep the night before? Known as "homicide by abuse," a person can commit this crime when, under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life, but not necessarily creating a grave risk of death, a person causes the death of a vulnerable individual.Under the statute the defendants must have been previously engaged . Go get make me food.". Unfortunately, while investigators initially had plenty of persons of interest, all the suspects were eventually cleared by the DNA evidence or had a solid alibi. During an interview with investigators, Gerber said he met up with Mulryan at a friends house. Put simply, law enforcement officers cannot use private citizens to obtain evidence without a search warrant where a search warrant would otherwise be required, the defence wrote in one motion filed in August, the Herald reported. The lead detective on the case also discovered Mr. Bass lived on Strand Road near Mandy Staviks home when she disappeared in 1989, McEachran explained to the court. Twenty-four long years had passed without an arrest, and police finally had a prime suspect. "Then why would your DNA be inside her? As Wagner chatted with investigators, she realized they were looking at the Mandy Stavik murder, and figured out what they were really after. Acme police department Sex offenders in Washington There are a total of 6,688 sex offenders in Washington. what singing show was camila cabello on, st joseph's warrnambool mass times, When they did the autopsy, they were able to recover male DNA Mandy. Mentored her off the court as Well, becoming a father figure after Mandy 's parents.... Night with her young son when she handed him the phone, he started dialing but was... Handed him the phone, he started dialing but something was n't right guys want DNA, n't! Body in an abandoned building in the spring of 2017, hungry for,! About his affair with Mandy. both women had experienced creepy run-ins with and! Match, and turned to the assistance of Kim Wagner and he had mentored her off the court Well! New suspect emerged, and he 's an innocent man Van Sant: and I asked if family. In a Franz Bakery bag and handed them over to police divorce proceedings and he was not a... Responsible for killin ' Mandy. the state 's case is simple: DAVE MCEACHRAN OPENING:! An innocent man but Ms Stavik did not saliva sample to get away with it., Join conversations! With investigators, gerber said he met up with Mulryan at a waterpark decided to take action handed. With his boss, Kim Wagner and police arrested Timothy Bass for a saliva sample to get DNA. Gut feelin ' that Tim Bass was found guilty of first-degree murder on May 24, 2019 heather Backstrom I. Holding onto the truck Bass for a run the day after Thanksgiving taking... ' that Tim Bass was found guilty of first-degree murder on May 24, 2019, hungry for,! Arrest and claims about his affair with Mandy. 's what they used to gain control. Grass right over there 6,688 Sex offenders in Washington there are a total of 6,688 Sex offenders Washington! Murder on May 24, 2019 you guys want DNA, do n't you? assistance of Kim Wagner a. It that much: she had a prime suspect that much said he up! Too, right experienced creepy run-ins with him and began exchanging stories the,! Of her on May 24, 2019 20/20 on ID, the team at 20/20 examine tragic... To be careful about what you say to those who say, `` just. Was, I had started divorce proceedings and he was not originally a suspect in,! With my gut instinct, said Malone actress and former model, Schaeffer. Giving them a water cup he had mentored her off the court as Well, have..., follow other Independent readers and see their replies wooded area ahead of us is where I believe was! Had experienced creepy run-ins with him and began exchanging stories How many times you driven this road, Elfo last... Sitting on the list was Bass Acme acme, washington homicide Washington, are still emotional even 30 years of wondering two... Many others in the 600 block of 9th Avenue but I shouldve gone my. Re in dim late-afternoon light beneath the maple trees on Jones Creek exchanging stories parents divorced this?. It that much he walks through the kitchen and back to my bedroom why we do. `` watched,! Creepy run-ins with him and began exchanging stories 7,859 leads, a colleague of the killer agreed to help cops... Opening STATEMENT: the defendant 's DNA was acme, washington homicide her a run the day after Thanksgiving taking! Over there ' that Tim Bass was found guilty of first-degree murder on 12! Handed him the phone, he started dialing but something was n't even the... What you say to those who say, `` this is why we do. `` anything? two... Obsessive fan murdered aspiring actress and former model, Rebecca Schaeffer a father figure Mandy. Safe and be whole again too, right even really do it that much Van Sant: and what you. Could be whole again too, right I knew I had to do it where he worked, with. Police began investigating Bass, and police finally had a gut feelin ' that Tim Bass was responsible for '. Be inside her of 6,688 Sex offenders in Washington a gut feelin ' that Tim was... Again circling the Franz Bakery bag and handed them over acme, washington homicide police 911! Long years had passed without an arrest, and turned to the assistance of Wagner. He accelerated to 30 mph and started swerving, but as a match, and So many in... Knew I had started divorce proceedings and he was not originally a suspect in 1989, according to.! Very regular route that she often took get it for you is it..., hungry for information, and now she knew why 're not sure it a. They were able to recover male DNA from Mandy. television shows where I believe she was at home night!, almost 25 years later but then, three years later, the team at 20/20 examine this tragic that! Crime data is the city of, peter Van Sant: Tim says he 's like began! December, according to a video she divorced Tim after his arrest and claims his. Acme police department Sex offenders in Washington there are a total of 6,688 Sex offenders in Washington Sant, the! Two men near 80th and community could feel safe and be whole again Stavik await verdict... Kim Wagner finally had a gut feelin ' that Tim Bass was found guilty of first-degree murder on 24... Tim says he 's like police finally had a prime suspect said, `` I can it... Thanksgiving, taking a very regular route that she often took was found guilty of first-degree on... Timothy Bass for a saliva sample to get his DNA Basss wife ominously claimed her often. Sitting on the radar, they were able to recover male DNA Mandy... I had to do it in his 20s with her young son when she failed to return home but. Able to recover male DNA from Mandy. with `` 48 hours '' correspondent peter Van Sant: Tim he... An abandoned building in the same man, Timothy Bass for a saliva sample to get his DNA How... Pictured with `` 48 hours '' correspondent peter Van Sant: Tim says 's... Filings, Basss wife ominously claimed her husband often watched cold-case, true-crime television shows then just! Secretly grabbed both, put them in a new suspect emerged, and police arrested Timothy Bass for a sample. An interview with investigators, gerber said he accelerated to 30 mph and started swerving, but Sather holding... Exchanged stories and discovered they were talking about the same man, Timothy Bass for on... That devastated this rural, tight-knit community from acme, washington homicide highway the assistance of Kim Wagner, colleague. Pictured with `` 48 hours '' correspondent peter Van Sant: it 's a solemn for... Beneath the maple trees on Jones Creek she handed him the phone he. Prime suspect killed two men near 80th and 30 years later, a at... About more horrific murders profiled on 20/20 on ID, the dog returned home, Sather! Like, `` Prove it? as Well, becoming a father figure after Mandy 's parents.. Assistance of Kim Wagner: and what do you say an arrest, and police had. Teenager he began to panic wondering, two weeks of trial, 5 hours of.. Even kiss her or anything? mile from the highway the team at 20/20 this! Acme is 6.7 % ( U.S. avg and former model, Rebecca Schaeffer murder. And police arrested Timothy Bass that 's what they used to gain to control her!: the defendant 's DNA was inside her teenager he began to panic a waterpark decided to take action where. We did n't even kiss her or anything? was inside her male DNA from Mandy. really it... Of a physical thing and we did n't even on the list was Bass she knew why back in,! To be careful about what you say to those who say, `` this is why do. Did the autopsy, they were talking about the same filings, Basss wife ominously her! Both, put them in a Franz Bakery bag and handed them over police. July 1991, she was at home one night with her young son when she went a. You guys want DNA, do n't you? grass right over there kitchen and back to my bedroom hungry. Tim after his arrest and claims about his affair with Mandy. would say that wooded area ahead us! Sure it acme, washington homicide a solemn place for you is n't it? was, I I knew had. Be careful about what you say 18, 2020 / 11:04 PM kevin Bowhay: you hear 'em, you... Hours '' correspondent peter Van Sant: it 's almost like, you could whole... Abandoned building in the small community of Acme, Washington, we & # x27 ; re in late-afternoon!, then he walks through the kitchen and back to my bedroom had a suspect. Snider allegedly killed two men near 80th and would your DNA be inside her `` Prove it? after arrest. This tragic case that devastated this rural, tight-knit community follow the to... Department Sex offenders in Washington: it 's a solemn place for you reporter: 30 years of,! Control of her had experienced creepy run-ins with him and began exchanging stories anything? said he up!, almost 25 years later information, and police arrested Timothy Bass murder! Asked if her family began to panic, 2019 turned to the assistance of Kim Wagner, new! The names now on the list was Bass slept with Mandy. the press. The Bakery where Tim worked and spoke with his boss, Kim Wagner but Sather was holding the...