National true crime program to air Everett cold case investigation
Two homicide investigations that remained unsolved for 40 years in Everett are scheduled for national television attention this weekend as a new installment of the series 48 Hours begins airing on Saturday night.
The program will focus on the work of the Everett Police Department in resolving the killings of two local women, a case that resulted in a conviction earlier this year. Detectives were able to obtain a DNA sample from Mitchell Gaff, a convicted sex offender, in 2024 through an investigative tactic involving chewing gum. Authorities alleged that Gaff was responsible for the 1984 murder of Judy Weaver. Investigators were unaware at the time that Gaff was also linked to the 1980 killing of Susan Vesey.
For decades following the deaths of the two women, their families remained uncertain regarding the perpetrator responsible for these crimes.
These types of cases, they breed new victims, Logothetti told a regional outlet on Thursday. The more time that goes on, suspicion flows in the family. Everyone kind of comes up with their own theories and its very painful not knowing whats happened to their mother, sister, you know, their loved one. Getting closure is so important for them.
In May, Gaff was sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty to both murders.
That's when CBS television producers took up the case. The Detective and the Chewing Gum Sting details the extensive investigation.
The title itself tells you why its such a fascinating story, Ive never heard of this kind of circumstance, Peter Van Sant, the CBS correspondent who reported the story for 48 Hours and a Pacific Northwest native, told a regional outlet. The Everett Police Department put together a great sting to catch Mitchell Gaff.
Logothetti serves as one of the storys main characters. She acknowledged feeling nervous and awkward while filming for TV, but said the opportunity to share this case was about more than just herself.
I think its really important to put these murders out, because I do think that theres other victims and I want other jurisdictions or police agencies to know his pattern and M.O., she said.
Weavers murder was the first case Logothettis predecessor mentioned when she took over cold case investigations for Everett police in 2019.
The 42-year-old mother was tied up, sexually assaulted and then strangled inside her Rucker Avenue apartment after returning from a shift at a local bar, according to court documents. Her killer then set the apartment on fire in hopes of destroying the evidence.
The case went unsolved for nearly four decades, until evidence sent to the Washington State Patrol crime lab came back with a DNA match to Gaff in the national CODIS database, Logothetti said.
The results provided a pivotal lead, but they werent enough to file charges on their own. Investigators needed a DNA sample directly from Gaff and thats when Logothetti said a colleague suggested the now-renowned gum ruse.
She admits being skeptical at first, but said she was willing to try anything to get Gaff in custody.
I thought it was very creative, she said.I didnt realize it was going to gain all this attention. It was good police work. It was a team of detectives doing this.
Law enforcement officers utilized a ruse involving branded T-shirts and promotional fliers to persuade Mitchell Gaff that he was participating in a study for a new gum product. The strategy successfully induced the suspect to provide a biological sample, and subsequent DNA analysis confirmed his connection to the crime scene.
Following the 2024 indictment for the homicide of Judy Weaver, Detective Logothetti resumed her standard duties. Her routine was interrupted by a phone call from Ken Vesey, the husband of Susan Vesey. Although Logothetti had not previously been aware of Susan Vesey’s death, the details provided by Ken immediately triggered a strong sense of déjà vu.
Susan Vesey was assaulted and killed in 1980, just hours after her 21st birthday. At the time of the incident, she was inside her south Everett apartment with her two young children.
Logothetti noted that as Ken described the crime scene, the parallels to the Weaver case were striking. "It was just one of those moments where he’s describing the scene and there’s so many similarities," she stated.
Prompted by these similarities, the detective returned to the state crime laboratory for further testing. The results were surprising: DNA evidence from Gaff also matched materials obtained from the 1980 Vesey homicide.
Prosecutors filed additional charges regarding the death of Susan Vesey in March of this year. The following month, Gaff entered a plea agreement, and he was subsequently sentenced to a term equivalent to life imprisonment.
Logothetti described the impact of the crimes on the victims' families as deeply devastating. She indicated that the primary solace in the resolution is that Gaff will now spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
The families of both Weaver and Vesey have finally received the answers they sought, bringing a definitive conclusion to a narrative that had garnered significant public interest.
Van Sant, discussing the season premiere episode, noted that the program traces the full trajectory of Gaff’s criminal activity in Everett. He characterized the story as dramatic and highlighted the effectiveness of the local police department in revitalizing a cold case.
The one-hour episode of "48 Hours" features interviews with Logothetti, the daughters of Judy Weaver, a childhood friend of Susan Vesey, a surviving victim of Gaff, an original investigator from the case, and two prosecutors from Snohomish County.
The gum deception is expected to draw further national television attention. Logothetti mentioned that another well-known true crime series is currently planning to film an episode in Everett in the coming weeks.
Logothetti observed that while the creative method used to obtain the surreptitious sample is intriguing, the core tragedy lies in the lives of Judy Weaver and Susan Vesey. She emphasized that the stories of these women deserve to be told and remembered.
The episode, titled "The Detective and the Chewing Gum Sting," is scheduled to air on Saturday at 10 p.m. on CBS and will be available for streaming on Paramount+.