Robert D. Washburn was sentenced to 27 years in prison after he pled guilty to the 1986 first-degree murder of Jennifer Marie Bastian (13) in Tacoma, Washington. Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Martin gave him a 320-month sentence: a month for every year the Bastian family was robbed of their beloved. Washburn must serve a minimum […]
Jennifer Marie Bastian
Guilty plea expected in 1986 Bastian murder
The Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office reports that Robert Dwane Washburn’s attorney asked for an appointment to change his client’s plea. “The expectation would be that Washburn changes his plea to guilty on January 25 at 1:30 pm.” No details about a plea agreement are known but Washburn will not face the death penalty if he is […]
Arrest in 1986 Bastian case
Police have arrested the man who might be responsible for the murder of Jennifer Marie Bastian in 1986. His name is Robert D. Washburn (60) of Eureka, Illinois. Police declined to talk about the suspect, other than to say he lived out-of-state and was taken into custody. Washburn will be taken to Pierce County to […]
Phenotyping and Cold Cases
A few weeks ago, I received an email from Tom Shaw. He is an IAI Certified Forensic Artist & Snapshot Account Specialist at Parabon NanoLabs in Reston, Virginia. We started talking about phenotyping and how that could advance the investigations in cold cases. There are cases that grow cold because there is no DNA match […]
A break in Bastian-Welch cases
A break in the Bastian and Welch cases as Tacoma Police has released sketches based on DNA evidence in these cold cases. Jennifer was 13 years old when she went missing. According to the papers, Jennifer wanted to ride her bike 30 blocks to the park and then go back home. She was training for […]
New details in Bastian-Welch murders
New details in the Bastian-Welch murders have been disclosed in an renewed attempt to solve these cold cases. Last Thursday, Tacoma Police explained that they do not believe anymore that the same man is responsible for both girls’ murders. From the News Tribune: “There are two separate suspects for two separate cases,” police spokeswoman Loretta […]
The cold case of Jennifer Marie Bastian
The cold case of Jennifer Marie Bastian (April 15, 1973 – August 4, 1986) got a boost in 2013 when Tacoma Police (WA) revealed more information to the public. Despite renewed media attention and various tips, the case is still unsolved. Jennifer was 13 years old when she went missing. According to the papers, Jennifer wanted […]