WA teen's cold case murder solved 36 years later through DNA tech
1980s cold case murder solved in WA; suspect died of cancer
After over 36 years, a family finally has closure after Pierce County detectives solved a cold case dating back to the '80s. The suspect died two weeks before facing justice.
PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - After more than 36 years, a family finally has closure after Pierce County deputies solved a cold case dating back to the '80s.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department (PCSD), investigators used DNA evidence and new technology to link John Guillot Jr. to the murder of 18-year-old Tracy Whitney.
Pierce County investigators said Guillot Jr. died from cancer before he could face justice. They also said he was linked to another negligent homicide case in the area.
The heinous murder made headlines across the state more than three decades ago. An archived headline from a 1989 issue of 'The Spokesman-Review' out of Spokane, Washington, detailed the limited evidence and information available even a year after Whitney's killing.
The report says a fisherman found Whitney's naked body on a sandbar near where the Stuck River and Puyallup River meet in Sumner, Washington.
Investigators said that Guillot Jr. had no connection to the teenage victim, describing the incident as a stranger abduction, rape, and murder.
Although DNA evidence from the crime was on file, the technology to analyze it did not exist at the time. This changed only recently.
PCSD detectives told FOX 13 that they were able to link the DNA to Guillot Jr. of Puyallup through genetic genealogy after a family member's DNA was on file with the medical examiner.
However, the answers came too late for justice. Investigators say Guillot Jr. died from cancer about two weeks before the conclusive DNA results were returned.
In a Facebook post, a family member of the victim thanked the Pierce County Sheriff's deputies for their continued and dedicated efforts to find her older sibling's killer. She also shared a photo of Tracy to honor her memory.
"Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, the perpetrator has been identified as John Guillot Jr. from Puyallup, WA," the family member wrote on Facebook. "Unfortunately, Guillot passed away a year before this breakthrough, so no arrest could be made."
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