GUILTY WA - Michella Welch, 12, murdered, Tacoma, 26 March 1986 *arrest in 2018*

[YESorNO]

Bills in legislature coming down to the wire as cutoff nears (with clip)

February 28th 2019

"OLYMPIA, Wash. — It is coming down to the wire for key bills in the state legislature to make it passed the cutoff this week. Two crime bills just made it under the wire in the House Thursday....

This same committee was scheduled to take up a bill (SB 1326) that expands the types of crimes for which DNA can be collected. "It is extremely essential this bill gets passed," said it's sponsor Rep. Brad Klippert, R-Kennewick, who is also a deputy sheriff.

He said the bill is named for Michella Welch and Jennifer Bastian whose 1986 murders in Tacoma were solved by DNA evidence. "I hope that it gets passed today," he said. "It's very essential for public safety in the interest of justice in Washington state."

But late in the day it was announced the bill doesn't need that committee to act on it. Instead it is being sent straight to the Rules Committee to get set for a vote on the floor. This all happened after KOMO inquired about it. Klippert said, "Still alive, sir."...."

Bills in legislature coming down to the wire as cutoff nears

 

[Seattle1]

The murder of two girls terrified her as a child. So she grew up and tried to find the answers.

April 5, 2019, 1:13 PM PDT
By Michelle Madigan

The year was 1986 and Lindsey Wade, 11, already knew about fear, evil and bad people.

It had happened to Michella Welch, 12, first. She was taken in broad daylight while riding her bike near Puget Park, a small park on the north end of Tacoma, Washington. Search dogs found Michella that night. She had been sexually assaulted and murdered.

Five months later, Jennifer Bastian, 13, was riding her bike at Point Defiance Park, just a few miles away. When she didn’t come home, her family called the police. Hundreds of people searched. Three weeks later, they found her body hidden in the underbrush, with her bicycle nearby.

Jennie Bastian Michella Welch

Dateline episode "Evil was watching" at link below.

Tangled

 

[Seattle1]

4/6/19
The murder of two girls terrified her as a child. So she grew up and tried to find the answers.

In May 2018, Gary Hartman was arrested for Michella’s murder. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting his trial.

"Gary Hartman is facing the most awful of allegations. It is very easy to presume someone guilty based solely on these charges. At all times, he has maintained his innocence," his lawyer, Bryan Hershman, told NBC News.

"The defense is pursuing various investigative leads. There are profound challenges in starting an investigation 32 years after a tragedy occurs. Mr. Hartman has lived an honorable life. For decades, he has been a licensed registered nurse in Washington State."

"He held a very important job at Western State Hospital. He is a family man. In view of the horrific nature of these allegations, Mr. Hartman’s cry of innocence, and the very profound challenges in investigating a three-decade-old killing, I ask that the public accord Mr. Hartman the presumption of innocence to which he is entitled. Let the judicial system decide this case."

 

[Seattle1]

Arrest in 1986 cold case murder of 12-year-old Washington girl abducted from park

TACOMA, Wash. -- Tacoma police have arrested a man suspected of killing a 12-year-old girl more than three decades ago. The News Tribune reports 66-year-old Gary Hartman was booked into Pierce County Jail Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of first-degree murder in the death of Michella Welch.

Prosecutors are expected to charge him Thursday.

Police declined to talk about the arrest or how they linked Hartman to Welch's death. A news conference is set for Friday.

Welch was abducted March 26, 1986, from a Tacoma park and found dead later that day. She had been sexually assaulted and died of a cut to the neck, reports the paper.

 

[Seattle1]

Court file: DNA on restaurant napkin led to suspect in 1986 killing of Tacoma girl

TACOMA, Wash. - A Pierce County man arrested this week in connection with the 1986 killing of 12-year-old Michella Welch in Tacoma has now been officially charged with her murder.

Gary Charles Hartman, 66, of Lakewood was linked to the 32-year-old case through DNA evidence, according to court documents released Friday.

The documents say a high-tech DNA analysis firm found a match with two brothers who lived in the north end of Tacoma in 1986 when Michella Welch was murdered. Gary Hartman was one of them. They then were able to get a restaurant napkin he had used to confirm his DNA.

“The murders of Michella Welch and Jennifer Bastian stunned our community and were among the main reasons we formed a cold case team,” said Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “DNA technology is rapidly advancing. If you’re a criminal who left DNA at a crime scene, you might as well turn yourself in now. We will eventually catch you.”

Tacoma police spent much of Wednesday night searching a home on Lake Grove Street SW in Lakewood after Hartman's arrest. Investigators said they were processing the house in connection to the murder arrest.

According to police files, Michella and her two younger sisters were visiting Puget Park, at 3100 N. Proctor in Tacoma, on March 26, 1986, when Michella left on her bicycle at about 10 a.m. to get lunch for her sisters. Meanwhile, her sisters left the playground area to play near a gulch.

When her sisters returned, Michella’s bicycle was at the playground area and sandwiches were waiting for them on the picnic table, but there was no sign of Michella. The sisters searched and could not find her, the court file says.

Police responded and searched as well. Eventually a search and rescue unit found Michella’s body in an isolated area of the gulch more than a quarter mile away from the play area of the park, according to court documents.

The Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and determined that Michella died from blunt force trauma to the head. There was also evidence of sexual assault, court documents say.

In May 2006, a male DNA profile was developed from the swabs collected at the autopsy. Detectives searched state and national data bases but did not find any match.

Twelve years later, Tacoma police detectives began working with a genetic genealogist at Parabon Nanolabs. Genealogists used DNA technology to identify a subject by matching the unknown profile to a family member. Traditional genealogy was then used to build a family tree from publicly available websites.

The genealogist identified two brothers who had the correct amount of shared DNA to match the DNA in evidence. They both lived in the north end of Tacoma during 1986. Gary C. Hartman was one of those brothers. according to the case file.

On June 4, Tacoma police began surveillance of Hartman’s home. The next day, Hartman left his home and drove to Western State Hospital where he is employed. Hartman and a co-worker drove to a nearby restaurant and ordered breakfast.

The detective sat at a table approximately 10 feet from Hartman and watched as Hartman wiped his mouth several times with a brown paper napkin, then crumpled it up and placed it into a bag.

 

[Niner]

Those are all old articles you all posted...

He pled guilty on 1/25/19 & was supposed to be sentenced on 3/27. I have not found anything about his sentence.
The court site still has 5/7/19 as his trial date, so maybe they have changed this to his "Sentencing Hearing" ??

from court site:
02/01/2019 08:30 AM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ CONTINUANCE CANCELLED
02/01/2019 08:45 AM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ OMNIBUS HEARING HELD
05/07/2019 08:30 AM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ JURY TRIAL

link: Pierce County Superior Court Criminal Case 18-1-02411-2

His trial was cancelled 2 times before this.

 

[YESorNO]

Mother of murdered Tacoma girl backs bill to expand state DNA law (with clip)
If passed, ‘Jennifer and Michella's Law’ would expand the number of DNA samples sent to the national database.

April 9, 2019

"OLYMPIA, Wash. — Pattie Bastian is trying to change state law decades after her daughter was murdered in Tacoma. She hopes bringing her daughter’s name to the bill might help get it passed.

“I think it gives a human element to it,” said Bastian, who testified in favor of what could be “Jennifer and Michella’s Law.”

The bill in the Washington state Legislature would expand the number of DNA samples sent to the national database....

Robert Washburn pleaded guilty to Jennifer Bastian’s murder last month. Gary Hartman is currently awaiting trial for Michella Welch’s murder...."

Mother of murdered Tacoma girl backs bill to expand state DNA law

 

[Niner]

Tuesday, May 7th:
*Sentencing Hearing (?) (@ 8:30am PT) – WA – Michella Welch (12) (Mar. 26, 1986, Tacoma) – *Gary Charles Hartman (66/34 @ time of crime) arrested (6/20/18), charged (6/21/18) & arraigned (6/26/18) with 1st degree murder & 1st degree rape, amended (6/25/18) to 2 counts of 1st degree murder. Plead not guilty. $5M bond. GED/Match DNA.
1/5/19: Plead guilty. Sentencing for 5/7, but nothing stated on court site as of 3/27, still have 5/7/19 as trial date.

 

[MsFacetious]

I think that court date was also stricken. It looks to me like he was sentenced when he pled.

01/25/2019 01:30 PM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ PLEA DATE PLEA & SENTENCE
01/28/2019 01:30 PM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ CONTINUANCE CANCELLED
01/28/2019 01:30 PM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ OMNIBUS HEARING CANCELLED
02/12/2019 08:30 AM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ JURY TRIAL CANCELLED

 

[MsFacetious]

Wait, what?! Now when I go there it doesn't even SHOW a plea at all.
I literally just copied and pasted those 4 dates 36 minutes ago. Now it appears the way Niner's last copy and paste did! I do not understand.

OH!!! I got it now! Okay. I think I figured it out. Follow me here Niner!

WASHBURN (Jennifer's killer) pled guilty on 1/25/2019.
Washburn's docket looks identical to what we thought Hartman's docket was. We've just been pasting the WRONG killer.

Pierce County Superior Court Criminal Case 18-1-01799-0

WASHBURN (Jennifer's killer) is Pierce County Superior Court Criminal Case 18-1-01799-0. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 32 years I believe it was.

HARTMAN (Michella's killer) is here:

Pierce County Superior Court Criminal Case 18-1-02411-2

HARTMAN (Michella's killer) is Pierce County Superior Court Criminal Case 18-1-02411-2. Hartman has NOT pled guilty, not been sentenced and doesn't even have a current trial date. I don't think trial is starting today because I've seen no sign of that anywhere.

I didn't realize our mistakes until I looked Hartman up on the inmate roster.

HARTMAN is still at the Pierce County JAIL, WASHBURN has been moved to the WSP since he's pled and been sentenced.

HARTMAN - Booking 2018171045

WASHBURN - Inmate Search | Washington State Department of Corrections

So, Michella's killer has NOT pleaded guilty or gone to trial.
It's almost 4am... please tell me that made at least one iota of sense?!

 

[Jim_M]

DBM

 

[Niner]

Okay - I see where this went! LOL!

So ignore my post on sentencing today then!

I shall correct my description on this case then.

Thank you for the updates!

 

[Niner]

So wondering "why" the court site has this:

02/01/2019 08:45 AM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ OMNIBUS HEARING HELD
05/07/2019 08:30 AM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ JURY TRIAL

Trial should be starting today according to this.....

 

[YESorNO]

Keith Eldridge‏Verified account @KeithKOMO4 Apr 9
Patti Bastian and former Tacoma Police Detective Lindsey Wade testify at state senate committee on a bill to expand the number of people who have to give up DNA. It’s the “Jennifer Bastian & Michella Welch Law.” #KOMONews

(video clip: Keith Eldridge on Twitter )

 

[MsFacetious]

05/07/2019 08:30 AM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ JURY TRIAL CONTINUED
08/08/2019 08:30 AM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ STATUS CONFERENCE HEARING
11/07/2019 08:30 AM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ STATUS CONFERENCE HEARING
01/30/2020 08:30 AM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ JURY TRIAL

 

[Niner]

I just was about to post what you did MsFacetious! Thanks!

 

[YESorNO]

Washington's new DNA law named for two murdered Tacoma girls
Jennifer and Michella's Law, which will expand Washington's DNA database, is named after two girls murdered in Tacoma decades ago.

May 21, 2019

"...Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed Jennifer and Michella’s Law on Tuesday afternoon.

Jennifer Bastian, age 13, and Michella Welch, age 12, were killed within five months of each other in Tacoma in 1986....

In January, Robert Washburn pleaded guilty to Bastian’s murder.

Welch’s suspected killer, Gary Hartman, is set for trial next January.

Under the new law, detectives can now obtain DNA samples from deceased sex offenders and those convicted of indecent exposure are required to submit samples to the state and national DNA database...."

Washington's new DNA law named for two murdered Tacoma girls

WA - Jennifer Bastian, 13, Tacoma, 4 Aug 1986 *ARREST*

 

[MsFacetious]

Oh I like that they can take samples from dead offenders. That is awesome.

 

[Niner]

Thursday, August 8th:
*Status Hearing (@ 8:30am PT) – WA – Michella Welch (12) (Mar. 26, 1986) – Gary Charles Hartman (66/34 @ time of crime) arrested (6/20/18) & charged (6/21/18) with 1st degree murder & 1st degree rape, amended (6/25/18) to 2 counts of 1st degree murder. Plead not guilty. $5M bond.
GED/Match DNA.
Trial set to begin 1/30/20.
6/26/18 Update: Omnibus hearing (Pretrial) on 7/26 & Jury trial set for 8/13. 7/13/18: Return on 7/24 with attorney. Other hearing dates stand. 7/24/18: Hearing is continued, as is July 26th hearing to July 31st. 8/2/18: Hearing has been continued to 8/3, trial still set for 8/13. 8/13/18: Trial on 8/13 has been continued to 11/6; next hearing 10/23.
10/23/18 Update: Omnibus hearing continued to 11/1, trial still set for 11/6. 11/1/18: Trial date of 11/6 was cancelled reset to 5/17/19. Next Omnibus hearing on 1/18/19. 1/18/19: Omnibus hearing continued to 2/1. Trial still set for 5/7/19.
5/7/19 Update: Trial cancelled, next Status hearing on 8/8 & 11/7, Trial set for 1/30/20.

 

[Niner]

08/08/2019 08:30 AM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ STATUS CONFERENCE HEARING HELD

11/07/201908:30 AM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ STATUS CONFERENCE HEARING
01/30/2020 08:30 AM CRIMINAL DIVISION- PRESIDING JUDGE CDPJ JURY TRIAL


link: Pierce County Superior Court Criminal Case 18-1-02411-2