Suspect Charged in 1980 Cold Case Murder of Susan Vesey

EVERETT, Wash. — Prosecutors have charged a suspect in the 1980 killing of a young Everett woman, nearly 46 years after the crime.

The Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges Friday against Mitchell Gaff, a man in his 60s, in connection with the death of Susan Vesey.

Investigators say Vesey was found murdered on July 12, 1980, inside her home on Casino Road in Everett.

Her husband, Ken Vesey, discovered her body when he returned home from a night shift. Their two young children — a two-year-old daughter and an infant son — were inside the home but unharmed.

Authorities recently identified Gaff as the suspect after investigators developed new DNA evidence using modern forensic techniques.

Prosecutors charged him in Snohomish County Superior Court with aggravated murder and first-degree murder.

Advances in DNA technology reopen the case

Everett officials say advances in DNA analysis allowed investigators to revisit evidence from the decades-old homicide and identify a suspect.

“Through perseverance, our team will crack the case even decades after the crime is committed,” Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin said. “We honor Susan’s memory as we bring this suspect to justice.”

Everett Police Chief Robert Goetz also credited the investigative work that led to the charges.

“Our investigators strive to seek justice for victims of violent crime and hold offenders accountable,” Goetz said. “We appreciate Detective Susan Logothetti’s efforts, because of which this suspect can be charged almost 50 years later.”