A convicted rapist has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for the decades-old murders of two women, solved after investigators used a piece of discarded chewing gum to obtain his DNA.
Undercover Operation
Mitchell Gaff, 68, was apprehended following a ruse in January 2024, when three undercover officers from the Everett Police Department posed as gum salespeople conducting market research. According to court documents obtained by CNN, Gaff invited the officers into his Washington home and unwittingly provided saliva on used gum pieces. Officer Susan Logothetti told CNN she struggled to contain her excitement as she watched him spit gum into a dish.
Murders of Two Women
Gaff was sentenced on Wednesday for the murders of Susan Vesey, 21, and Judith Weaver, 42, which occurred in the 1980s. Weaver was found dead in her home on June 2, 1984, after a fire that investigators later determined was set by Gaff. Vesey was discovered by her husband on July 12, 1980.
Gaff was charged with Weaver's murder in May 2024 after his DNA was matched to evidence through the national Combined DNA Index System. His DNA had been entered following a 1984 conviction for raping two teenage sisters. He was charged with Vesey's murder in March 2025.
Plea and Statements
Gaff pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder on April 16. In his plea statement, he admitted to trying random doors and finding Vesey's unlocked, then beating, raping, and strangling her. For Weaver, he described attacking her in her bedroom and setting a fire to cover his crime, wrapping cords around her neck. He stated he did not know either woman before the attacks.
The Everett Police Department confirmed that Gaff's statements were consistent with their investigations. He is now serving a minimum of 50 years in prison.
