It was first assumed that the brutal murders of 12-year-old Michella Welch and 13-year-old Jennifer Bastian in Tacoma, Washington, in 1986 were carried out by the same individual. After all, exactly as the television show ‘Dateline: Evil Was Watching’ illustrates, they not only occurred within five months of one another, but they also shared other horrific characteristics, including symptoms of sexual assault, in common. Jennifer’s terrible death was caused by Robert Washburn, not Gary Hartman, as previously stated; thus, let’s learn more about the latter. Gary Hartman was accountable for the first, while Robert Washburn was responsible for the second.
Who is Robert Washburn, and what is his background?
Robert Dwane Washburn, born in 1958, was a 28-year-old citizen of Pierce County who lived only two miles away from Point Defiance Park at the time of the event on August 4, 1986. He was shot and killed by a police officer. After a period, reports indicate that the then-mechanic was added to the suspect list after telling investigators that he frequently went for runs near the crime scene. Despite his claims, however, it appears that the mechanic was never a hot lead. This could have been due to his lack of a major criminal past – he was previously caught but not prosecuted with car prowling and trespassing – or because he moved to Skagit County in the late 1990s, when the crime was committed.
Robert’s relocation to a different region (which occurred sometime after his second divorce) appeared to have little to do with Jennifer’s situation, especially given the fact that he later relocated to Eureka, Illinois. Also worth mentioning is the fact that, following his final shift in the late 2000s, he allegedly quit his job to become the sole caregiver for his crippled daughter, whom he appeared to be sincerely devoted. The FBI arrived on his home in March 2017, asking about the cold case after obtaining new DNA evidence more than three decades after the fact, and he voluntarily provided them with a sample. Since then, everything has turned around.
What happened with Robert Washburn?
The subsequent DNA testing revealed an unmistakable match in May 2018, linking Robert Washburn to Jennifer Bastian’s 1986 rape and subsequent homicide, resulting in his arrest and subsequent homicide charges. Later, he was transferred to the state of Washington, where a judge in the county of Pierce officially indicted him in court before setting his bail at an unbelievable $5 million. Robert, on the other hand, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in January 2019, for which he was sentenced to the maximum sentence of 2612 years in prison — the only condition being that he divulge what he’d done to Jennifer.
Despite the fact that Robert didn’t speak much in court, other than to say “yes” or “no” and keep his head down, he did submit a written statement that was read aloud by the judge. Besides writing that he wanted to plead guilty from the beginning in order to spare everyone involved the anguish of a trial, whether before a judge or a jury, he also expressed regret for his acts and the consequences they have had on others. In accordance with the agreement, Robert had written, “I strangled her until she died.” “I am heartbroken about Jennifer’s passing. I am truly sorry.” As a result, he is currently detained at the minimum-medium security Airway Heights Corrections Center, where he is anticipated to remain for the remainder of his natural life at the age of 64.