A 74-year-old Washington man was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to two cold case murders from the 1980s in Everett.

Mitchell Gaff was convicted in the killings of Susan Vesey in 1980 and Judith Weaver in 1984. The cases remained unsolved for decades until investigators obtained DNA evidence that linked Gaff to both crimes.

The breakthrough came when law enforcement used undercover tactics to obtain genetic material from Gaff through a piece of discarded chewing gum. This DNA evidence proved crucial in connecting him to the decades-old murders.

Gaff entered guilty pleas to both killings, bringing closure to cases that had remained open for nearly four decades. The sentencing hearing included testimony from survivors and family members of the victims.

The resolution of these cold cases demonstrates how advances in DNA technology and investigative techniques can help solve crimes that occurred decades ago, providing answers to families who had waited years for justice.