'Sexually violent predator' arrested for 1984 Everett woman's murder after DNA cracks case

EVERETT, Wash, — A 66-year-old man is being held without bail for a 1984 cold case murder, rape, kidnapping, burglary and arson in Everett.

The crimes against women committed by Mitchell Gaff decades ago are so heinous Washington state labeled him a “sexually violent predator.”

In and out of custody, the 66-year-old is now back behind bars. This time, Gaff is accused of more hideous crimes, the rape, torture and murder of 42-year-old Judith "Judy" Weaver in 1984.

Now, almost 40 years later, several of Weaver’s family members sat in a Snohomish County Superior courtroom Thursday to see the man accused of her murder. KOMO News asked, but Weaver’s family did not want to talk about the case.

Firefighters discovered Weaver’s body in a burning apartment on Rucker Avenue in North Everett on the morning of June 2, 1984, after someone spotted the fire and called 911.

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Weaver’s murder remained unsolved until this week when DNA evidence identified Gaff as a suspect.

Gaff is no stranger to police or prison. He is a registered, Level 3 sex offender.

His convictions include a 1979 attempted rape and assault of a woman. He also pleaded guilty to raping and assaulting two teenage sisters in 1984. Gaff was arrested again after retired Everett Police Detective Steve Brenneman noticed similarities between those cases and Weaver’s murder in 1984. In each of the cases, from 1979 to 1984, the women were bound at the wrists.

Still chasing leads in the 1984 cold case, Brenneman sent a small piece of fabric that had been used to bind Weaver’s wrists to the Washington state crime lab for testing in 2022.

A year later, the results revealed a connection to Gaff and Everett Police Department detectives kept following leads. In January, undercover officers surreptitiously collected DNA from Gaff in the form of saliva. They continued collecting evidence and matching DNA samples, which led to them arresting Gaff on May 2.

He made his first appearance in a Snohomish County Superior courtroom on Thursday and the prosecutor asked the judge for no bail.

The judge said facts established clear and convincing evidence that Gaff shows a propensity for violence that creates a substantial likelihood of danger to the community and set no bail for his release.