BELLINGHAM, Wash. — New details have emerged in the 1989 murder of Whatcom County resident Mandy Stavik as her case went to trial.
The 18-year-old Central Washington University student left her home to go jogging with her dog the day after Thanksgiving. The dog returned several hours later, but Stavik never made it home.
Her body was found a few miles away in the Nooksack River days after her disappearance.
For years, Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo met regularly with Stavik’s mom to let her know her daughter had not been forgotten.
"I gave her assurances that we were going to do everything we can to bring justice to Mandy and catch who was responsible," said Elfo.
A break in the case finally came in 2017, 28 years after Stavik’s death. DNA collected from a discarded coffee cup used by Timothy Bass matched DNA collected from Stavik’s body.
Authorities said Bass initially denied any contact with the victim. However, when confronted with the DNA evidence, he admitted to a consensual sexual relationship. Experts said the chance of that DNA belonging to a random stranger is 1 in 11 quadrillion.
"I have no doubt that Mr. Bass killed Mandy Stavik,” Elfo told KING 5.
Bass' attorney said there is much more to the story.
"I believe he had nothing to do with the murder," said Whatcom County Senior Deputy Public Defender Stephen Jackson.
Court documents obtained exclusively by KING 5 raise questions about Stavik’s mental state at the time of her disappearance and death.
Also, a blow to the back of Mandy's head, which allegedly rendered her unconscious, may never actually have happened.
"When the public sees the evidence that's been amassed over all these years, and the lack of evidence that's been amassed over all these years, they will see exactly what the argument is in this case," Jackson explained.
However, prosecutors point to a potentially damaging 2015 discussion between Bass and his sister-in-law, as well as a jailhouse conversation between Bass and an inmate in which the defendant allegedly divulged details of the crime.
Retired Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney Dave McEachran worked on the case when it broke nearly 30 years ago. He is coming out of retirement to personally prosecute Bass.