A new DNA site helped investigators crack a 31-year-old double homicide case in Washington state by matching a suspect with crime scene evidence.
William Talbott, 55, was arrested on Thursday and appeared before a Skagit County judge at a Friday hearing where he pleaded not guilty to the murders of 20-year-old Jay Cook and 18-year-old Tanya Van Cuylenborg, Q13 Fox reported. Bail was set at $2 million.
The murders took place in November 1987 after Van Cuylenborg and Cook left their homes in Saanich, British Columbia, on an overnight trip to Seattle, Fox News reported.
Days after being reported missing, Van Cuylenborg's body was found near an isolated road south of Bellingham, Washington. She had been bound with plastic ties, sexually assaulted and then shot in the head, according to investigators.
The following day, Cook's body was located about 75 miles away, near Monroe, Washington.
At the time police were able to obtain DNA from the crime scene but it was only when Virginia company Parabon made its genetic genealogy service available two weeks ago that detectives were able to get a break in the case.
According to Fox, a digital file featuring DNA genotype data was uploaded to the public genealogy website, GEDMatch, which produced matches for two of Talbott’s relatives.
California investigators used a similar method to nab Golden State Killer suspect Joseph James DeAngelo, who they believe is responsible for committing at least 12 homicides and 45 rapes in the 1970s and '80s
Commenting on Talbott's arrest, Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary said investigators "never gave up hope" that they would locate the killer, Global News noted.
"We would not be here without the persistence of detectives in our office, and in Snohomish County, and without the invaluable support from Parabon," Skagit County Sheriff Will Reichardt added.