mine. >> hopefully it's the first of many conversations. >> i'm craig melvin. >> i'm natalie morales. >> and this is "dateline. " anytime a child goes missing, it's a scary thing. you know there is evil out there. >> first, michella. >> it was terrifying. >> then, jenni. >> bloodhounds came. police were there. >> this is a little girl that was doing nothing more than riding her bicycle in a park. >> two young girls taken. >> the similarities. blonde, blue-eyed, riding a bike. >> somebody who is targeting young girls. >> exactly. >> as a little kid, it definitely scared the heck out of me. >> she was a girl, then, too. solving these mysteries became

her mission. >> so how many names did you have? >> about 2,300 names. >> could cutting-edge technology crack an ice-cold case? >> i was like, no way. >> i believe in the devil, and people that don't believe in the devil, i think, they're in for a big surprise. >> hello and welcome to "dateline. " michella and jenni were just like most kids their age. they loved riding bikes, and playing outdoors. the fun-loving girls didn't know each other. but they would be forever connected, through tragedy. decades later, a detective would leave no stone unturned, on a quest for justice. and in the process, uncovered a twist that left investigators speechless. here is keith morrison with "evil was watching. "

>> again and again, she came here. stood under the ancient canopy. walked the damp, narrow paths, to the places the killer used to hide what he had done. as if looking, once more, after all these years would tell her something. as if the dense undergrowth would part and finally reveal a name. it's so peaceful here. it's not the kind of place you would associate with violent crime. that's for sure. >> no. no. and nothing like this has ever happened at this park before. >> lindsey wade was just 11

years old that terrible summer in tacoma, washington. >> i just remember that it was really scary, to me, as a young girl. it was really scary, not just for me but, for everybody. >> and the questions about that place and that summer followed her, up through the ranks of the tacoma police department. until, as detective lindsey wade, she came here to wrestle with something like an obsession. a mystery, that lay dormant for more than three decades. a story, that can finally be told. >> it was march, 1986. things were finally looking up for barbara leonard. hadn't been easy, she said, after her husband left her. to raise three girls alone. but here, in tacoma, barbara had, at last, found a good job, a home, and prospects. >> i was working in a real estate office, and had just

bought a house in the north end of tacoma. scraped and saved money. >> even a little extra, to sign up her daughters for piano lessons. her youngest was nicole. there was angela, in the middle. and the eldest was michella. >> she was almost 13. she wasn't a rebellious child but kids that age want to be a little more independent. >> and it was spring break so michella begged her mom. >> she wanted to go to the park with her sisters, and be there for the piano lesson. >> puget park, a patch of green on the north end of tacoma. just across the street from their lessons. a couple of miles from home. michella's sisters will never forget that day. >> we were -- >> for like half an hour or so. >> but we went, like, two and a half hours. >> freedom. they rode their bikes to the park, where they realized they'd forgotten their lunches at home. >> so, michella was just like -- oh, i will go grab them and then come back. >> and then, in the meantime, we had to go to the bathroom so

-- >> there is no bathroom at the playground, back then. >> so where did you go? >> so we went down the street. >> it took a while. and when they finally got back, michella should have been there, too. but she wasn't. >> her bike was there, and it was locked. and we started looking. >> we have this family call. >> uh-huh. >> and it -- and it echoes, just far and wide. and so, we were -- >> what's the family call? >> whoo! >> yeah. and so, we yoo-hooed for her and didn't hear anything. >> that's when it happened, when the cold fear flooded their bodies. >> like, at that moment, i knew. >> knew what? >> i just knew something had happened. >> yeah. that it was -- there was -- it was wrong. it was very wrong. >> something was really wrong. >> i left work, i remember that day, and i was -- i was praying i wouldn't get a speeding ticket but i was probably doing 70 miles an hour on the little road. >> do you remember what that

was like? >> it was terrifying. >> you are hoping you are going to see the kid come walking around the corner. >> gene miller was a patrol officer, then, tacoma police. >> there's a special kind of horror or dread that goes with a little girl going missing like that. >> anytime a child goes missing, it's -- it's a scary thing. >> where was michella? the police looked, of course. but as the hours ticked by, my god. there's nothing. >> there's an emptiness there, you just -- time kind of stands still. >> yeah. >> and then -- then, it's, all of a sudden, it's gone. i mean, so it was dark. they said we're going to call in search and rescue because we haven't found her. >> it was late when they took search dogs into a nearby, overgrown gulch. and then --

>> i was in one of the police cars, and they told me that -- that they had found her body. and, you know, when you say found her body, it's not the person. it's just -- it's terrible. sorry. >> they found her near a makeshift fire pit. she had been beaten and sexually assaulted. her throat cut. >> it's this sickening feeling, that just overtakes you. and life is never going to be the same as you know it. >> and i think that it does one of two things to you. it's either going to eat you up or it's going to motivate you to find the bad guy. >> day after day, they searched for the killer. all that dismal spring. one of michella's classmates told police she saw a man in the park looking at the girls. they made a sketch, and tips flooded in. one of them seemed

especially worrisome. a man out jogging reported seeing someone who looked like the sketch in a different park. a place called point defiance park. a few miles away. scouting his next victim? fear gripped the city. though, for barbara, it felt more like rage. she got a gun permit. kept a gun in her car. >> i'd go pull up at a stoplight, and i remember looking over and there is a man in the car and i was thinking, could you have done this? did you do this? because they had no clues, for months, months, and months. and it was fog. you just living in a fog. >> then, it was summer. five months had passed. >> august, that year, was fabulous in the pacific northwest. and woke up a little late. jenni woke up a little late. >> just the two of them. pattie bastian and her 13-year-old, jenni. >> and we were sitting in the dining room, on the floor. in front of the patio doors, bathing ourselves in the sun.

we were talking. all about upcoming camp. all about what she was going to do the rest of the day. we just visited. it's not something we regularly did. we just did it, that day. i think we needed to. >> a moment, in time, so treasured and so terribly fleeting. >> coming up -- >> there is a knock on the front door. it's somebody with the police department. >> another missing girl. another anguished family. another awful search. >> there were, literally, hundreds of people looking through the park for her. >> everybody wanted to find jenni. >> when "dateline" continues. [sfx: ding] [message] hey babe, meet us at the bottom of the trail. oh, man. hey! open up! the redesigned chevy silverado.

with a sophisticated, high-tech interior... open the door! it's easy to forget it's a truck. ♪♪ - thanks. - nice truck! it was. find new style. find new roads. ugh-stipated... feeling weighed down by a backedup gut" find new style. miralax is different. it works naturally with the water in your body to unblock your gut. ...free your gut. and your mood will follow. shingles. some describe it as an intense burning sensation or an unbearable itch. this painful, blistering rash can disrupt your life for weeks. it could make your workday feel impossible.

the virus that causes shingles is likely already inside of you. if you're 50 years or older, ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingles. i'll remember that chapter of my life forever. we laughed, we cried, we protected that progressive home & auto bundle day and night. we were all of us dazzling... like knights sworn to protect our kingdom. we knew it wouldn't last forever, but... that's what made it special -- you know we'll be back tomorrow, right? yeah, but it'll never be today again. -[ groaning ] -just get on the bus, flo! what can i du with less asthma? with dupixent, i can du more... crazy commutes... crowd control- have a nice day alex (thanks ms. ellen) ...taking the stairs. that's how you du more with dupixent,

which helps prevent asthma attacks. dupixent is not for sudden breathing problems. it's an add-on-treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as two weeks. and can reduce, or even eliminate, oral steroids. and here's something important. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. get help right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. are you ready to du more with less asthma? just ask your asthma specialist about dupixent. >> it was summer, 1986, a

sun-kissed morning. a few miles from the park, where they had found michella's body, pattie bastian was enjoying a morning at home with the younger of her two daughters, jenni. a blonde, blue-eyed dynamo. >> if there was a ball, she had it in her hand. if there was a bat, she had it in her hand. >> she had a brand new schwinn bicycle. >> she wanted to have the stamina to keep up. >> she had planned a training ride, with a friend. the friend

backed out. and so, that sunny day, august 4th. >> jenni called her dad, and asked for permission to do the 5-mile drive around point defiance park by herself. >> and he said yes, but be home by 6:30. >> so she wrote a little note, and left it on the kitchen table. >> pd, on jenni's note to her mom stands for point defiance. tacoma's huge and loved urban-forest park. jenni's older sister, theresa, 15 at the time, worked at a day camp there. >> it's majestic. i mean, all these overdone, you know, words of the poets, don't begin to describe the -- just the primeval forest and it's beautiful. >> the five-mile drive around the park was paved, well marked, a popular hike. pattie left for her evening shift at a store, about 40 minutes away. >> and then, the day just becomes like any other day. until a phone call comes, in the evening. it's my husband,

saying that i need to come home. >> jenni was hours late. pattie heard the fear in her husband's voice. she drove home, terrified. police were looking in the park. told her, stay home, and wait. >> and then, about 11-or-so at night, there is a knock on the front door. it's somebody, with the police department, with the bloodhounds. >> oh, boy. >> they want a piece of jennifer's clothing. something they can get a scent off of. >> they didn't find jenni, that night. or the next day. tacoma police closed point defiance park for three days. hundreds of people joined the search. nbc affiliate, king 5, covered it. jenni's sister, theresa, pleaded for help. >> just take time. just think back. just sit down, and remember. any, little bit would help. >> meanwhile, police worked the

angles. was it a kidnapping? >> maybe, they were going to ask for ransom. we just didn't know. >> or maybe, jenni got lost or was badly hurt. >> there were, literally, hundreds of people looking through the park for her. >> everybody wanted to find jenni. >> gene miller helped run down hundreds of suspected sightings. >> there was a lot of good-faith effort, on the part of citizens, to call in. and say i think i saw her here or i think i saw her there. >> pattie waited. still, hoping her jenni would walk right in the door. she was at home, when she got a visit from another mother. barbara. michella's mom. there to offer support. >> just seemed like the thing to do. >> she was very, very sweet. very nice. i said, thank you. she left. and i said, to a friend who was sitting there, i'm not sure why she came. jennifer's not dead. >> you represented the outcome she kpraetly did not want to

have happen. >> exactly. exactly. and she didn't want that to be her reality. >> but was it? it seemed like all of tacoma feared the worst. >> after about, i don't know, 20 days, i decided i needed to do something, beside hang out in the backyard drinking coffee. >> yeah. >> and i decided to paint the dining room. i don't know. >> and that's where she was when the detective arrived. >> took the brusher/roller out of my hand. sat -- helped me down the ladder, sat me on the chair in the dining room and said we found her. >> today's date is august 29th. >> this is police video from the next day. they had found jenni, in a thickly-wooded spot near a narrow footpath. she had been sexually assaulted, and strangled. and her killer had hidden her body and her new

schwinn bicycle. and a second mother learned all about permanent heartbreak. have you let your mind go to what probably happened to her, that day? >> i have my fairy tale, i think. and i will just live with it. she was riding her bike. the monster came out of the woods and grabbed her. and killed her. more than that, i can't wrap my brain around. >> no. twice, in five months. and the victims, very similar. >> blonde, blue eyed, riding a bike, in a city park. >> and after? kids in tacoma lost the freedom to roam alone, just like that. turns on a dime, after jenni. >> yes, it did. it was immediate. >> we couldn't go down the street and play with friends anymore. >> chaperoned everywhere. >> yeah. >> because there was evil out there. a man, a monster, who needed to be found. everybody, it seemed, wanted to help the police. >> at one point, i think we were up to nine or ten binders

full of just tips. and it was everything from i saw a strange person in the park, that day. to my neighbor has got issues. >> police released another sketch of a possible suspect. a man, in his 20s, wearing mirrored sunglasses. that tip led to the man who drove this van. >> he was familiar with point defiance. he was familiar with the five-mile drive. >> they took a good, hard look at him. but dead end. >> dead end. >> there were many dead ends, that year. and in the years that followed. the police collected all the evidence they could. but really, there was only so much they could do. the science of dna was in its infancy. and eventually, the murders of jenni and michella went cold. >> it changed the way people

thought of other people. when the bad guy's still out there, and when you don't know who the bad guy is. >> the whole town kind of carries it around. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> miller carried it around, too. for two decades. and then, he met a young detective, who was just a kid, that summer of 1986. but, did she remember? yes, she did. coming up. >> it definitely scared the heck out of me. >> another detective joins the case, and after all these years, old evidence is about to yield a new clue. >> it was a shocker. >> when "dateline" continues. with models that fit any lifestyle. and innovative ways to make your e-tron your own. through elegant design and progressive technology. all the exhilaration, none of the compromise.

the audi e-tron family. progress that moves you. ♪♪ allergies don't have to be scary. (screaming) defeat allergy headaches fast with new flonase headache and allergy relief! two pills relieve allergy headache pain? and the congestion that causes it! flonase headache and allergy relief. psst! psst! all good! right now, for a limited time, flonase headache and allergy relief. wayfair cardholders get 10% back, in rewards on wayfair purchases. which means everything home... is bringin' home rewards. so make the new fridge make you cold hard rewards. and let the couch buy the cushions! but act fast. our best offer ever ends august 22nd! so use your wayfair credit card today or apply online at wayfair.com. and rack up rewards back, just like that. apply now! only at... ♪ wayfair you've got just what i need ♪ (brad) we've helped millions of renters find their perfect place. like andrea, oh-

(brad vo) ow! what? this isn't right! hot, hot, hot! mayday! mayday! seems like andrea got a dishwasher that's fully functioning. apartments-dot-com. the place to find a place. i get bladder leaks. i didn't want to feel like i was wearing the pads i wore when i was twelve. then i tried the always discreet pads. they fit perfectly in the places they're supposed to. look how much it holds, and it still stays thin! it's the protection we deserve! with xfinity internet, you get advanced security that helps protect you andat home and on the go. you feel so safe, it's as if... i don't know... evander holyfield has your back. i wouldn't click on that. hey, thanks! we got a muffin for ed! all right! you don't need those calories. can we at least split it? nope. advanced security that helps protect your

devices in and out of the home. i mean, can i have a bite? only from xfinity. nah. unbeatable internet. >> > lindsey wade wasn't made to do anything so you can do anything.

friends with michella or jenni. but she certainly could have been. >> i definitely -- i guess, identified with a little girl out riding her bicycle. >> oh, sure. >> she was 11 years old back then, in the summer of 1986. and because she had lived in tacoma, of course, she had heard about those girls, just like her. how they had been snatched, in broad daylight and murdered. >> it definitely scared the heck out of me. >> yeah. >> there would be certain times, where if i was out riding my bike. or if i was walking, it would be something that i would think about. >> a layer of that glossy

childhood varnish, forever stripped away. >> probably, for the first time, made us recognize that there's really bad people out there. >> takes away a little innocence, doesn't it? >> yeah. >> yeah. >> definitely. >> she got to thinking about bad people. in high school, she read a book about the notorious serial killer, ted bundy. who was from here. >> he was from tacoma, yes. and i was fascinated by the book. and terrified, at the same time. and i just decided that that's what i wanted to do for a living. i wanted to catch

people, like him. >> but, even after she joined the tacoma police department, and earned her way through patrol and narcotics and sex crimes. she never forgot about jenni and michella. and the summer of'86. >> i would have a suspect, that i was working, and i would wonder, okay. could this guy be responsible? >> the mystery kept its grip on gene miller, too. inspired him to start a cold-case unit, here. >> i mean, things have changed, dramatically, in -- in how cases are investigated. there's so much more that can be done. >> eventually, in 2013, detective wade joined him. eager to dig into the case of michella and jenni. binders and binders of police reports, and interviews and leads. 27 years of dead ends. and point defiance. like a giant, ever-present question. >> so, her bicycle was back here, in this area. and it was lying on its side. the suspect had taken some of these fern frauns and ripped'em out. and then, laid them across the top of the bike, to camouflage it. >> and further down the path, deeper into the woods, where

they found jenni. >> hidden from view? >> very hidden. >> they discovered her body in a shelter, of sorts. >> one of the original detectives actually described it as something like an igloo, almost. so, like a cave. >> hmm. >> that was made out of the vegetation. >> what do you get out of being at the place where she was found? >> for me, as an investigator, it was important for me to come out here, and actually see it. to try to understand a little bit better, what happened. and try to get myself into the mindset of the killer. i mean, there were days when i would get frustrated sitting in my office working on the case. and i would just drive down here, and park my car and sit down here, hoping that something would come to mind. >> one thing that did come to mind? assembling a list of all the names in those binders. persons of interest. witnesses. any male, who had intersected with the original investigation. so,

how many names did you have? >> about 2,300 names. >> it's a lot of names. >> yes. my working theory, at that time, was this guy's got to be somebody who's been convicted of a sex crime or another murder. and somehow, he slipped through the cracks. >> back, in 1986, investigators had recovered semen from michella's body. but when that semen was tested years later, it didn't match anyone in the fbi's national-dna database, known as codis. they didn't have any dna from jenni's body, though they did still have the swimsuit she had been wearing that day so detective wade sent it out for testing. >> when the crime lab looked at the swimsuit, they found semen in the crotch of her swimsuit. >> for decades, everyone believed the same man murder both girls. and now, finally, they had a way to prove it. but when they compared the two dna samples? >> it was a shocker.

coming up -- a revelation is about to change the case. >> i was absolutely dumbfounded. >> a revelation is about to change the case. >> all this time, you are looking for one thing and it's actually something else? >> uh-huh. now, we had a new lead. >> they'd also get a cutting-edge, new clue. >> i thought, well, i'm going to give it a shot. >> when "dateline" continues. ♪♪ ugh-stipated... feeling weighed down by a backedup gut" miralax is different. it works naturally with the water in your body to unblock your gut. ...free your gut. and your mood will follow.

♪ ♪ this is the moment. for a treatment for moderate-to-severe eczema. cibinqo — fda approved. 100% steroid free. not an injection, cibinqo is a once-daily pill for adults who didn't respond to previous treatments. and cibinqo helps provide clearer skin and less itch. cibinqo can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. before and during treatment, your doctor should check for infections and do blood tests. tell your doctor if you've had hepatitis b or c, have flu-like symptoms, or are prone to infections. do not take with medicines that prevent blood clots. serious, sometimes fatal infections, lymphoma, lung, skin and other cancers, serious heart-related events,

and blood clots can happen. people 50 and older with heart disease risk factors have an increased risk of serious heart-related events or death with jak inhibitors. this is the moment. but we've only just begun. speak with your doctor about cibinqo today. an innovation from pfizer. when a truck hit my car, about cibinqo today. the insurance company wasn't fair. i didn't know what my case was worth. so i called the barnes firm. i was hit by a car and needed help. i called the barnes firm, that was the best call i could've made. i'm rich barnes. it's hard for people to know how much their accident case is worth. let our injury attorneys help you get the best result possible. hello i'm dara brown, here's ♪ the barnes firm injury attorneys ♪ ♪ call one eight hundred, eight million ♪

what's happening. the defense in the parkland school shooter trial is set to present its sentencing case monday. he chooses his lead public defender is expected to give the opening statement. it is the deadliest mass shooting to ever reach a trial. meanwhile, first lady, doctor joe biden, has entered coal -- after two negative tests. she rejoined the president in delaware sunday afternoon. biden was prescribed paxlovid after testing positive last tuesday. now, back to dateline. to dateline. >> welcome back to "dateline." i'm natalie morales. lindsey

wade was just 11 years old when two young girls in her hometown were murdered within a matter of months. as the years passed, wade's obsession with the cases grew. now, she was a detective, and hoped advances in dna technology would help her unmask the killer. but what she was about to learn would completely transform the investigation. here, again, is keith morrison with "evil was watching. " >> michella was so fierce. there really wasn't anything that intimidated her at all. she just took life, head on. >> it never left them. the spirit that was their sister followed them all around their growing-up years, and when they had families of their own. and they knew, always did, that their mom had lost a piece of herself. >> be all together, in this family environment. and then, just this closing would come down over her. >> yeah and she'd just bawl. >> yep. you want mom back.

>> the mystery of who killed michella and jenni haunted two families for nearly-30 years. all they knew, or thought they knew, was that some, unknown man, assaulted and killed those little girls. this man, who had killed once, had killed again. >> absolutely. there couldn't be two monsters in tacoma. >> but they were wrong. dna doesn't lie. and the male dna found on jenni's swimsuit. did it match the other case? >> no. >> there wasn't just one killer. there were two. >> i was absolutely dumbfounded. >> yeah. >> i don't think i could speak. >> i was like, no way. >> i think we were all just -- we had to kind of take a moment. >> sure. >> to regroup. >> yeah. because all this time, you're looking for one thing. and it's actually something else. >> uh-huh. but it was exciting, at the same time, because now

we had a new lead. >> the dna from jenni's swimsuit. a brand new piece of evidence. it might lead them to her killer. but when they entered that into the national database, no match. once again, they seemed to be right back where they started. >> you're just in the hurry-up-and-wait mode. you're waiting for your offender to get their dna in the database, because of a conviction or whatever. and that could be a long wait. >> in 2014, gene miller retired. leaving detective wade in charge of the cold-case unit. and she had a new helper. jenni's mom, pattie. 29 years after her daughter's murder. >> my career was winding down. i thought i should probably do something. and so, i volunteered to help. >> pattie wasn't allowed to touch the two girls'murder files, but she could help in other ways.

>> and we just hit it off. she was so supportive and so positive. and just volunteered for anything she could do to help us make our jobs easier. >> around then, detective wade decided to try something new. with the crime-scene dna. she consulted this woman. dr. colleen fitzpatrick. an expert in something called forensic genealogy. >> an informal sense, it's been referred as csi meets roots. >> maybe you have taken a home dna test. a lot of people have. you can sometimes track down distant relatives by uploading your dna profile to public genealogy websites. dr. fitzpatrick searches all that dna data, to find, not necessarily matches, but telling similarities. >> it's really the first big development in human identification, i think, in years, in 20 years. >> her method can link an

unknown dna profile to possible relatives and, therefore, possible, last names. detective wade was skeptical, at first. >> it kind of sounded like smoke and mirrors, to me. but i thought, well, i'm going to give it a shot. i mean, i want to solve this case. >> yeah. >> she sent dr. fitzpatrick the two dna profiles from michella and jenni's crime scenes. >> and she did her magic. she entered into her genealogy databases. >> there were no exact matches, but there were some possible family names. >> i certainly dug into the names and there wasn't anybody who jumped off the page. >> the only name that seemed remotely interesting was washburn, because there was a guy, by that name, in the case file. but he wasn't a suspect. he was a witness. he was the jogger who told police he saw

someone in point defiance park who resembled the sketch of michella's killer. but even more confusing, dr. fitzpatrick's genealogy research had linked the name washburn to the dna in jenni's murder. which detective wade new happened months after washburn phoned in that tip about michella. so, it was all just a fluke, probably. >> and so, it was something that i kept in the back of my mind, as we continued on with the investigation. >> she also went to a company called parabon, that turned dna profiles into computer generated images. showing what the suspects probably looked like. in 2016, armed with those snapshots. >> these two are solvable. >> the tacoma police department told the public they were searching for two killers, and needed help to find them. jenni's sister theresa was hopeful. >> i didn't know, exactly, where it was going to end up. but i knew it was a big step in the case. >> we had a tip line open. and we got multiple tips on the

same person, because he actually looked so much like the sketch. >> but when they checked him out, they eliminated him as a suspect. so much for new approaches. detective wade, once again, looked at the huge lists she'd made. 2,300 men, connected to the two cases. she couldn't test all of them against the crime scene dna. but -- >> there were several hundred that really did stand out because they did have documented history for violence and sexual assault. >> so, she set out to collect the dna of those men. she called them high-priority suspects. she also, included one guy who wasn't a suspect at all. the witness, washburn. and though they were scattered all over the country, with the fbi's help, one by one, she tracked them down. >> we asked people. knocked on their door. literally, told them we were investigating a

cold case and we'd like to eliminate you as a potential suspect. would you give us your dna? we had, in total, about 160 people that we got dna samples from. >> 160 samples. they all needed to be compared with the dna samples from the two crime scenes. easier said than done. isn't like the movies. this would take months. no idea if any of it would pay off. >> coming up -- so, first batch goes out there. none of these guys were a match. then, i send the next batch out and it's the same thing. >> weeks. months. a year of dead ends. then, came the phone call. >> i was like, no way. >> when "dateline" continues. oubt. ♪ heat makes it last. so you'll never sit this one out. icy hot pro with 2 max-strength pain relievers.

girls trip. ♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year ♪ so you'll never sit this one out. get fast relief of your worst allergy symptoms. including nasal congestion. with powerful claritin-d. so you can breathe better. feel the clarity and make today the most wonderful time of the year. claritin - d. ladies, six minutes please... this is my life. it's not always “picture perfect.” plus i'm dealing with bleeding from uterine fibroids. enter myfembree, a once-daily pill for women with heavy menstrual bleeding due to uterine fibroids. with myfembree, heavy bleeding went down by 84%. serious risks include heart attack, stroke, and blood clots. don't take myfembree if you've had any of these,

or have uncontrolled high blood pressure, are over 35 and smoke, could be pregnant, or have or had osteoporosis, liver disease, undiagnosed vaginal bleeding, certain cancers, or an allergic reaction to it. don't use longer than 2 years as bone loss may occur. pregnancy loss can occur, and changes in periods may make it hard to know if you're pregnant. if you think you are, stop taking it right away. other risks are depression, suicidal thoughts or actions, abnormal liver tests, high blood pressure, and passing of the fibroid. less bleeding, same life? i'll take it. ask your doctor about myfembree. my life, myfembree. -well, i'm not 100% sold yet. -okay, have you considered -- it's fine, flo. she's not interested. i get it. not everyone wants to save money. -what's she doing? -i don't know. renters and homeowners can bundle and save. for what? a trip to bora bora? bora boring. okay, you know what? i'm in. she's all yours. want some tacos? -eh, i'm not really in the mood. -yeah, you're right. so messy, all the napkins, those different toppings.

-actually, i'm in. -yeah, you are. ♪ ♪ ♪♪ voltaren. the joy of movement. ♪♪ >> four more seasons came and

went in tacoma, washington. as ever so methodically, in batches of 20, detective lindsey wade sent her collected samples of dna to the lab. dna taken from 160 men looking for two killers. >> first batch goes out there. i wait months, months, and months. and then, you know, get a report back that none of these guys are a match. and then, i send the next batch out. and it's the same thing. it was really frustrating because there were some people that looked like fantastic suspects, up until the point that they were eliminated. >> a year of dna tests and not

a single match. it was enough to wear any detective down, even one as passionate as lindsey wade. she had given her best. but now, she'd made a tough decision. >> it was time for me to move on. >> in the spring of 2018, lindsey wade retired from the tacoma pd. >> working on cold cases is, typically, more frustrating than rewarding. because you can work and work and work and work, and do a ton of investigation. and come up with zero. >> and then, walk away? >> yeah. >> she had investigated both jenni and michella's cases for years. and saying good-bye wasn't easy. especially, to

jenni's mom. by that time, had you grown pretty close to pattie? >> uh-huh. yeah. >> she is a very special gal. i told her mother, i'm going to adopt her. >> before she left, wade sent one last, small batch of samples to the dna lab. no point, really, in waiting for the results. >> we are down to the last 18. i'm doubtful that we're going to get a match. >> so, she said good-bye and went on with her life. and 25 days later. >> my phone buzzed, and i looked down. >> it was her replacement on the cold-case unit. >> i answer the phone, and he said, there's a match on jennifer bastian. i asked, who -- who is it? what's the name? and he said, robert washburn? and i was like, no way. i knew exactly who it was. but i just couldn't believe it. >> robert washburn. he was the guy who phoned in a tip about michella's murder. he was never a suspect. on her short list, only because of that genealogy analysis. why did washburn's name end up on the list to be tested for dna? >> because of his last name.

>> just the last name? >> yes. >> because he was in that list that was sent to you? >> correct. >> at the time, it seemed like a coincidence. a fluke. but now, here it was. no doubt. robert washburn's dna on jenni bastian's swimsuit. it was head spinning. zblfr and the funny thing is he was not a high-priority suspect. >> he certainly hadn't abouted like one. they learned in the years after the murder/rape of jenni bastian, robert washburn blended into middle america. literally. stayed out of trouble. in fact, when investigators came knocking at his door? he voluntarily gave them a dna sample. >> now, more than three decade after that terrible day in the park. washburn was arrested, at home. and then, the new cold-case detective spoke with him. how did he react?

>> he was scared. he was very nervous. he was sweating. he asked me, is this about that swab i gave the fbi a year ago? and then, he told me, i didn't kill that little girl. >> with washburn in handcuffs, it was time to let jenni's mom know. and that job went to retired detective wade. >> so, of course, i had rehearsed what i was going to say. and -- and it all went out the window by the time i got there. couldn't remember what i was going to say. >> and she walked in. i could tell she had been crying. and she said -- >> we got him. and that's really all i could say. >> the next thing we were doing is crying and hugging each other. >> yeah. >> after 32 years, jenni's

alleged killer was finally in custody. but what about michella's murderer? his identity was, still, a mystery. of the 160 men, whose dna was tested, none matched. did you get to the point where you thought this is just -- we're -- just live with this? never going to be solved? >> yeah. >> oh, yeah. >> whether it was solved or not, was never going to bring her back. but i did not ever want that to happen to other children. so in my mind, it would be a great idea to find this guy. >> remember, back in 2016, parabon made a sketch based on the suspect's d in a but it didn't lead to a suspect. so, in 2018, the company decided to try a newer, more advanced version of forensic genealogy. and what do ya know? coming up -- >> how could you find somebody, how could somebody still be out there? >> one mother, still, seeking answers. and one more phone call, from out of the blue. >> i believe in the devil. and people that don't believe in the devil, i think, they're in for a big surprise. >> when "dateline" continues.

♪ it's the most wonderful time of the year ♪ claritin provides non-drowsy symptom relief from over 200 indoor and outdoor allergens, day after day. feel the clarity and make today the most wonderful time of the year. live claritin clear. what can i du with less asthma? with dupixent, i can du more.. catching my train... making moves... ♪♪ making a connection... a train connection. that's how you du more with dupixent, which helps prevent asthma attacks. dupixent is not for sudden breathing problems. it's an add-on-treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma that can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as two weeks.

and can reduce, or even eliminate, oral steroids. and here's something important. dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. get help right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. are you ready to du more with less asthma? just ask your asthma specialist about dupixent. (vo) the fully electric audi e-tron family is here. with models that fit any lifestyle.ss asthma? and innovative ways to make your e-tron your own. through elegant design and progressive technology. all the exhilaration, none of the compromise. the audi e-tron family. progress that moves you.

i gotta say moving in together has been awesome. no regrets. for you and emily. these are... amazing. thank you wayfair. how's the puppy? puppy's perfect. yeah great decision! ♪ wayfair you've got just what i need ♪ wanna help kids get their homework done? well, an internet connection's a good start. but kids also need computers. and sometimes the hardest thing about homework is finding a place to do it. so why not hook community centers up with wifi? for kids like us, and all the amazing things we're gonna learn. through projectup, comcast is committing $1 billion so millions more students can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities. >> welcome back. for more than

30 years the tacoma police worked every angle to solve the murders of two little girls, horrific crimes that shook the city to its core and yet jenni and michella's case files passed through three generations of detectives before forensics gave them their first big break. now jenni's suspected killer was behind bars and investigators were determined that michella's

would be next. here's keith morrison with the conclusion of "evil was watching. " it's a hole, big hole that nothing else can fill, no amount of comfort. >> the loss of her daughter michella hit barbara leonard and the grief -- >> there's never an end to it and there won't be, i don't think, until i see her and i have that hope and promise. the bible is true. the bible says the dead are sleeping. they will be resurrected. >> that's where you find your comfort? >> of course it is. that's how i've been able to maintain a relationship and understand other people's pain. >> of course, barbara was glad when she heard there was an arrest in jenni's case in may of 2018 but she knew it wouldn't shed any light on

michella's case. >> two different distinct persons. >> maybe they solved the other case but they'd never solve yours. >> yeah. >> so it seemed, 40 days, 40 nights until june 20th, 2018, when barbara's phone rang. >> police chief calls and says, we've got the man we feel is responsible for your daughter's murder. >> after 32 years the breakthrough was once again gene neological dna. >> through this process two brothers were identified as possible suspects. >> the chief's press conference, detective steve riofelt told where he got lucky. >> i observed him using a napkin multiple times and i was able to collect it and get that submitted to the lab. >> and it was a match. >> surreal because after all of this time, how could you find somebody? how could somebody

still be out there? >> michella's alleged killer was a nurse of all things in a psychiatric hospital. a working class guy with no history of violent crime just like robert washburn. >> i believe in the devil, i believe fully in the devil. people that don't believe in the devil, i think they're in for a big surprise. >> barbara leonard and her daughters were in court the day he was charged with her murder. >> i was looking at him and i thought, who is this person? how could someone that looks so normal do something like this? >> he pleaded not guilty to first degree murder and his trial is still pending. his attorney sent us a letter which reads in part, the defense is pursuing various investigative means. i ask the public accord mr. hartman the presumption of innocence to which he is entight zblld robert washburn was back in court. this was the final step of a plea deal. >> how do you plead? >> guilty. >> washburn pleaded guilty to

first degree murder. he was sentenced to 27 years in prison. >> i had prayed that he would not go to trial. i just want it to be over. >> as part of the plea agreement washburn had to tell the court about the murder. in a statement read by the judge he said he grabbed jenni by the arm, brought her into the woods and strangled her and that was it. which that was not enough at all. >> i will always have the question in my head, so you woke up on august 4th. it was a beautiful sunday. you went to the park. did you intend to kill a little girl? why? why did you do this? did you know what you did? do you know how many birthdays she missed? how many christmass? how many smiles? how many laughs? >> do you have any expectation that he's going to answer that why question or any hope that he will?

>> yes. yes. and the reason for that is not for me, the reason is for future, to help psychologists, parents, detectives understand what can be in a human being. what -- what -- what make him this person? >> and also why did washburn call in a tip about michella's murder months before he killed jenni. >> that's another question we'd like an answer to. >> had he been planning it all that time? >> i don't know. >> watching for somebody? >> certainly possible. >> after 32 years jenni's case had finally ended but the bastian wade partnership had not. the two joined forces 20 get a bill that expands dna collection and make sure it gets into a national registry

right away. it's called jennifer and michella's law. >> what would it mean to you to have such a law named after your daughter? >> it would be great. it would be terrific. to memorialize these two girls that did not deserve this. >> in may 2019 washington governor jay inslee signed that law into effect. two little girls, two innocence riding their bikes through a park on a sunny day. that's all for this. it doesn't make it easier for you folks. >> so she decided to do something about that in washington state. the governor signed a law that expended dna collection. and make sure it got international registry right away. it's called jennifer and

michele's law. it's one way to honor those two little girls. to innocence. riding their bikes through a park. on a sunny day. >> that's all for this edition of dateline, i'm natalie morales. thank you for watching. >>you for watching >>, i'm craig melvin and i'm not a morale us, and this is dateline. >> your party >> girl they were fierce and out for fun, a beauty queen, the troublemaker, and the girl next door. >> she was really, really cute, blond hair. >> she won met the guy who dreams love it for sight, but at second glance, trouble. pregnant at 16. >> you will want to be married, heated more to do that? >> awe. >> and one night in ambush someone shot on the dr