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Cold case killer who chewed cops’ undercover DNA bait faces survivor, families in courtroom showdown

Nypost · · 566 words · By Fox News
Cold Case Investigation Victim Impact criminal justice
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What to know about Cold Case Investigation

Cold case killer who chewed cops’ undercover DNA bait faces survivor, families in courtroom showdown See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 10
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center75%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Cold case killer who chewed cops’ undercover DNA bait faces survivor, families in courtroom showdown See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleA Washington man was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison after admitting to a pair of decades-old cold-case killings which investigators linked him to using a piece of gum.

Common ground

Mitchell Gaff, 74, was sentenced last week after he previously pleaded guilty to the murders of 21-year-old Susan Vesey and 42-year-old Judith “Judy” Weaver in Everett, according to FOX 13.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/19/us-news/cold-case-killer-who-chewed-cops-undercove…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 8
help Insufficient Evidence 2
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Claim 1: “Vesey’s son, Joshua Vesey, told the court he was just 3 months old and inside the apartment when his mother was killed by Gaff”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding Joshua Vesey's age or presence during the murder.
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Claim 2: “A Washington man was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison after admitting to a pair of decades-old cold-case killings”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent news sources (FOX 13 Seattle, AOL/CNN, and others) confirm Mitchell Gaff was sentenced to 50 years to life for two cold-case murders.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Thomas Mitchell (born 31 May 1993) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who last played for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Mitchell_(Australian_footb…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Andrew Gaff (born 16 June 1992) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played predominantly as a midfield…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Gaff
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Samuel Mitchell (born 12 October 1982) is an Australian rules football coach and former player who is the current coach of the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. As a player, he…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Mitchell_(footballer)
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 3: “Investigators linked Gaff to the 1984 murder of Weaver after detectives with the Everett Police Department visited his home while claiming to be researchers working within the gum industry and inviting him to try a free sample”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources describe the specific 'gum ruse' where detectives posed as researchers/salespeople to obtain a DNA sample from Gaff.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart occurred on June 5, 2002, when 14-year-old American girl Elizabeth Ann Smart was kidnapped from her home in Salt Lake City, Utah by Brian David Mitchell. Mitchell ab…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapping_of_Elizabeth_Smart
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — CeCe Moore (born January 16, 1969) is an American genetic genealogist. She has been the genetic genealogy expert for Finding Your Roots since 2012 and heads the Parabon NanoLabs genetic genealogical u…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CeCe_Moore
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A cold case is an unsolved crime that is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_case
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 4: “He was arrested in May 2024”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm Gaff was arrested in May 2024 (specifically May 1, 2024).
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Made in Chelsea (MIC) is a British structured-reality television series broadcast by E4. Made in Chelsea chronicles the lives of affluent young people in the West London and South West areas of Belgra…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Made_in_Chelsea
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Samuel Mitchell (born 12 October 1982) is an Australian rules football coach and former player who is the current coach of the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League. As a player, he…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Mitchell_(footballer)
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Thomas Mitchell (born 31 May 1993) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who last played for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Mitchell_(Australian_footb…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 5: “Leon Gregory, Weaver’s brother”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm the identity or relationship of Leon Gregory.
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Claim 6: “Gaff, who was arrested several times in the years after and spent time behind bars for the rapes of two teenage sisters in 1984.”
CORROBORATED
HeraldNet and other sources confirm Gaff served prison time (specifically 10 years) for the 1984 rapes of two teenage sisters.
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web search NEUTRAL — Gaff served 10 years in prison for the 1984 rapes. On the eve of his release, prosecutors filed papers to have him legally detained under the state’s sexual predator law.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/rapist-mitchell-gaff-may-get-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Mitchell Gaff opened the door wearing pajama pants, welcomed the trio into his house and agreed to a taste test, sampling different sticks of gum with enthusiasm, Logothetti recalled of the January 20…
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/10/us/mitchell-gaff-everett-wa-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mitchell Gaff, 68, was apprehended after three undercover investigators posed as gum salespeople and entered his home to take DNA, according to court documents obtained by CNN. Mike Bedigan in New Yor…
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/cold…
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Claim 7: “Jacqueline O’Brien, a former law enforcement officer who survived a violent attack by Gaff inside her Everett home’s garage in 1979.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm Jacqueline (or Jacalyn) O'Brien survived a violent attack by Gaff in her garage in 1979.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Survivor recounts violent 1979 attack The court also heard from Jacqueline O'Brien, who survived a violent attack by Gaff in Everett in 1979.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/everett-wa-cold-case-ki…
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web search NEUTRAL — In November 1979, Gaff attacked and attempted to rape 29-year-old Jacalyn O'Brien in her garage, an offense in which he was sentenced to five years of probation and one year of work release ...
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/10/us/mitchell-gaff-everett-wa-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — After an unfathomable spree of sexual violence, court papers reveal Gaff's efforts to leave those horrors behind him, in his own words.
https://www.heraldnet.com/2024/05/11/the-many-faces-of-mitch…
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Claim 8: “Mitchell Gaff, 74, was sentenced last week after he previously pleaded guilty to the murders of 21-year-old Susan Vesey and 42-year-old Judith “Judy” Weaver in Everett”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm Mitchell Gaff pleaded guilty to the murders of Susan Vesey and Judith 'Judy' Weaver in Everett, Washington.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The man, Mitchell A. Gaff, 68, pleaded guilty on Thursday to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Susan Vesey, who was found dead in her home on July 12, 1980, and Judy Weaver, whose bod…
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/us/washington-gum-cold-ca…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mitchell Gaff, 68, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in Snohomish County Superior Court on Thursday, April 16, according to the Everett Police Department just north of Seattle. Gaff …
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/04/16/mitche…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mitchell Gaff entered guilty pleas Thursday in Snohomish County Superior Court, admitting responsibility for the killings of Judith “Judy” Weaver and Susan Vesey.
https://wjla.com/news/nation-world/everett-man-mitchell-gaff…
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Claim 9: “investigators revealing she [Susan Vesey] had been murdered inside her apartment the day after her 21st birthday on July 12, 1980”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm Susan Vesey was murdered in her home on July 12, 1980, the day after her 21st birthday.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — On July 12, 1980, Ken Vesey, the victim’s husband, had returned from working a night shift when he found Vesey murdered in her home on Casino Road, the release said. It was the morning after her 21st …
https://www.heraldnet.com/2026/03/13/developing-man-charged-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Susan Vesey was murdered inside her home in Everett, Wash., on July 12, 1980, according to authorities. (Everett Police Department).
https://www.foxnews.com/us/dna-chewing-gum-nails-longtime-se…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Vesey was found dead on July 12, 1980, the morning after her 21st birthday, inside her home on Casino Road. Her husband, Ken Vesey, discovered her when he returned home from a night shift, according t…
https://komonews.com/news/local/man-charged-with-the-1980s-d…
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Claim 10: “Gaff reportedly obliged, providing the undercover detectives with a sample that was subsequently sent through the federal database CODIS, where investigators ultimately linked him to Weaver’s murder.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources explicitly state that the DNA from the gum was processed through the CODIS federal database to link Gaff to the murders.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Convicted double murderer and diagnosed sexual sadist Mitchell Gaff will likely be chewing on this for the rest of his life — in prison.Logothetti that there were startling similarities between the mu…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/cops-used-chewing-gum-ma…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mitchell Gaff pleaded guilty to the rapes and cold case murders of Judith Weaver and Susan Vesey in Everett, Wash., according to the Everett Police Department.The pieces were then sent through the fed…
https://www.aol.com/articles/dna-chewing-gum-nails-longtime-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mitchell Gaff confessed to two cold case murders after DNA from gum linked him to the crimes, thanks to a clever police trick.These samples were then processed through the federal database CODIS, whic…
https://internewscast.com/news/us/decades-old-cold-case-crac…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.