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
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
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
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.
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