Mitchell Gaff Pleads Guilty to 2 Cold Case Murders After DNA from Chewed Gum Links Him to Crimes

Mitchell Gaff, 68, admitted in court to murdering two women who were sexually assaulted before being found dead in their Washington State apartments during the 1980s. The cases went unsolved for decades until detectives used an undercover operation to secretly collect Gaff's DNA from discarded chewing gum.

Police matched the DNA from the gum to evidence found at both crime scenes. Gaff had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and burglary, establishing him as a serial rapist. The DNA breakthrough allowed investigators to finally connect him to the murders.

Cold cases like these often remain unsolved for years until advances in DNA technology or new investigative techniques provide breakthroughs. The victims' families have waited decades for answers and justice in these cases.

Gaff's guilty plea means he will face sentencing for the murders without going to trial. The case demonstrates how law enforcement agencies continue working on unsolved crimes even when they are decades old.