After 36 years of uncertainty and waiting, the case of Tracy Whitney, an 18-year-old from Federal Way whose life was tragically cut short, has finally found some semblance of resolution—though the specter of true justice remains elusive, FOX 13 Seattle reports. Using advanced DNA technology, Pierce County Sheriff's Department was able to connect the dots in Whitney's 1988 murder, identifying John Guillet Jr., a Puyallup resident previously unlinked with the teenage victim, as the perpetrator.
The case, which dates back to a grim finding on the banks of the Puyallup River near Sumner, told a harrowing story of a young woman taken far too soon; Whitney's body was discovered a day after she left a Burger King in Federal Way, as detailed by The News Tribune, which also described the autopsy findings, indicating she had been strangled, possibly smothered, and had evidence pointing towards sexual assault, her killer remained a mystery, the community haunted by the specter of unresolved malice and dread for over three decades as the initial blaze of investigative trails, cold and dim, they turned to frost under the relentless march of years.
According to the investigation details released by the Pierce County Sheriff's Department and echoed on their Facebook page, the initial attempt to find a DNA match in CODIS was unfruitful, but with a grant from the WA State Attorney General's Office, 2022 saw the DNA resubmitted for genetic genealogy testing, which eventually led to a match with Guillet Jr.
Although Guillet Jr. could not face his day in court having died from cancer shortly before the DNA results came back conclusively tying him to the crime, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department made it clear that their dedication to seeking answers for the families of victims like Whitney never wanes; they continue to delve into the past with the hope of unearthing truths buried by time and technology that was, for years insufficient, unable to penetrate the veil where DNA whispers but does not yet shout, until now, when whispers are amplified into revelation.
Tracy Whitney's family has expressed their gratitude towards the relentless efforts of the Sheriff's Department, as conveyed in a statement shared on Facebook by a family member. They wrote, "Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, the perpetrator has been identified as John Guillet Jr. from Puyallup, WA. Unfortunately, Guillet passed away a year before this breakthrough, so no arrest could be made." In the wake of the newest development, there's at least a measure of closure, but it's mixed with the bittersweet taste of justice that will remain, perpetually, just out of reach.
