INVESTIGATIVE CASE DOSSIER: THE MURDER OF MANDY STAVIK: HOW A BAKERY DELIVERY TRUCK DRIVER WAS TRAPPED BY DNA AFTER 28 YEARS
- Victim: Amanda ‘Mandy’ Stavik (Age 18; Central Washington University Freshman)
- Date of Crime: November 24, 1989 (Thanksgiving Friday)
- Location of Crime: Acme, Whatcom County, Washington
- Perpetrator: Timothy Forrest Bass (Born 1967; Franz Bakery Delivery Driver)
- Cause of Death: Drowning following sexual assault and abduction
- Breakthrough Evidence: Coke can & plastic cup collected by bakery coworker Kim Wagner
- Date of Arrest: December 12, 2017 (Whatcom County, Washington)
- Sentence: 27 years in state prison (Convicted May 2019)
On the afternoon of November 24, 1989, 18-year-old college freshman Mandy Stavik left her family’s home in Acme, Washington, to go for a jog with her German shepherd. Three days later, her body was found in the south fork of the Nooksack River. For nearly thirty years, Whatcom County detectives interviewed hundreds of local men and collected voluntary DNA swabs without success. In 2017, a courageous coworker at a commercial bakery obtained discarded beverage containers from delivery driver Timothy Bass, delivering a 1-in-a-trillion DNA match that solved the Mandy Stavik murder.
The Thanksgiving Disappearance in Acme: 1989
Mandy Stavik was an honor student and varsity athlete visiting her mother for Thanksgiving break from Central Washington University. While jogging along Strand Road in rural Acme, she vanished. Hours later, her dog returned home alone, agitated and wet.
On November 27, search volunteers discovered Mandy’s body floating in the Nooksack River. She had been sexually assaulted, struck on the head, and drowned. Pathologists recovered semen from her body, preserving it in state crime lab freezers.
The Voluntary DNA Dragnet and Timothy Bass’s Refusal
Over two decades, Whatcom County Sheriff’s detectives asked dozens of men living in Acme in 1989 for voluntary DNA swabs. One neighbor, Timothy Forrest Bass—who lived just down the road from the Stavik home in 1989—repeatedly refused to submit a swab, instructing his wife not to cooperate.
Detectives lacked probable cause for a court-ordered warrant, leaving the investigation stalled.
The Bakery Coworker’s Heroic Act
In 2017, Detective Kevin Bowhay visited Franz Bakery in Bellingham, where Bass worked as a delivery truck driver. Coworker Kim Wagner learned that Bass was a suspect in Mandy’s murder. When Bass threw away a plastic cup and a Coca-Cola can in a breakroom trash can, Wagner retrieved the items and handed them to detectives.
The Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory extracted Bass’s DNA from the cup. The result was a flawless 1-in-a-quadrillion match to the 1989 crime scene semen.
Trial, Conviction, and Justice
On December 12, 2017, Timothy Bass was arrested. In May 2019, a Whatcom County jury convicted Bass of first-degree murder. Judge Raquel Montoya-Lewis sentenced Bass to 27 years in prison, bringing long-awaited justice to the Whatcom County community.
Case Timeline & Key Forensic Milestones
| Date / Year | Milestone / Event | Forensic Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 24, 1989 | Mandy Stavik vanishes while jogging in Acme, WA | Body discovered 3 days later in Nooksack River |
| 2013–2015 | Timothy Bass repeatedly refuses voluntary DNA swab | Detectives lack probable cause for search warrant |
| 2017 | Bakery coworker Kim Wagner retrieves discarded soda cup | State Crime Lab establishes 1-in-a-quadrillion DNA match |
| Dec 12, 2017 | Timothy Bass arrested by Whatcom County Sheriff | Charged with first-degree murder |
| May 2019 | Bass convicted of first-degree murder | Sentenced to 27 years in prison |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who murdered Mandy Stavik?
Timothy Forrest Bass, an Acme neighbor and Franz Bakery truck driver, was convicted in 2019 of murdering Mandy Stavik in November 1989.
How did police obtain Timothy Bass’s DNA?
A bakery coworker, Kim Wagner, retrieved a discarded soda cup and Coke can used by Bass and provided them to Whatcom County Sheriff’s detectives.
What sentence did Timothy Bass receive?
Bass was sentenced to 27 years in Washington state prison in July 2019.
