CLOSURE:
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WHAT MY LITTLE SISTER TAUGHT ME 32 YEARS AFTER HER MURDER
Theresa Bastian is the author of a true crime memoir about her sister's cold case murder being solved after thirty two years and the lessons she's learned along the way about grief, parenting, friendship, and loss.
She was named a finalist in the Writer’s League of Texas 2019 Manuscript Contest (Memoir) and has been featured in The Big Thrill.
Her advocacy for expanding DNA legislation has resulted in stronger laws in two states so far. She has appeared on Dateline, On the Case with Paula Zahn, and on many local news outlets in WA and TX.
Theresa owns a real estate brokerage in Austin, TX and is the proud mom of a high school senior and a United States Marine.
CLOSURE?
In 1985, my sister Jennifer never returned from her bike ride in a local park. She was 13, and I was 15. We were very close.
In May, 2018, I received a phone call from cold case detective Lindsey Wade saying simply, “We got him.”
After all these years, an arrest had been made due to genealogical DNA evidence, much like in the Golden State Killer’s case.
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Although everyone congratulated me on finally having gotten closure, what I experienced was in fact completely the opposite. The solving of this case allowed me to finally reflect on and recognize all the ways my sister’s murder has deeply affected my life—and continues to affect me.
My story offers a roadmap for other family members confronted with a long-ago violent crime unexpectedly being solved.
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PRESS
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Washburn's Initial Plea of Not Guilty 5/14/18
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Press Conference After Washburn's Court Appearance 5/14/18
Washburn's Guilty Plea and Sentencing 1/25/19
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On the Case with Paula Zahn: In Defiance of Evil
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Bill to Expand Texas’ DNA Database by Taking Samples During Felony Arrests
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Washington's New DNA Law Named for Two Murdered Tacoma Girls
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