David McEachran, who has been referred to as-as a special prosecutor for the Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney’s office, argues that Bass lived on the equal street as Stavik, that her jogging direction took her through his house and that he commenced attending her high school basketball games, in keeping with court facts. Prosecutors allege Bass kidnapped and raped Stavik, after which they killed her to prevent her from alerting the police, courtroom information display.
Prosecutors are also searching to introduce testimony from a man who says that even as he and Bass had been inmates within the Whatcom County Jail, Bass advised him information about the alleged crime, court docket facts country. Bass’ public defenders have filed a motion to exclude the man’s testimony because he changed into waiting to get hold of competency recuperation services at Western State Hospital, information state. The guy was discovered to have met the provisional standards for a delusional ailment, in line with court statistics.
Prosecutors asked Judge Olson to reserve a ruling on whether or not the person could testify in the course of the trial. A ruling is predicted sometime next week or will take place at some stage in the trial.
The trial will begin Monday with jury selection, which is anticipated to take numerous days. Opening statements will begin after the jury is seated.
WHO YOU NEED TO KNOW
▪ Prosecution: The crew prosecuting Timothy Bass for the alleged abduction, rape, and homicide of Mandy Stavik consists of former longtime Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney David McEachran and Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Erik Sigmar.
McEachran, who retired in Dec. 2018 after an almost half-century workplace, is returning as a unique prosecutor. Sigmar has been with the workplace for 4 years and an attorney for greater than a decade. He was currently promoted to Chief Criminal Deputy after Eric Richey gained the November election for the pinnacle prosecutor.
▪ Defense: The crew defending Timothy Bass for the alleged abduction, rape, and homicide of Mandy Stavik includes Whatcom County Public Defenders Starck Follis, Shoshana Paige, and Stephen Jackson.
Follis has been the director of the public defender’s office for five years and has been a lawyer for more than three years.
Paige, a senior deputy public defender, has been with the workplace on account that 2006. Jackson, who is additionally a deputy public defender, has been with the office for 5 years.
▪ The victim: Amanda “Mandy” Stavik, changed into a 1989 graduate of Mount Baker High. The 18-year-old changed into a home for Thanksgiving ruin from Central Washington University whilst she disappeared while walking.
Stavik turned into defined as a vivacious and gregarious young girl, played saxophone in the band, turned into an honors scholar and cheerleader, The Bellingham Herald previously reported. She also performed basketball and softball and ran go-us of a and song.
Some 900 humans attended her memorial service, and music turned into creation for a scholarship endowed in her name at Mount Baker High. Stavik also labored on the Whatcom Family YMCA.
▪ The defendant: Timothy Forrest Bass, 51, is from Everson. He changed into an established delivery driver for the local Franz Bakery outlet in Bellingham.
Bass grew up on the west side of Strand Road inside the Acme place, while Mandy Stavik grew up on Strand Road’s east aspect.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office had suspected Bass considering that as a minimum 2013, it was consistent with Sheriff Bill Elfo. Detectives two times contacted Bass at his domestic; however, he declined to give a voluntary DNA sample.
Detectives then requested permission to collect a DNA pattern from his paintings truck, but Franz denied the request. Bass changed into then arrested in December 2017 after a coworker gave detectives a plastic cup and Coke can say he drank out of.
BACKGROUND ON THE CASE
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office arrested Bass on Dec. 12, 2017. He became charged with first-diploma murder and Primary-degree rape in connection with Stavik’s loss of life.
Due to May 2018, the rape rate turned into dismissed due to the statute of boundaries concerns. Bass has been in the Whatcom County Jail, considering his arrest instead of $1 million bails. If convicted, he ought to face two decades to existence in prison.
After Stavik died, a DNA profile was constituted of proof taken from her body at some stage in an autopsy. After Bass twice refused to give a voluntary pattern, detectives tried to acquire DNA proof from his paintings, Franz Bakery. Franz declined; however, a coworker found out of the sheriff’s research, collected a plastic cup, and Coke can Bass drank out of, and grew to become the gadgets into detectives, courtroom information show.
Bass’ DNA matched the suspect profile, which brought about his arrest in line with courtroom records. Defense attorneys at the start attempted to suppress the DNA evidence, meaning it couldn’t be used at trial; however, Judge Raquel Montoya-Lewis ruled at a hearing in overdue August that it may be admitted as evidence.
