5-23-2019
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — It’s up to the jury now to decide whether Timothy Bass is innocent or guilty in the murder of Mandy Stavik three decades ago.
KING 5 reports Former Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney Dave McEachran stayed on to finish out this case and asked the jury to use common sense in his closing arguments given Wednesday.
“[Bass] asked his brother to make up a story that he had sex with [Stavik]. He asked his mother if they could blame the death of Stavik on the dad. Why would he do this? You have to use your common sense,” said McEachran.
Bass’ attorney continued to push the defense that nobody truly knows what happened November 24, 1989.
“Is it unreasonable to say, ‘I need to put an alibi together? I need to figure out where I was on that date in order to prove that I didn’t do this’ . . . . This case is a mystery,” he said.
For McEachran, there is no reasonable doubt regarding Bass in this case.
“This is an atrocious thing. Hold him accountable,” he said.
The jury begins deliberations Thursday to determine whether Bass is guilty of first-degree murder.
Stavik was found raped and murdered after going for a run in Acme, but the case went cold until DNA and ancestry databases led police to Bass of Everson in December 2017, and the trial began this month.