The Road Home: The Mandy Stavic Case

Some names and details have been changed for privacy.

Chapter 1: The Last Run

On the afternoon of November 24th, 1989, Mandy Stavic laced up her running shoes and stepped onto the quiet country road she’d known all her life. At eighteen, she was a college freshman home for Thanksgiving, full of energy and plans for the future. Her dog Kyra trotted beside her, as always. This was her neighborhood, where everyone knew her name, where she had never once felt afraid.

But less than a quarter mile from her own front door, Mandy vanished. Two hours later, Kyra returned home alone, trembling and broken. Mandy was gone.

For the next 28 years, her killer would live freely among the people who mourned her, hiding in plain sight in Acme, Washington—a rural community defined by trust, safety, and silence. Doors stayed unlocked, car keys left in ignitions, neighbors helped neighbors. The belief that nothing bad could happen here was the very thing that made this crime possible.

Chapter 2: A Family’s Search for Safety

Mary Stavic, Mandy’s mother, had moved her family to Acme from Alaska after tragedy struck. Years earlier, her eldest son Brent was murdered—shot seventeen times while hunting near Anchorage. The case was never solved. Seeking safety, Mary brought her children to Acme, hoping to start anew.

Life in Acme was peaceful. Mandy thrived, becoming a star athlete, musician, and honor student. She played varsity basketball, ran track, played three instruments, spoke Japanese and sign language, and worked as a lifeguard. She wanted to be a commercial pilot. Her warmth and light touched everyone around her.

Mary believed the worst was behind her. She had no idea history would repeat itself.

Chapter 3: The Disappearance

Thanksgiving break was full of laughter and family. On Friday, Mandy went for her usual run down Strand Road to the Nooksack River and back. Most days, Mary would ride her bike alongside Mandy, but that afternoon she stayed home. It was just Mandy and Kyra.

Three people saw Mandy on her run: a delivery man, her brother Lee, and a stranger in a pickup truck. All watched her pass by, none suspecting anything was wrong.

Investigators later concluded Mandy’s attacker must have been in a vehicle. She was too fast to catch on foot. Someone pulled up beside her, likely threatened her, and forced her in. It happened fast, quietly, in broad daylight.

Kyra returned home alone, cowering and shaking. Investigators believed she had been kicked or struck, her protective instinct shattered. Mary knew before the phone calls and search parties began. A mother always knows.

Chapter 4: The Search and the Loss

The community rallied, searching on foot, horseback, and ATVs. Acme moved as one, but hope faded as hours turned to days. For the first time, people locked their doors, pulled car keys from ignitions, and called their children in before sunset. The trust that had held the community together was cracking.

On November 27th, three days after Mandy disappeared, searchers found her in the river, face down, socks and running shoes still on. Her sweatpants, sweatshirt, and Walkman were gone—never found. The autopsy revealed Mandy had been assaulted, struck on the head, and drowned. Her legs were covered in deep scratches from blackberry thorns. She had tried to escape, running through dense brush, but was caught and overpowered.

Nearly a thousand people attended her memorial service. Her coach, Jim Freeman, gave her eulogy, recalling her smile and zest for life. The question hung over Acme: Who did this?

Chapter 5: The Investigation

Investigators threw everything at the case. Mandy’s boyfriend Rick was cleared—his cooperation and love for Mandy were evident. The FBI’s lab processed DNA from Mandy’s body, revealing an unknown male profile. But in 1989, DNA databases were nearly empty. The killer’s identity was locked in a lab report, but technology couldn’t match it.

Over 7,000 leads were chased, every suspicious vehicle, every rumor, every name. Early suspects were ruled out by DNA. The case passed through three sheriffs, countless detectives, and decades of slow progress. Thirty local men voluntarily gave DNA samples; none matched.

The one man investigators needed was never asked, never questioned. He lived just a few doors down from the Stavic family.

Chapter 6: Decades of Waiting

Mary Stavic waited, her hope fading as years passed. She stayed in the same house, watching seasons change, her hair turning gray. She once said, “I don’t think I ever believed they would catch the guy.” Having lost two children to violence, she believed her daughter’s killer would walk free forever.

Chapter 7: The Breakthrough

In 2009, Detective Kevin Bowie inherited Mandy’s case. He planned to test every man who had lived in Acme in 1989, but four more years brought no match.

Then, in June 2013, two mothers—Heather Backrom and Merrily Anderson—sat at a local water park. Both had grown up in Acme, both carried a dark suspicion for 24 years. That day, they said the same name aloud: Timothy Bass.

Heather recalled an incident from 1989, when Timothy, then 21, made her uncomfortable after a softball game. Merrily recounted a terrifying night in 1991 when Timothy tried to force himself on her. Neither had spoken of their experiences until that day.

Merrily contacted Detective Ken Gates. For the first time, Timothy Bass’s name was on an investigator’s desk. He had lived on Strand Road, right along Mandy’s jogging route. He watched her, attended her basketball games, and studied her patterns.

Chapter 8: Unmasking Timothy Bass

Investigators dug into Timothy’s past. He was a loner, described as having a deep disgust toward women. His wife Gina Malone revealed years of control and abuse. Timothy watched crime shows, critiquing killers for getting caught. He lived quietly, driving a bread truck, blending into the community.

When investigators approached Timothy, he pretended not to remember Mandy, despite living nearby and having personal connections. He refused to provide a DNA sample, citing crime shows. In 2015, he refused again.

Police tried to collect discarded items for DNA but hit dead ends. Then, Kim Wagner, Timothy’s bakery manager, realized the investigators were looking into Mandy’s case. She decided to help.

Chapter 9: The Evidence

Timothy was careful. He wore gloves at work, took his trash home, and avoided leaving evidence. For three months, Kim watched and waited. On August 10th, 2017, Timothy threw away a plastic cup and a can of Coke. Kim collected them and turned them over to investigators.

Weeks passed. The lab technician called: “We have a match.” Timothy Bass’s DNA matched the profile from Mandy Stavic’s body. On December 12th, 2017, investigators arrested him in the bakery parking lot. The same day, Sheriff Bill Elfo knocked on Mary Stavic’s door to tell her an arrest had been made—on her 81st birthday.

Chapter 10: Justice

Timothy’s defense tried to throw out the DNA evidence, arguing Kim acted on behalf of law enforcement. Kim testified she acted alone, wanting the truth. The judge ruled in her favor.

At trial in May 2019, Timothy’s story changed. He claimed a secret relationship with Mandy, but no evidence supported this. His wife, Gina, filed for divorce and admitted she had lied about his alibi. Timothy’s mother refused to cover for him. His brother Tom testified that Timothy asked him to lie about Mandy.

On May 24th, 2019, nearly 30 years after Mandy was taken, the jury found Timothy Bass guilty of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to 320 months in prison.

Chapter 11: The Legacy

The story ends with three women: Heather, who spoke up after decades; Merrily, who survived and called a detective; and Kim, who watched and waited for months to collect evidence. Their bravery broke the silence and brought justice.

Every year since 1990, a scholarship in Mandy’s name is awarded to a student at Mount Baker High School. The community’s reward money became a fund to ensure Mandy is remembered for how she lived, not just how she was taken.

Mary Stavic waited nearly 30 years for justice. She was 81 when it arrived. She had lost two children to violence; one case remains unsolved, but this one was.

On a quiet, dead-end street in Acme, the doors are still unlocked, the roads still empty, and the memory of an 18-year-old girl lives on in the hearts of everyone who knew her. Mandy Stavic did not get to live the life she was meant to live, but those she left behind made sure her story was never forgotten.