EVERETT — Modern forensic DNA technology once again helped Everett police make an arrest — this time in connection with a 36-year-old cold murder case.
The latest DNA breakthrough led to the arrest of Joseph Andrew Jacquez on Jan. 25, who police have linked to the murder of 33-year-old Mary Ann Daniels.
On Feb. 1, 1989, police discovered the body of Daniels on the 2100 block of Hoyt Avenue, but couldn’t identify a suspect at the time.
In the late 1980s, traditional DNA technology was just starting to develop. Until 2017, DNA samples only helped verify known perpetrators, said Kristen Mittelman, chief development officer at Othram, a forensic laboratory specializing in difficult DNA cases.
“Unfortunately, in many cases, just like this case, being able to confirm someone’s identity isn’t possible because you don’t know who the suspect is, or they’re not in (the Combined DNA Index System),” Mittleman said. “So you actually get a DNA dead end.”
Now, scientists can infer someone’s identity through thousands of variations in their genome. Scientists use databases to infer the person’s identity on a family tree, creating a lead for investigators. Mittleman described it as a “DNA sonar.”
In 2020, Everett police submitted DNA evidence from Daniels’ body to Othram. Using forensic DNA technology, Othram provided Everett police with a lead. Law enforcement launched a follow-up investigation that led to the arrest of Jacquez, who was living in Clark County, Nevada. Jacquez was Daniels’ neighbor at the time of her death.
After one more traditional test using DNA from the instrument of Daniels’ death, police arrested Jacquez. He will be extradited to Snohomish County.
Othram’s DNA technology has helped solve seven cold cases in Snohomish County. In January 2024, the company helped identify the remains of an Everett teen who was killed by Gary Ridgeway — also known as the Green River Killer — in 1983. In March 2023, it helped identify remains found at Spencer Island in 1979.
Other updated DNA technology has helped solve cases in Snohomish County as well. In March 2024, police arrested a suspect in a 1993 murder of a Bothell teen. One month later, police arrested a suspect in a 1984 murder of an Everett woman.
Mittelman said she hopes modernized DNA technology will help create a future in which cold cases are a thing of the past.
“I don’t believe in closure when something this terrible happens to you, but I do believe that you need to know the truth in order to be able to move to the next chapter of your life,” she said. “Being able to provide that answer allows people to move forward.”
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
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