Thirty years ago, two high school sweethearts who had recently graduated from Oak Bay High, hopped on the Coho ferry to Port Angeles.

They never came home.

The couple B次元官网网址� 18-year-old Tanya van Cuylenborg and 20-year-old Jay Cook B次元官网网址� were reported missing on Nov.20, 1987. Their bodies were found a few days later B次元官网网址� van CuylenborgB次元官网网址檚 on a rural road in Skagit County, sexually assaulted and shot in the back of the head, CookB次元官网网址檚 further south in Snohomish County, beaten and strangled.

Thus began a 3o-year hunt for answers, a journey that will hopefully find some form of closure soon with tomorrowB次元官网网址檚 release of a composite sketch of the suspect made using DNA from the crime scene.

The Snohomish County Sheriffs Department will release the sketch during a press conference that will be livestreamed on their starting at 11 a.m..

B次元官网网址淚 have to credit the investigators with continuing to move the case forward,B次元官网网址� TanyaB次元官网网址檚 brother John van Cuylenborg told the Oak Bay B次元官网网址 today. B次元官网网址淚 am hopeful. I think it represents a fairly significant move forward in the investigation. ItB次元官网网址檚 not the resolution of it though. ThatB次元官网网址檚 for sure.B次元官网网址�

Even after 30 years, the pain of the loss is so acute that it is difficult for John van Cuylenborg to share stories about his sister. It is a reminder that while a police investigation may move forward, the world is not the same without Tanya and Jay.

Tanya van Cuylenborg graduated from Oak Bay High in June of 1987, just five months before she was killed. The Oak Bay High yearbook shines light on her personality. She played on the senior girls basketball team, was nicknamed B次元官网网址渟weetieB次元官网网址�, and was known for her sarcasm and B次元官网网址渕any different laughsB次元官网网址�. Her dream after graduating was to move away from Victoria and become a photographer.

Tanya, a resident of Saanich, met Jay, an Oak Bay resident, when they both started attending Oak Bay High. They became high school sweethearts whose love for life and each other was evident to their classmates.

B次元官网网址淭here is nothing so touching as two young people in love. Tanya and Jay had so much ahead of them, so much to live for. Their love of life shone radiantly in her smile, in his eyes,B次元官网网址� reads a tribute to the couple in the 1988 Oak Bay High yearbook.

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On November 18, 1987, the couple borrowed a van from JayB次元官网网址檚 father to go on a trip to Seattle. They left Victoria on the Coho ferry bound for Port Angeles, then headed east to Bremerton to catch another ferry to Seattle.

B次元官网网址淒etectives believe they may have taken a wrong turn and headed south instead of east,B次元官网网址� said Shari Ireton, director of communications for Snohomish County Sheriffs Department.

That wrong turn took them on a longer route through Hoodsport, WA, where they stopped at Hoodsport Grocery, and Allyn, WA, where they visited BenB次元官网网址檚 Deli. The deli visit was at 9:29 p.m. on Nov.18, and it is the last place the couple was seen alive.

When the van was eventually found next to the Bellingham Greyhound bus station, a ticket for the Bremerton-Seattle ferry was found inside. Detectives have not been able to confirm whether the couple got on the ferry.

The Snohomish County Sheriffs Department has been investigating ever since.

B次元官网网址淭here have been a number of suspects over the years that have been investigated and ruled out through one means or another,B次元官网网址� said John van Cuylenborg.

But there have been no true breaks in the case. The Snohomish County Sheriffs Department hopes new technology will change that.

B次元官网网址淲e will be releasing a composite sketch of the suspect using DNA phenotyping from a company named Parabon,B次元官网网址� said Ireton. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the first time weB次元官网网址檝e ever done it at Skagit or Snohomish County Sheriff offices.B次元官网网址�

The company website says, B次元官网网址淒NA Phenotyping is the prediction of physical appearance from DNA. It can be used to generate leads in cases where there are no suspects or database hits, to narrow suspect lists, and to help solve human remains cases.B次元官网网址�

Anyone with information is asked to contact local police or Crime Stoppers, at 1-800-222-8477 or on the web at a.

And as the 1988 Oak Bay High yearbook says: B次元官网网址淟et us find happiness in the little things in life, living each day to its full potential and through our bitter loss let us be reminded of the sweet fragility of life.B次元官网网址�