New DNA technology has led to the arrest of a Washington State man in connection with a 30-year cold case in the deaths of two Oak Bay High grads.

DNA samples from the scene of the 1987 killing of 18-year-old Tanya van Cuylenborg has led to the arrest of 55-year-old William Earl Talbott II of Seatac. Talbott was taken into custody May 17 in Seattle.

BREAKING: DNA samples from the scene of the 1987 murder of 18-year-old Tanya van Cuylenborg has led to the arrest of 55-year-old William Earl Talbott

B次元官网网址� Oak Bay B次元官网网址 (@OakBayB次元官网网址)

Van Cuylenborg and her 20 year-old boyfriend Jay Cook hopped on the Coho ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles on Nov. 18, 1987, for a quick trip to Seattle. They never came home. 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.

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, TanyaB次元官网网址檚 brother.

In April, the Snohomish County SheriffB次元官网网址檚 Office hoped that new technology would change that after they released digital sketches of the suspectB次元官网网址檚 face created through phenotyping, a technology that can estimate a personB次元官网网址檚 appearance based on DNA.

SheriffB次元官网网址檚 detectives were given dozens of new leads since April. Today they announced a DNA match.

B次元官网网址淲e never gave up hope that we would find Jay and TanyaB次元官网网址檚 killer,B次元官网网址� said Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary. B次元官网网址淵esterdayB次元官网网址檚 arrest shows how powerful it can be to combine new DNA technology with the relentless determination of detectives.B次元官网网址�

Talbott has been booked into the Snohomish County jail on one count of 1st degree murder for the killing of Van Cuylenborg. Detectives continue to gather and process evidence and interview witnesses related to the investigation of CookB次元官网网址檚 murder.

Snohomish County SheriffB次元官网网址檚 Office says Talbott, who has been working as a truck driver in the Seattle area, was never on the suspect list in this case.

Detectives also want to hear from anyone who saw Talbott associated with the Cook family van in November 1987 or with a 35mm Minolta camera that Tanya had in her possession when she was murdered.

B次元官网网址� Snohomish Sheriff (@SnoCoSheriff)

Talbott was 24-years-old at the time of the alleged crime and is believed to have lived in the Woodinville area of Washington State in 1987. His parentsB次元官网网址� home was approximately 10 km from where CookB次元官网网址檚 body was found.

Because of this arrest, detectives are asking for people to come forward with information, specifically anyone who:

• knew Talbott or knew of his activities in 1987 or 1988 (he would have been 24 years-old at the time of the murders);
• saw Talbott associated with the Cook family van in November 1987;
• saw Talbott with a 35mm Minolta camera that Tanya had in her possession when she was murdered. The cameraB次元官网网址檚 lens was recovered and traced to a pawn shop in Portland, Oregon in 1990, but the camera body is still missing;
• has information about Talbott having access to a light blue blanket, or know where this type of blanket might have come from around the time the crimes were committed.

Anyone with information related to this case should call the Snohomish County SheriffB次元官网网址檚 Office tip line 425-388-3845.

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Officials say Talbott was identified as a suspect through the use of genetic genealogy, which uses DNA testing in combination with traditional genealogical methods to establish the relationship between an individual and their ancestors.

The successful identification of Talbott was helped by Parabon NanoLabs, a DNA tech company in Virginia that performed the analysis for this case.

A digital file containing DNA genotype data derived from evidence at the crime scene was uploaded to GEDmatch, a public genetic genealogy website, and matches were found for two of the suspectB次元官网网址檚 relatives, according to a release from the Snohomish Country SheriffB次元官网网址檚 Office.

After TalbottB次元官网网址檚 identity was determined, police used a DNA sample from a cup he had used and a local crime lab confirmed that it positively matched the DNA profile from the crime scene evidence.

This is the first arrest of a murder suspect using results from ParabonB次元官网网址檚 genetic genealogy service, which became available less than two weeks ago.

B次元官网网址淲e are honored to have helped solve this case,B次元官网网址� said Dr. Steven Armentrout, CEO of Parabon. He added, B次元官网网址淕iven the power of these new methods, we believe it is but the first of many.B次元官网网址�