Former Woodinville Man Suspect In 1987 Double-Murder

SEATTLE, WA - Police have arrested a 55-year-old SeaTac man for the 1987 murder of two Canadians whose remains were found scattered across Western Washington. Police developed the suspect using a DNA technology used to catch the Golden State Killer and in other Washington cold cases.

On Nov. 18, 1987, Jay Cook, 20, and Tanya Van Cuylenborg, 18, left British Columbia headed to Gensco Heating in Seattle on an errand for Cook's family's business. They took the ferry to Port Angeles, and then drove to Bremerton. They purchased a ferry ticket just after 10 p.m., but were never seen alive again.

On Nov. 24, Cuylenborg's body was found in a ditch in Skagit County west of I-5 between Bellingham and Burlington. Cook's van was found the next day abandoned in Bellingham. His body was found on Nov. 26 near the Snoqualmie River south of Monroe.

Police arrested William Earl Talbott II, 55, in Seattle Thursday night on a first-degree murder for Cuylenborg's death. He is being held at the Snohomish County Jail while detectives gather evidence to possibly link him to Cook's murder.

At the time of the murders, Talbot likely lived in Woodinville. His parents lived seven miles from where Cook's body was found. Police are looking for people who may have known Talbot in 1987.

Using DNA extracted from evidence surrounding the crime, police turned to a technology called "genetic genealogy." A Virginia company, Parabon NanoLabs, used the DNA to construct a family tree of the suspect. Once police traced the family tree to Talbot, they obtained a current DNA sample from a cup he used, matching it to the DNA associated with the murders.

Parabon NanoLabs has performed genetic genealogy in a number of cold cases. King County detectives were recently able to develop a description of the man they believe raped and murdered Sarah Yarborough, 16, at Federal Way High School in 1991.

“We never gave up hope that we would find Jay and Tanya’s killer,” Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary said Friday. “Yesterday’s arrest shows how powerful it can be to combine new DNA technology with the relentless determination of detectives.”

Image courtesy Snohomish County Sheriff's Office