See how DNA helped solve the murder of 16-year-old Sarah Yarborough almost 30 years after the crime.
Where's Sarah Yarborough?
It was the morning of Saturday, Dec. 14, 1991, when 16-year-old Sarah Yarborough arrived early to drill team practice at Federal Way High School near Seattle, Washington. Later, when members of her team showed up, they saw that Sarah's car was in the parking lot. But Sarah was not there.
A 13-year-old witness
Drew Miller, who was just 13 years old at the time, lived down the street from the high school. He and a friend were going skateboarding that morning, and took a shortcut through the school grounds. That's when Miller says they noticed a mysterious man.
A man in the bushes
Miller says the man walked out of the bushes ahead of the boys. Miller says they didn't think much of it at first. But then they came across a horrendous scene. There in the bushes, where the man had just been, was the body of a young woman. It was Sarah Yarborough.
The crime scene
Sarah's body was found about 300 feet away from her car. She was partially dressed, and a pile of her clothing lay in the grass nearby.
The Suspect's Sketches
Miller and his friend collaborated with the authorities to create sketches of the individual they witnessed at the scene of Sarah's crime. These sketches were then made available to the public and displayed all around the Federal Way area.
An Unsolved Case
Upon investigating, the detectives discovered the killer's DNA on various pieces of Sarah's clothing that were found at the crime scene. Consequently, they obtained a complete male DNA profile of the suspect. Sarah's family and friends believed that her killer would be apprehended swiftly. However, as weeks turned into months and then years, no match was found.
The Emergence of DNA Technology
By the early 2000s, investigators had pursued and examined more than 3,000 leads. They inputted the DNA from the crime scene into the recently established CODIS system – a national DNA database containing profiles of convicted offenders. Nonetheless, despite the passing years, no match was found.
Exploring Forensic Genetic Genealogy
In 2011, investigators approached Colleen Fitzpatrick to explore the possibility of utilizing forensic genetic genealogy to identify a potential suspect. Forensic genetic genealogy involves using software to compare unknown DNA profiles with information from public DNA databases and searching family trees to locate potential suspects.
A breakthrough in the case
In a surprising turn of events, after two decades of investigation, a breakthrough has finally been made in the case of Sarah's murder. In 2011, a detective named Fitzpatrick traced the killer's family tree back to a man named Robert Fuller, who had arrived in America on the Mayflower. This discovery brought a renewed sense of hope to the case.
Two new suspects emerge
After eight years of extensive DNA searching, Fitzpatrick's team uncovered two new possible suspects: brothers Edward and Patrick Nicholas. Through DNA analysis, it was determined that they were descendants of Robert Fuller. However, Edward's DNA profile did not match the evidence found at the crime scene.
The focus shifts to Patrick Nicholas
With Edward ruled out as a suspect, investigators turned their attention to Patrick Nicholas. They discovered that around the time of Sarah Yarborough's murder, Nicholas frequently took a bus route that passed Federal Way High School. At the time, Nicholas was 27 years old, as seen in a booking photo taken a few years later.
An undercover operation to obtain DNA
Determined to gather conclusive evidence, undercover detectives followed Patrick Nicholas to a laundromat. They observed him smoking two cigarettes outside and dropping the butts, along with a napkin. The detectives seized these items for DNA testing.
A match is found
Swift action was taken as the cigarette butts and napkin were rushed to a crime lab. Within days, the long-awaited call came in - the DNA from the cigarette butts matched the DNA found at the Yarborough crime scene. This breakthrough provides a significant step forward in bringing justice to Sarah's tragic case.
Unraveling Patrick Nicholas' criminal history
Patrick Nicholas was arrested and charged with Sarah Yarborough's murder. His previous criminal record included five sexual assaults that investigators knew of, none of which had required him to submit his DNA. Therefore, there was no record of him in the CODIS database.
Evidence revealed at trial
In the spring of 2023, Patrick Nicholas went on trial for the murder of Sarah Yarborough. Prosecutors revealed evidence found during a search of Nicholas' home around the time of his arrest. This included a torn photograph from a magazine of a woman in a cheerleading outfit.
Another piece of evidence
In searching Nicholas' home, detectives also found a newspaper from 1994 that had on its front page an article about the Sarah Yarborough case.
The verdict
On May 10, 2023, Patrick Nicholas was found guilty of first-degree murder and second-degree murder. The jury decided both had been committed with a sexual motivation.
Patrick Nicholas sentenced
At Nicholas' sentencing hearing two weeks after his conviction, Sarah's Yarborough's family and friends took to the podium to say all that Patrick Nicholas had taken from them. Nicholas received a sentence of almost 46 years.
Sarah Yarborough, never forgotten
The trial brought Sarah Yarborough's friends and family together. They say Sarah left a legacy of love and she will never be forgotten.
