EVERETT—
Snohomish County detectives have solved one part of the mystery surrounding the brutal murder of a Canadian couple thanks to Washington's Most Wanted viewers.Tanya Van Cuylenborg and her boyfriend Jay Cook were murdered during a trip to Seattle back in 1987, and for years afterwards, the victim's parents got disturbing letters sent to them.
"We were able to track down a man that was homeless and living on the streets," says Det. Scharf, "we tracked him to Seattle two weeks ago, than we were able to actually get down to where we were only one day behind him, than we were able to stake out a location and find him."
Det. Scharf says the "letter writer" told him he was treated poorly by Canadians and used it an excuse to vent his anger and frustration.
And even though the "letter writer" suffers from mental issues, he told investigators he knew they'd catch up to him and was apologetic about being so horrible to the families.
He even saw the Washington's Most Wanted story on the case.
However, he won't face charges. The statute of limitations is up for harassment after 3 years, which is why we're not naming him. But detectives can rule him out as the killer.
Tanya's brother says he was surprised to hear the news he was caught.
"A lot of the information was in the media 23 years ago, and it didn't result in these leads coming forward, and the crimes being solved, or this letter writing issue being solved," said John Van Cuylenborg. "So the fact that it has had some progress 23 years later, does have to give you some renewed hope or confidence that someone will come forth with some details."
John's brother Tanya, 18, and Jay Cook, 21, were running an errand for Jay's dad on November 18th, 1987, when they drove Jay's van and took ferries from Victoria, British Columbia to Seattle.
Detectives say the pair was heading downtown to pick up parts for a furnace, and planning on overnight trip that made Jay's dad nervous.
"Jay had talked to his dad about sleeping in a van," says Detective Tobin Meyer with the Skagit County Sheriff's Office, "and his dad wanted him to stay in a hotel. But the last impression Jay left with his father was that he would be staying in the van."
Detectives think they made it to Seattle that night, but their trail went cold after a ferry ride from Bremerton.
"We have a ticket, a receipt for the ferry heading what would have been south at that time for 11:30 at night," says Det. Meyer, "that's the last place we know they were at, and they weren't seen or heard from again."
Six days later and 60 miles away, a hunter found Tanya's body in the Parson Creek area of north Snohomish County.
She had been raped and shot, and her body was found face up, with no pants on, no underwear or socks on, just her shirt, and her hands bound by some plastic zip ties.
The killing didn't stop there.
Two days later and 50 miles further north in Monroe, Jays body was discovered on the north side of the High bridge, fully clothed.
Detectives say it was obvious that he had several ligatures around his neck and that he had been suffocated by various things being shoved down his throat.
Jay's van was later found even further north in Bellingham, meaning the crime scene stretch across three counties.
Inside the van were zip ties like the ones used on Tanya, plus fingerprints, and ammunition.
Investigators believe that Jay and Tanya were likely parked for the night in the area near 6th and Pine in downtown Seattle, and waiting for the cooling and heating business to open the next day.
But sometime during the night they met their killer, who my have chosen them because of their Canadian license plates.
Authorities can't find any other link between the victims and the suspect, and they don't think these murders were the first, or the last for whoever did it.
Investigators say this isn't a case they've forgotten, or one they will give up on.
And now Tanya's brother John has a little more faith some good news will come his family's way.
"There are some people who are out their who have information, or can connect some dots that can help solve these mysteries after 23 years," says Cuylenborg, "and hopefully someone else can come forth with some actual details that can help solve the crime themselves."
