Thirty-five years after her murder, Tracy Whitney’s family finally has her killer’s name thanks to genetic genealogy.
On August 28, 1988, fishermen found the body of a woman on the Puyallup River near Sumner.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, detectives investigated the case as a homicide after an autopsy determined the woman’s cause of death was asphyxiation, caused by strangulation and probable suffocation. She also suffered several blunt force injuries and was believed to have been sexually assaulted.
Two months after her body was discovered, dental records identified 18-year-old Tracy Jean Whitney as the victim.
Whitney’s last known location was a Burger King in Federal Way, where she was reportedly seen arguing with her ex-boyfriend the night before her body was found.
During the investigation, police spoke with several suspects, including Whitney’s friends and ex-partners. Despite following several rumors and leads, police say the investigation has stalled.
In 2005, a DNA profile of the suspect was uploaded to CODIS (Combined DNA Index System), a national database operated by the FBI to link crimes to violent offenders.
Swabs taken from Whitney’s body in 1988 were resubmitted for forensic genetic genealogy testing in March 2022 by a retired detective sergeant. The results came back five months later, linking the DNA evidence to family lines dating back to the 18th century.
Police were then able to establish a family tree linked to a suspect, John Guillot Jr.
Unfortunately, Guillot Jr. died of cancer just eight months earlier and was cremated after his death, meaning the DNA evidence could not be matched. However, his son had also recently died and detectives were able to use his DNA from the medical examiner’s office to link his father to the crime.
Although Guillot Jr. could not be arrested or posthumously charged with Whitney’s death, the family was finally able to answer the decades-long question hanging over their heads.
Detectives now say they don’t think Guillot Jr. or Whitney were connected, leading to the belief that this case was a ‘kidnapping, rape and murder by a stranger’ – the case was closed due to ‘death of the perpetrator’.
Whitney’s father and sister both remember her as a sweet, good boy who has been greatly missed since her death. Her sister, Robin Whitney, says they are glad Whitney can finally rest peacefully now that her killer has been identified.
In a post on social media, Robin Whitney added: “We believe John Guillot Jr. probably committed other crimes. However, because he is deceased and due to current legal restrictions, his DNA cannot be uploaded to CODIS (Law Enforcement DNA Database). We hope that this policy can be re-evaluated as it can help resolve new cases.”
She hopes to honor Tracy’s memory and keep the name John Guillot Jr. to attention, which could potentially lead to information about other unresolved cases.
