The Murders of Jennifer Bastian and Michella Welch
04 April 2026

The Murders of Jennifer Bastian and Michella Welch

Same Crime, Different Time: A Historical True Crime Podcast With Jen Chambers

About

Two Girls. Two Parks. One City Changed Forever.

In 1986, Tacoma, Washington, was shaken by two devastating crimes.

Twelve-year-old Michella Welch went to the park to meet friends.Thirteen-year-old Jennifer Bastian went for a bike ride.

Neither came home.

Months apart, their murders left a community searching for answers—and fearing something even worse: that a single predator was responsible. For more than thirty years, both cases remained unsolved. But they were never forgotten. In this episode of Same Crime, Different Time, I tell their stories side by side.

Sources



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