Paul James Bieker, a former resident of McCleary, was sentenced on Friday, July 8, to 30 years in prison for rape in the first degree with deliberate cruelty as an aggravating factor.

Bieker was found guilty of raping and kidnapping a 17-year-old girl in McCleary in 2003 by a jury of his peers on June 3, 2022. The statute of limitations on kidnapping and other charges had expired, however, the aggravating factor allowed Grays Harbor County Superior Court Judge David Mistachkin to elongate Bieker’s prison sentence.

In the state of Washington, rape in the first degree is a Class A felony with a minimum imprisonment of three years and a maximum of life imprisonment and/or fine of $50,000. The high standard range is 10 years.

Bieker’s arrest was the result of a new DNA forensic genetic genealogy program from the Washington State Office of the Attorney General used to solve cold cases. In 2020, the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office applied for a Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant to test DNA evidence related to the case.

Under the grant, the sheriff’s office was able to submit the 2003 rape kit to the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory Division, which produced a short list of potential suspects. The sheriff’s office was later able to obtain a search warrant to track Bieker’s vehicle and collect discarded DNA.

It was ultimately a Starbucks coffee cup, discarded in a trash can at Point Defiance State Park in late May 2021, that linked Bieker to the violent crime. According to testimony during the trial from Washington State Patrol Crime Lab forensic scientist Will Dean — Bieker was statistically a one in 35 quadrillion match.

Bieker’s case is the first conviction and sentencing resulting from the grants provided by the Attorney General’s Office to conduct forensic genetic genealogy research in cold cases.

On the same day of Bieker’s conviction, Kenneth Downing pleaded guilty in Whitman County to four counts of rape in the first degree and one count of assault in the second degree with sexual motivation. Downing committed two home invasions in Pullman in 2003 and 2004 — both of which included violent rapes. Forensic genetic genealogy connected Downing’s DNA to the DNA evidence collected from both sexual assault cases.

“This sends a message to survivors that we will not give up on cold cases,” said state Attorney General Bob Ferguson in a statement. “My office will continue this initiative to help law enforcement close these cases.”

According to the Washington State Office of the Attorney General, the forensic genetic genealogy program has assisted with 23 cold case investigations to date, three of which have been solved with the assistance of the program. The office has dedicated $292,275 to the program, with approximately $120,000 already allocated.

While Bieker’s sentencing may come as a small comfort to the victim after 19 years, another cold case still plagues the McCleary community. On the night of June 26, 2009, 10-year-old Lindsey Baum went missing during a short walk home.

Despite exhaustive searches, Baum’s disappearance left no leads. In September 2017, hunters accidentally discovered partial human remains in Kittitas County. In May 2018, DNA testing from the FBI confirmed the remains belonged to Baum.

Due to the similarities between timing and location, some members of the local community have questioned the possibility of Bieker’s involvement in Baum’s disappearance. After arresting Bieker in the rape case last year, the sheriff’s office confirmed they investigated links between the two cases.

“At this point, investigators have not discovered any evidence linking Bieker to the Lindsey Baum investigation. Bieker passed a polygraph in reference to questions involving Lindsey Baum,” the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

The sheriff’s office continues to work with the FBI on Baum’s homicide. Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call or email the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office at 1-360-964-1799 or email baumtips@co.grays-harbor.wa.us