By Pepper Fisher

MONTESANO, Wash. – Sheriff’s investigators in Grays Harbor County have made an arrest in a cold case kidnapping and rape that occurred 18 years ago in the small town of McCLeary, and now suspect the man could be connected to a similar cold case from 2009.

Thanks to emerging technology being used to solve cold cases worldwide, investigators were able to use a genealogy database to identify a suspect wanted for the 2003 assault of a 17-year-old McCleary girl.

50-year-old Paul James Beiker was arrested Tuesday based on DNA evidence collected from the victim 18 years ago. Researchers were able to narrow possible suspects to a short list of people who might be related to the suspect, and from there investigators zeroed in on Beiker, who lived a short distance from the victim’s home at the time of the assault, and have since confirmed their suspicions with a DNA sample from Beiker.

Detectives are now probing whether Beiker might also be responsible for the 2009 disappearance and killing of 10-year-old Lindsey Baum, also of McCleary.

In the summer of 2009, Baum disappeared while walking home from a friend’s house. The case touched off a nationwide search for the girl, whose body would go undiscovered for 8 years.

In 2017, a group of hunters near Ellensburg found human remains in a remote area and called police. The FBI’s crime lab later identified the remains as Baum’s.

Undersheriff Brad Johansson confirmed that Beiker was living in the McCleary area at the time of Baum’s disappearance and believes the similarities are worth a hard look.

“No, we do believe he was living in McCleary that time. You know, they do have similarities. In fact, they we’re both kidnapped and they we’re from a similar area, so it’s definitely something that’s got our eyebrows raised and we’re doing our best to continue on to solve the Lindsey Baum case as well. And I think this just kind of speaks to the amount of effort that our detectives in the Investigation Unit does. We just don’t give up and we’re going to keep going and until we could solve it. Otherwise, we won’t stop.”

Johansson says breaking one cold case can often lead to solving others.

“We are hoping that now that we have a new suspect, that somebody that was not on our radar prior to getting this DNA information, this might just jog some memories or make people think of something that they might have seen in regards to the rape and kidnapping, or even the Lindsey Baum case that might just provide that tip or that one thing we need to know to, you know, make a good case on that. And if they do, I would just really encourage them to contact the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office.”