Authorities in Washington State announced Wednesday an arrest was finally made in an almost 30-year-old murder case. Timothy Bass, now 50, was arrested in connection to the 1987 murder of Amanda Theresa Stavik, known as Mandy, the Bellingham Herald reported.

Mandy Stavik disappeared while jogging with her dog near her home in Acme Nov. 24, 1989. The family dog reportedly returned home a few hours later, but Stavik did not, KIRO-TV reported. She was 18-years-old and home from Central Washington University on Thanksgiving break at the time.

Stavik was missing for three days before her naked body was found three miles away in the Nooksack River. Authorities said she had been raped and considered her death a homicide. The death of Stavik, an athlete and musician at the local high school in the area where she grew up, shook the community as years went on without closure. The crime was widely considered one of the most high profile cold cases in the state.

“She said what she felt and was certainly not afraid to ask questions,” said Doug Sutton, Stavik’s high school band instructor, according to the Bellingham Herald. “She drew attention to herself whether she wanted it or not. She just had that energy in class.”

Despite officials tracking down hundreds of leads, years passed without an arrest and conviction. Authorities in Washington renewed the search in 2007, banking on improved technology to potentially solve the crime. A $25,000 reward was posted for anyone with information leading to a conviction in the case.

“I think this [is] about the biggest case ever in Whatcom County,” said Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo, according to the Bellingham Herald. “Our detectives have just done a phenomenal job.”

Authorities were able to identify and arrest Bass, who lived near the Stavik home at the time of the murder, thanks to DNA recovered from Stavik’s body in 1987. The DNA match probability was one in 11 quadrillion, the State Crime Laboratory said. Bass was arrested Tuesday for first-degree murder, kidnapping and rape, according to KIRO.

The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office was expected to hold a press conference Wednesday afternoon. The investigation into the case was ongoing and anyone with information was asked to call the office tip line at 360-778-6663.

“Our detectives poured their hearts and souls in this case,” Elfo said, according to KOMO-TV. “We’ve never forgot this case.”

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