File photo
Photos of Sarah Yarborough.

File photo Photos of Sarah Yarborough.

Federal Way teen’s case will be featured on ‘48 Hours’

The 1991 murder of Sarah Yarborough and conviction this year of her killer

The Federal Way community found some sense of relief this past June when the killer of teen Sarah Yarborough was convicted for her 1991 death.

The nation will now share that journey through an episode of the CBS show “48 Hours” on the case, airing at 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18.

“48 Hours” is described as a news magazine by CBS that “investigates intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all aspects of the human experience.” The program and its team have earned critical acclaim, including multiple Emmy, Peabody and Edward R. Murrow Awards.

The anniversary of Sarah’s death is approaching. Her body was found raped and strangled in a wooded area of the Federal Way High School campus around 8 a.m. Dec. 14, 1991. She was 16 years old.

Christine H. B. Katayama was one of the assistant principals at Federal Way High School when Sarah was found murdered. In an email with The Federal Way Mirror, she shared that “as the anniversary approaches this year, I wonder if there might be some actions that might be initiated to mobilize support for the increased use of DNA (familial) which might be included within the context of the documentary.”

Katayama added that “I’ve assured Laura and Tom Yarborough that I am willing to support efforts that could lead to legislation or other actions that might be considered something we do in memory of Sarah.”

The type of DNA analysis referred to by Katayama was crucial in the arrest and conviction of Sarah’s killer, Patrick Nicholas, who was sentenced to 45 years and 8 months in prison.




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