Another Cold Case Solved, by jay7777

[johnnyhands1]

Here's another forensic genealogy solve from Florida, with local news video that includes a short clip of Ce Ce Moore:

www.wctv.tv/2022/06/01/murder-arrest-made-25-year-old-tallahassee-cold-case/

----

By Pat Mueller
Published: Jun. 1, 2022 at 11:20 AM PDT|Updated: 10 hours ago
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - The Tallahassee Police Department says it has arrested a man for murder in connection to a 1996 homicide at the Prince Murat Motel.

Alan Lefferts, 71, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of first-degree murder after the Tallahassee Police Department reopened the case in 2020 so officers could use new forensic technology to find leads, the press release says.

The homicide Lefferts is the suspect in happened on July 2, 1996, at 745 North Monroe St, TPD says. Evidence collected at the time and a full autopsy showed the death was a homicide, and the victim was identified as James Branner.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement prepared samples from the DNA found at the original crime scene when the case was reopened in 2020. FDLE’s genetic genealogy team and Parabon NanoLabs found an investigative lead in 2021, pointing TPD detectives to Lefferts as the suspect, the press release says.

TPD says Lefferts was then arrested “following a thorough investigation.”

“Solving a case that occurred nearly 26 years ago speaks volumes to the dedication and great collaborative effort between our state and local law enforcement partners,” TPD Deputy Chief Jason Laursen said. “Our detectives and forensic specialists work tirelessly every day to seek justice for victims and ensure those responsible for crimes are held accountable. We’re hopeful this arrest will bring some level of closure to the victim’s surviving loved ones.”

Lefferts was arrested in Jacksonville, where he lived, and TPD detectives took him into custody with help from the Baker County Sheriff’s Office. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office also helped TPD investigate the case.

You can learn more about TPD’s Cold Case unit by following this link. The public can submit tips to the unit by calling 850-891-4462. To stay anonymous with your tip, call Big Bend Crime Stoppers at 850-574-TIPS.

[Jay7777]

Genetic Genealogist gives insight on the new technology used to solve 26 year-old cold case

www.wctv.tv/2022/06/03/genetic-genealogist-gives-insight-new-technology-used-solve-26-year-old-cold-case/

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A cold case cracked.

DNA evidence was used to solve a murder at the Prince Murat Motel more than 25 years later.

71 year-old Alan Lefferts now facing a first degree murder charge after TPD says new technology played a significant role in his arrest.

Thanks to some new technology, TPD was able to reopen this cold case and find some closure for the family of victim James Branner.

The crime scene dates all the way back to 1996 at the Prince Murat Motel on North Monroe Street where James Branner was found dead in a room.

And thanks to the use of new technology, Detective Brittney Able helped crack the case leading to the arrest of the man they believed killed him more than 25 years later.

”I submitted the DNA that we did have on scene that we know was not the victims to FDLE and Parabon and they did some genealogy testing on it which then provided me with leads to follow up on,” shared Detective Able.

That new tech is called Investigative Genetic Genealogy Technology, which was originally used to connect family trees.

”We’re taking unidentified crime scene DNA from violent criminals or from unidentified remains and we’re trying to reverse engineer the identify of that person based on who they’re sharing DNA with in two genetic genealogy databases,” explained Parabon Chief Generic Genealogist CeCe Moore.

Law enforcement was then able to take this information and use it to create a short list of suspects.

”Florida created their own genealogy team at FDLE and so we’re able to work with them collaboratively in addition to the detectives on the case to help narrow it down to a very small number of possible individuals,” said Moore.

That information led to the arrest of Lefferts and showcasing the importance of continuing to work cold cases.


”Today is a reason why. We made an arrest yesterday more than 25 years later and I was able to give closure to families and it’s extremely important because they’ve been living with this for all these years and they finally have answers now,” expressed Detective Able.

Moore says Investigative Genetic Genealogy Technology can not only help make arrests but can also help exonerate those who did not commit crimes they’ve been charged for.

TPD says if you see or know something, say something so you can help them close out some more of these cold cases.

Lefferts was arrested in Baker County.

One of James Branner’s daughters says they want to thank TPD for their hard work in helping get justice for her dad.

[Jay7777]

Dang Johnny, I just noticed, you beat me to this one!

CeCe Moore is Great! 

[Jay7777]

Man who killed girlfriend in 1998 sentenced to 20 years

www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/man-who-killed-girlfriend-in-1998-sentenced-to-20-years/ar-AAY3SOg?ocid=hponeservicefeed&cvid=eb58db85b0c34c19b7c397dbde04066d

A man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in a domestic violence murder case that dates back nearly 24 years.

According to a release from the Denver District Attorney's Office, 58-year-old Crespin Nene-Perez pleaded guilty in March to one count of second-degree murder in connection with the killing of Bonny Baker in 1998.

“Violent crime cold cases are among the most challenging of all cases we handle, Denver DA Beth McCann said in a statement. “However, thanks to the painstaking work of our Cold Case Unit lead by Chief Deputy DA Dawn Weber, justice may be delayed, but it is rarely denied. I am thankful for their work as well as that of the Denver Police Department’s Cold Case Unit and Crime Laboratory, the FBI and many other agencies and individuals for solving this case and bringing Mr. Nene-Perez to justice.”

“Today’s outcome is a testament to the decade-long collaboration and persistence of Denver’s dedicated cold case teams on a case that, in other jurisdictions, may have been deemed unsolvable,” said Chief Deputy Weber.

The release said Baker, who was 47 at the time, was reported missing on June 30, 1998, and that Nene-Perez had killed her and left her body in a shallow grave on Navajo tribal grounds in New Mexico within about a day of her disappearance.

Her remains were discovered in July 1999 by two boys riding horses in a remote area of that tribal land, the release said.

In October 2012, the Denver Police Department's (DPD) Cold Case Unit reopened the case and worked with Navajo tribal officials in New Mexico, as well as with the FBI and DPD's Crime Laboratory to confirm that the remains that were discovered in 1999 were Baker's.

In 2013, the release said, a DPD cold case detective completed another round of witness interviews and forensic testing and concluded there were sufficient grounds to arrest Nene-Perez. He was living in Mexico when the case was filed, according to the release, and was extradited in 2020 to face charges in Denver.

[looking4justice]

apnews.com/article/fort-lauderdale-2ca5dc85fb8d0ce58f4368d6b0f21e98.

ANOTHER Police Officer serial killer. Apparently he "made Ted Bundy look like a Boy Scout" and "is implicated in over 30 deaths." Disgusting POS!!!

"FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The remains of a teenager who went missing nearly 50 years ago have been identified through advanced DNA technology, and detectives believe she may have been slain by a police officer who was also a serial killer.

Susan Poole, 15, was a high school dropout whose family reported her missing just before Christmas in 1972. She had been living between the family’s home in a trailer park near Fort Lauderdale and with a friend in a nearby apartment, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Detective William Springer said during a news conference Thursday.

“Nobody knew where she went,” he said, noting that her clothes and pocketbook were left at the friend’s apartment.

A year and a half later, in June 1974, sheriff’s deputies were called to a remote location in Palm Beach County where human remains were found.

“She was tied up in the mangroves with wire to a tree,” Springer said. “She was skeletal remains, totally nothing left of her except bones.”
Back then, detectives didn’t have the DNA technology that is now readily available, so the case quickly turned cold, he said.

In 2015, investigators submitted DNA to a national missing persons database, which turned up nothing.

Then, in December, Othram, a Texas-based forensics lab that builds DNA profiles using genealogy, contacted the sheriff’s office and said they may be able to help solve cold cases. In March, the company provided the names of the victim’s mother and siblings. Springer said they provided a DNA sample from Poole’s mother, who was verified as a match.

Now Springer is looking for evidence that connects Poole to Gerard Schaefer, a serial killer who was fatally stabbed by a fellow inmate at the Florida State Prison in 1995. Schaffer had been a police officer in Wilton Manors, a Fort Lauderdale suburb, and was a deputy with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office at the time Poole disappeared, Springer said.

Schaefer was found guilty of murdering two other girls, ages 16 and 17, who lived near Fort Lauderdale. Their mutilated and decapitated remains were found in April 1973 in Martin County. Because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Florida did not have a death penalty in the early 1970s and Schaefer was sentenced to life in prison.

Because of the similar way in which those teens were killed, Springer said he believes Schaefer could have been involved in Poole’s death. Authorities say Schaefer was implicated in up to 30 deaths.

Robert Stone, who prosecuted Schaefer, once called him, “the most sexually deviant person I had ever seen. He made Ted Bundy look like a Boy Scout.”

Investigators are hoping to speak to several friends who lived near Poole when she disappeared and could possibly fill in some blanks about her activities during that time. Springer wants to know if she frequently hitchhiked or whether she had ever confided in them about any kind of relationship with Schaeffer.

For Poole’s mother, who is in her 90s, and siblings, the news has brought some closure, Springer said.

“The family was happy to know what happened,” he said. “It’s been a long time waiting to see what happened to their sister.”"

Associated Press writer Terry Spencer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this report.

[looking4justice]

Apr 28, 2022 16:15:06 GMT Jay7777 said:

Apr 28, 2022 7:00:51 GMT sammyt said:

That's amazing work, but how does an amateur sleuth get hold of DNA samples from an active case?

Good question Sammyt, maybe because of the age of the case LE allowed it? 

She might be an "amateur forensic genealogist" meaning she recently got trained and certified, but she likely works for a private lab or a private investigator or is a volunteer with NamUs, contracted by either the family, or LE themselves. Otherwise LE wouldn't legally be able to release the DNA I don't think?

[Jay7777]

No doubt, you have the correct information looking4justice, and I agree 100%.

[looking4justice]

Do we have this already? GREAT case. This time solved by a volunteer sleuth stay-at-home Mom! It's a missing person ID case, very old from 1985, watch the video, it's great: www.fox5atlanta.com/news/1985-cold-case-cracked

"CHAMBLEE, Ga - A cold case dating back 37 years, has now been cracked by a stay at home mom and a civilian who works for a metro Atlanta police department.

"His name was the 1985 Marion County John Doe," said Barbara King Ladd. Barbara King Ladd lives in Tennessee. She read an article about a man's body found in 1985, not far from her home.


The man had been murdered, but after all these years, he had never been identified.

Barbara was curious. She started checking missing persons sites from Tennessee and neighboring states.

"I thought it would be worth the effort to cross state lines to dump a body. So I honed in on Georgia because it was close to Marion County," said Barbara.

It didn't take long before she found a match.


"When I found Donald, I just knew it was him. If you compare the forensic drawing that was done on the Marion County John Doe to Donald Boardman, it is striking," said Barbara.

Donald Boardman. He had been reported missing to Chamblee Police in November 1985.

Barbara sent a Facebook message to Chamblee Police. Crime analyst Lori Bradburn, who also the Facebook page for the police department, was the first to see the message.


"Just sort of piqued my interest and I ran with it," said Lori.

Lori tracked down Boardman's sister in Florida, got her DNA, and it was a match.

Investigators believe Boardman was murdered, and his body was dumped in Tennessee.

"From what I was able to piece together it seems to be a robbery gone bad," said Lori.

Boardman disappeared in 1985 shortly after buying a brand-new Camaro. A couple of weeks later, police found the car in East Point with 2 men and a woman inside.
The men have since died, investigators would like to talk to the woman to get more details on what happened back in 1985.


"Hopefully she has answers, she can provide at least something that could provide a little more closure," said Lori.

But for now, a 37-year-old cold case has been cracked, thanks to a couple of curious and persistent women.

"I'd love to do more cold cases, apparently this is my thing!" said Lori.

"At some point I'd like to work on another cold case, maybe with Lori. I would love to team up again," said Barbara."

[looking4justice]

Apr 26, 2022 16:52:01 GMT Jay7777 said:

I like the comment:

"It seemed like everybody could have committed this crime," Pennsylvania State Police Corporal Mark Baron tells PEOPLE. "There were a lot of messed up people back in the early 1960s."


Seems like it carried over into the 1970s & 1980s as well. I wonder what was wrong with people in this time period?

Jay-I think it was plain, terrible misogyny. Men saw women and young children as objects that they had the right to exploit for their own ends, and from what I have read recently, how victims were treated at the time, by-and-large the authority figures (male judges & police officers) gave them permission to do that.

One of many cases in point; Evil serial killer cop Gerard Schaefer, getting a one year slap on the wrist for kidnapping two young women, stripping them down and tying their necks with nooses and forcing them to stand on their tippy-toes to avoid strangulation while threatening them with rape and promising to murder them. The only reason he didn't was because he received an urgent dispatch call. He was out an about murdering in no time shortly thereafter.

I wish I could say this has changed, I think it has somewhat, but this is still a big problem, especially for children.

[Jay7777]

Great observations looking4justice. I agree. For Gerard Schaefer not serving a life sentence at that point, just proves your statement is true.

[johnnyhands1]

May 19, 2019 0:55:20 GMT Horizon said:

May 17, 2019 6:10:22 GMT vivazapata said:

Angie Dodge case finally solved !!!

This is the case where an early attempt at genetic genealogy was made using a Y-STR database hosted by Sorensen Forensics. A lead was generated that turned out to not be the guy and it has been often cited by reporters as an example of "privacy concerns" in pretty much every genetic geneology article in the past. That seems to be coming to an end now as recent reports dont seem to mention privacy which hopefully means it is becoming mainstream.

Anyway here is the link:

www.forensicmag.com/news/2019/05/idaho-man-arrested-infamous-1996-murder-rape-through-forensic-genealogy


With full story as requested by Jay.



The case of Angie Dodge, an 18-year-old woman who was brutally raped and murdered in her Idaho Falls apartment in 1996, has had twists and turns over the last 23 years. A man who was convicted of the crime was released in 2017, after serving 20 years in prison – only after DNA proved someone else had been guilty of the ultimate acts of violence at the scene. The male profile showed up in semen and on other objects in the room, including Dodge’s teddy bear, and the places on her hands where she was restrained.

But after a few months of forensic genealogy, police now have their suspect: Brian Leigh Dripps, Sr., 53, of Caldwell, Idaho.

The police held a press conference this afternoon announcing Wednesday’s arrest, which was effected after a genealogical search conducted by Cece Moore and Parabon NanoLabs, a Virginia-based forensics company.

The Idaho Falls Police Department had contracted with Parabon to have a phenotyping composite of the face of the suspect compiled, basing some predictions of appearance including hair and eye color, based off the DNA sample.

Parabon does phenotyping – but for a year now, they have also worked with Moore, a genealogist.

Three genetic “networks” were found in GEDmatch, the voluntary public database used by customers of such companies as Ancestry, 23andMe, and FamilyTree DNA, among others.

Those three networks triangulated on family trees which yielded six potential people who could be of interest: those who were male, of the right age and in the right place when the crime was perpetrated, according to Moore. The police went to some of the persons and surreptitiously collected their DNA, including a plug of tobacco spat out by one of them. None matched, according to police officials.

But further investigation turned up a seventh. Through an obituary, genealogists determined there was a child who had been born with a different surname due to a divorce around the time of his birth.

That person was Dripps, according to officials.

“What I’m doing is just a lead,” said Moore. “I can’t say it enough: just a lead.”

Police collected samples to verify the connection – but not without difficulty. For instance, Dripps flicked a cigarette out on a busy road, and while police went out to collect it, dodging cars and “playing Frogger” to get the valuable evidence, they discovered there were many other cigarette butts on the road – and they couldn’t be sure which was which.

Further surveillance yielded another opportunity, with another cigarette butt. This one was clearly from Dripps, collected last Friday.

The Idaho State Police Laboratory remained open virtually the entire weekend. On Saturday, they confirmed the match between the cigarette DNA – and that of the sample from the Dodge crime scene, according to police.

Dripps denied the crime at first, but then eventually confessed, after more than five hours, said Capt. Bill Squires of the Idaho Falls Police Department.

What remains to be cleared up is the involvement of Christopher Tapp, who served 20 years in prison for the Dodge homicide, and who was released in 2017 after DNA results changed the understanding off the crime scene. The M-Vac DNA collection tool yielded more genetic sample than ever before from the scene – and then the probabilistic genotyping software TrueAllele determined Tapp was not in any of the key samples. Tapp’s murder conviction stands – but police were not saying how Tapp may have been connected to Dripps, or the fatal violence perpetrated that June night in 1996.

“Christopher Tapp is another important part of this case,” said Chief Bryce Johnson of Idaho Falls.

vivazapata, thanks for the link. Interested to know if this criminal is related to the film maker who was proven to be innocent.

Now this strange talk...

“Christopher Tapp is another important part of this case,” said Chief Bryce Johnson of Idaho Falls. These guys seriously need to up their game. Not sure how they are managing to get good sleep at night

Here's Ce Ce Moore's facebook post about Christopher Tapp's lawsuit settlement, followed by a local Idaho Falls TV stations article.

Note Carol Dodge (mother of the victim Angie Dodge), after learning about the case, came to the conclusion that Christoper Tapp was innocent and spoke out about it:

----------
CeCe Moore - Genetic Genealogist
June 11 at 2:17 PM

"Chris Tapp deserves this and so much more. I hope this long-due resolution signals a new start to a wonderful future for him and his family. My role in helping to formally exonerate Chris, through identifying Angie's true killer, will always be one of the most significant accomplishments of my life. Thanks to Carol Dodge for educating me on Angie's case and introducing me to Chris and his family early on, so I knew clearly who and what I was fighting for (Angie, Chris and both families)."

-------------
www.kivitv.com/news/mayor-apologizes-as-chris-tapp-city-of-idaho-falls-settle-lawsuit-for-11-7-million


Mayor apologizes as Chris Tapp, city of Idaho Falls settle lawsuit for $11.7 million

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — This article was originally published by Nate Eaton in East Idaho News.

Christopher Tapp and the city of Idaho Falls agreed to settle a lawsuit Thursday for $11.7 million.

Tapp was wrongfully convicted in 1997 for the rape and murder of 18-year-old Angie Dodge. He tried multiple times to appeal the conviction and his DNA did not match DNA at the crime scene.

Tapp was ultimately released from prison in 2017 and exonerated in 2019 when investigators arrested 54-year-old Brian Dripps. Dripps ultimately pleaded guilty and was sentenced 20 years to life in prison in 2021.



Top Videos Watch More How to appeal yourproperty assessment How to appeal your property assessment
“No dollar amount could ever make up for the over 20 years of my life I spent in prison for crimes I did not commit. However, the settlement will help me move forward with my life,” Tapp said in a statement Thursday night.

The settlement provides that the city of Idaho Falls discuss possible reforms to its interrogation techniques with leading experts on the subject, according to a news release from Neufeld Scheck & Brustin, Tapp’s attorneys.

Tapp sued the city of Idaho Falls and the Idaho Falls Police Department in federal court in October 2020. The city asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit but ultimately the Idaho Falls City Council approved the settlement Thursday.

“Chris Tapp’s wrongful conviction never should have happened; DNA cleared him over 20 years ago,” said Anna Benvenutti Hoffmann of Neufeld Scheck & Brustin. “We hope this settlement is a wake-up call to the many police departments still using the same practices of lying, deception, and coercion as Idaho Falls did — and that it still needs to reform — so that other innocents don’t suffer like Chris Tapp has.”

Mayor Rebecca Casper apologized to Tapp and his mother in a letter and promised the city will do better moving forward.

“Please accept this sincere apology to you and to your mother, Mrs. Tapp, for the city’s role in your wrongful conviction and subsequent incarceration, as well the harm and damages that you and your family have endured over these many years,” Casper wrote. “We at the city of Idaho Falls hope that the resolution of your civil case and this sincere expression of an apology help bring healing and closure to both Mrs. Tapp and to you. In addition to the settlement, the city pledges to review its policies, procedures, and training (especially related to custodial interrogations) and to revise them, as needed, to prevent any recurrence of what happened in your case."

[vivazapata]

29 Year Old Baby Doe Murder Solved:

news.postuszero.com/local/amp/87165
Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation agents have arrested a Choctaw County woman in a nearly 30-year-old cold case.

Meaonia Michelle Allen, 53, turned herself in this month, serving an outstanding warrant for first degree murder with willful intent. A judge denied Allen bail.

Investigators say Allen killed his newborn in 1993 and dumped the body in rural Choctaw County. At the time, the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office contacted OBSI for assistance. An autopsy revealed the baby was born alive and was killed after having his throat cut.

Baby Doe’s case has cooled after nearly three decades. In 2020, an OBSI agent worked with the Cold Case Unit to submit the baby’s DNA to Parabon Nanolabs, a company that specializes in using genetic material to solve crimes.

The results gave investigators some leads, which pointed them in Allen’s direction. After further testing, Allen admitted to giving birth to the baby. She also admitted to killing the child.

At the time of the baby’s birth, Allen was working at a daycare. She didn’t tell anyone about her pregnancy.

[Jay7777]

BREAKING: Suspect Identified in 1990 Homicide Cold Case

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. – Detectives from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office have identified a suspect for the 1990 murder of 17-year-old Michelle Koski. Her body was found on August 25, 1990, by a woman walking her dog at Highway 522 and Echo Lake Road in Snohomish. The suspect, Robert A. Brooks, was identified through investigative genetic genealogy. Brooks died in King County on October 26, 2016. He was released from prison on April 18, 1990 and was living with a relative in the 12500 block of 25th Ave NE in Seattle, just a few blocks from where Michelle lived.

“After more than 30 years of searching for answers following this terrible murder, we can finally provide Michelle’s family with some answers,” said Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney. “Thanks to the relentless persistence of our cold case detectives, new DNA technology and advancements in genetic genealogy, we are now able to solve cases we once thought we’d never find answers to.”

In February 2005, Detective Jim Scharf and retired Detective David Heitzman were assigned to the newly formed Cold Case Team. Retired Detective Heitzman selected Michelle Koski’s case as the primary case he was taking the lead on at that time. There was no DNA match in CODIS, and over the next decade, several suspects were ruled out by obtaining their DNA. The case remained cold.

The suspect, Robert A. Brooks, was identified using Investigative Genetic Genealogy; the use of DNA testing in combination with traditional genealogical methods to establish the relationship between an individual and their ancestors.

Successful identification of Brooks was established with assistance from Parabon NanoLabs and genetic genealogist Deb Stone. The crime scene sample detectives sent to Parabon was a mixture of DNA between the perpetrator and the victim. Due to Parabon's Bioinformatics work, they were able to deconvolute the mixture and ensure that the matches would lead to the perpetrator.

A digital file containing DNA genotype data was uploaded to Family Tree DNA and GEDmatch, a public genetic genealogy website. Genealogist Deb Stone, from Kin Forensics, worked for approximately a year building family trees which ultimately led to the identification of two brothers.

The suspect, Robert A. Brooks, was born on April 25, 1967. He died on October 26, 2016, from natural causes. With the cooperation of the Snohomish County and King County Medical Examiner’s Offices and the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab, a blood sample was tested from Robert Brooks that positively matched the DNA profile from the crime scene evidence. The estimated probability of selecting an unrelated individual at random from the US population with a matching profile is one in 1.2 quadrillion.

If you or anyone you know has information related to this case or the suspect, please call the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office tip line 425-388-3845.

###

News release from Parabon NanoLabs:
Parabon Rescues Profile from Mixed DNA to Enable Improbable Solve parabon.com/news/2022/06/snohomish-mixed-dna-solve

Case background:
On August 25, 1990, 17-year-old Michelle Koski’s body was found near Highway 522 and Echo Lake Rd. She was last seen near her house in the 13300 block of 30th Ave NE in Seattle on August 18, 1990. Earlier that day, Michelle had been at an apartment in the 6200 block of 14th Ave NW in Seattle.

Statement regarding the Michelle Koski murder:
“This is a fitting finish to Detective Scharf’s distinguished career being the voice for those no longer able to speak for themselves. The epitome of a homicide detective, he has effectively set the bar very high for cold case investigations in the State of Washington.

Thousands of hours have gone into the Michelle Koski homicide investigation. The initial investigators laid a solid foundation with the proper collection and preservation of evidence, so that as the DNA technology improved years later, Cold Case Unit investigators working with the WSP Crime Lab, were able to have that evidence analyzed to ultimately identify Michelle’s killer. It was a privilege to have been part of the team that worked on this case, and very rewarding to have it resolved.

There are currently over 2,200 unsolved missing and murdered cases in the State of Washington. It is paramount for law enforcement to invest resources into the investigation of these “cold cases”. The commitment of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office in solving homicide cases has been evident since the Cold Case Team was created in 2005. I am grateful that every Snohomish County Sheriff since then has maintained the integrity of the office by continuing to staff this important mission.

It is my hope and prayer that the resolution of this case will bring some measure of peace to the family and friends of Michelle Koski.”
- David Heitzman, Retired SCSO Cold Case Unit Detective (2005-2009)

[Jay7777]

After 41 years and a false confession, a Colorado woman’s true killer is found guilty of murder

www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/after-41-years-and-a-false-confession-a-colorado-woman-s-true-killer-is-found-guilty-of-murder/ar-AAZ5w81?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=99dc9381943442fc86f80d865b47a7a1

The long search for justice in a 1981 cold-case murder in Cherry Hills, derailed first by a false confession and more recently a mistrial, ended this week with the conviction of a suspect identified decades after the killing through genetic detective work.

An Arapahoe County jury on Thursday found David Dwayne Anderson, 62, guilty of first-degree murder after deliberation and first-degree felony murder in the 1981 killing of Sylvia Quayle in her home.



“For more than 40 years, the defendant carried with him a dark secret, a secret that was finally revealed during this trial,” Deputy District Attorney Grant Grosgebauer, one of the prosecutors on the case, said in a news release.

On Aug. 4, 1981, Quayle’s father found the 34-year-old’s body inside her home in the 3800 block of South Ogden Street. She had been raped, stabbed multiple times and shot in the head, prosecutors said.

The police investigation showed the attacker appeared to have pried open a window and cut the home’s telephone line.

Two years later, a self-professed serial killer named Ottis Toole, already in custody in an unrelated murder case, confessed to the crime, causing local police to close their investigation — though Toole was never charged with Quayle’s murder.

But in 1993, DNA testing proved Toole’s confession false. Police then reopened their investigation into Quayle’s killing, but the case sat cold for years.



It wasn’t until 2020 that new DNA analysis pointed to Anderson, of Nebraska, as the prime suspect in the decades-old crime.

The Cherry Hills Village Police Department and United Data Connect, a genetic genealogy company, began working together and, in 2021, an investigator with United Data Connect went to Anderson’s residence and discretely obtained a new DNA sample by collecting trash bags.

Lab results found DNA on a soda can from Anderson’s trash that matched DNA collected from the crime scene, prosecutors said.

The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office charged Anderson with two counts of first-degree murder and initially went to trial in March — though, after five days of deliberation, jurors were unable to reach a verdict and the judge declared a mistrial.

The retrial in late June ended with guilty verdicts on two counts of murder. Anderson is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 4 and faces a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 20 years.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Gallo said in a news release that they “hope that his small measure of justice brings some degree of peace to Sylvia Quayle’s family, who has waited more than 40 years for this result.”

[vivazapata]

20 year old Robbery-Homicide solved:

www.yourconroenews.com/neighborhood/moco/news/article/DNA-testing-leads-to-20-year-old-cold-case-murder-17274640.php


Genealogical DNA testing helped convict a Tomball man this week for the 2002 fatal shooting of a husband and father he was robbing at an Oak Ridge North gas station.

Martin Isaac Tellez, 45, pleaded guilty to the murder of Subir Chatterjee, 58, on Tuesday in presiding Judge Lisa Michalk’s 221st District Court.