Another Cold Case Solved, by jay7777

[almagata]

El Dorado County Sheriff announced the arrest in the September 28, 1979cold case murder of Patricia Carnahan

Cold Case Murder Arrest follows Test of Decades-Old Rape Kit

A murder suspect in a 1979 cold case in El Dorado County has been arrested after investigators found a DNA match for an unrelated crime in Washington state.

The arrest of Harold W. Carpenter, 63, is the result of dogged detective work on the part of investigators in El Dorado County and the Spokane Police Department as well as a Washington Attorney General initiative that resolves to examine the evidence in a backlog of thousands of unexamined sexual assault kits (SAK's) statewide. Carpenter is in the Spokane County Jail on a fugitive charge, pending extradition to California on a murder warrant.

On September 28, 1979, Patricia Carnahan had been beaten, strangled, and left for dead at a South Lake Tahoe campground. Carnahan's body was recovered and investigators gathered evidence, including a sexual assault kit which provided a DNA sample. No suspects were arrested. Her identity was unknown, and she was buried in a nondescript grave marked "Unidentified Female" (see photo.)

In 2015, investigators with the El Dorado County Cold Case Homicide Unit revived the case. A forensic anthropologist from California State University, Chico exhumed her body. After detectives placed photos of her jewelry in a newspaper, family members identified a pendant worn by Carnahan. After comparing and confirming family DNA to the victim, the body was released to them for proper burial.

But the killer remained a mystery until recently when, as part of a nationwide effort to eliminate the backlog of untested SAKs, authorities in Washington tested a SAK collected in a 1994 rape investigation. The rape case was deemed "unproveable" in 1994 and the kit remained untested until 2023.

Once the kit was tested, the CODIS system - the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System - recently found that the DNA collected from the Washington victim also matched the DNA evidence collected from Patricia Carnahan, identifying the suspect in her murder as Harold Carpenter.

Investigators from El Dorado County developed probable cause to arrest Carpenter for murder and traveled to Spokane to assist SPD in the arrest. This is one of the oldest cold case murders in the country to be solved through a sexual assault DNA review run through CODIS.

“This is the 13th case solved after the creation of the cold case task force,” said El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson. “I’m proud to say our Cold Case Unit is one of the most successful of its kind in the United States. Sadly, Ms. Carnahan was buried in a potter’s field under a headstone of an ‘unidentified female.’ Because of the tireless dedication of our investigators, she was identified and returned to her family. Now due to multi-state collaboration by numerous agencies her killer will finally be held accountable.”

Funds from the Washington State Attorney General’s Office’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative paid for the 1994 sexual assault kit’s testing, allowing the suspect’s DNA profile to be added into CODIS. The Washington initiative is a statewide effort to eliminate a backlog of untested sexual assault kits in Washington that began in 2017, when the Attorney General’s Office was awarded a $3 million federal grant to fund the work.

“Cases like this illustrate the need to test every sexual assault kit and get their DNA profiles loaded into the federal database,” Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said. “Every untested kit could be a potential break in a cold case. Hard work and cross-state collaboration made this case successful. I’m grateful for the hard work from law enforcement to pursue justice in this case.”

Carpenter is being held without bond in Spokane as the extradition process has begun. The Spokane rape case will not continue forward as the statute of limitations has expired and the victim is now deceased.

If anybody has any information on this case or Harold Carpenter, please contact the El Dorado Cold Case Task Force at [phone] or email us at [e-mail].

The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank and acknowledge the following Law Enforcement Agencies for their assistance in this investigation:

El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police Department, Spokane County District Attorney’s Office, Washington State Attorney’s General’s Office, Lassen County District Attorney’s Office, Lassen County Sheriff’s Office, California Department of Justice-DNA Crime Lab, California Department of Justice-Latent Prints, Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Arlington County Police Department in Virginia.

www.facebook.com/ElDoradoDA/posts/pfbid0tP8G6MafX1KhPUZkMMM2rNoAi6jx6MMB1vX45vKTQHJYriG8J2HLyzuseC3APPL4l

[Jay7777]

Good one almagata! Looks like no retirement for Harold W. Carpenter, 63.

Here is what he looks like:

www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/mar/01/spokane-rape-kit-leads-cold-case-arrest-in-1979-la/

[Jay7777]

Man arrested in 17-year-old cold case

www.kvor.com/2023/03/13/man-arrested-in-17-year-old-cold-case/

BOULDER COUNTY-Authorities in Boulder County say a man is under arrest in connection to a 17-year-old cold case. Fifty-three-year-old John Angerer was arrested in Anchorage, Alaska, last week in connection to the death of 38-year-old Angela Wilds. The murder case was originally thrown out in 2010 after a judge determined there wasn’t enough evidence against Angerer to proceed with the trial. On Thursday, the suspect was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection to Wild’s death. Hikers found her body on June 4th of 2006, in the south Saint Vrain canyon a few miles outside Lyons. At the time of his arrest last week, Angerer was serving time in an Alaska prison for a probation violation charge.

[almagata]

Mar 16, 2023 4:00:55 GMT Jay7777 said:

Man arrested in 17-year-old cold case

www.kvor.com/2023/03/13/man-arrested-in-17-year-old-cold-case/

BOULDER COUNTY-Authorities in Boulder County say a man is under arrest in connection to a 17-year-old cold case. Fifty-three-year-old John Angerer was arrested in Anchorage, Alaska, last week in connection to the death of 38-year-old Angela Wilds. The murder case was originally thrown out in 2010 after a judge determined there wasn’t enough evidence against Angerer to proceed with the trial. On Thursday, the suspect was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection to Wild’s death. Hikers found her body on June 4th of 2006, in the south Saint Vrain canyon a few miles outside Lyons. At the time of his arrest last week, Angerer was serving time in an Alaska prison for a probation violation charge.

A lot of people just disappear in Alaska.  There is so much wildlife that any body left out in the woods is scattered very quickly. 

[johnnyhands1]

Mar 16, 2023 9:28:56 GMT almagata said:

Mar 16, 2023 4:00:55 GMT Jay7777 said:

Man arrested in 17-year-old cold case

www.kvor.com/2023/03/13/man-arrested-in-17-year-old-cold-case/

BOULDER COUNTY-Authorities in Boulder County say a man is under arrest in connection to a 17-year-old cold case. Fifty-three-year-old John Angerer was arrested in Anchorage, Alaska, last week in connection to the death of 38-year-old Angela Wilds. The murder case was originally thrown out in 2010 after a judge determined there wasn’t enough evidence against Angerer to proceed with the trial. On Thursday, the suspect was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection to Wild’s death. Hikers found her body on June 4th of 2006, in the south Saint Vrain canyon a few miles outside Lyons. At the time of his arrest last week, Angerer was serving time in an Alaska prison for a probation violation charge.

A lot of people just disappear in Alaska.  There is so much wildlife that any body left out in the woods is scattered very quickly. 

That's what I was thinking when hearing the accused was arrested in Anchorage.  But the crime happened in Boulder County, Colorado.  An article I read said two witnesses, in 2022, place the victim and the accused together in a Longmont, Colorado motel in early 2006. Longmont is 12 miles from Lyons, near where her body was found.

[Jay7777]

Louisiana cold case ‘The Man in The Well’ is cracked nearly 40 years later: Deputies

www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/louisiana-cold-case-the-man-in-the-well-is-cracked-nearly-40-years-later-deputies/ar-AA18PiFu?ocid=iehp&cvid=731178f2ad4141f19971704c07b82c13&ei=14


58-year-old Lester Rome disappeared nearly 40 years ago. His family reported him missing to the Grand Isle Police Department in January 1984. The police department sits on a narrow barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico — right along the Louisiana coastline.

Patricia Tito, Delvin Sibley (Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office).

A month later — and a two-hour drive north toward New Orleans — the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office took over the investigation. When detectives there began investigating Rome’s disappearance, they spoke with a woman who lived in Rome’s home — Patricia Tito, according to a Facebook post by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Tito allegedly told investigators that she operated his business and last she heard, Rome had gone on a trip. She denied any knowledge of foul play, deputies said.

Patricia Tito, 1994 (Las Vegas Police Department via Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office)

In April 1986, the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office — a law enforcement agency four hours away between Lafayette and Shreveport — opened a homicide investigation after human remains were recovered from a water well in Many, Louisiana.

For 35 years, the remains sat in evidence unidentified — the case and body only ever referred to as “The Man In The Well,” the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said.

But in 2021, the mystery was solved and the remains were confirmed to be those of Lester Rome.

The Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office reviewed Rome’s missing person case and determined they wanted to speak with Tito. Easy to track down, Tito is currently in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Corrections serving a sentence for a 2003 homicide in Shreveport.

When detectives were interviewing Tito, she told investigators Rome was killed in Grand Isle and his remains were dumped in Sabine Parish, according to the Facebook post by Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

In Spring 2022, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office met with Tito and she agreed to bring them to the location where Rome was murdered, they said. She allegedly told investigators she was present during the murder, but placed responsibility for the crime solely on Devin Avard Sibley. Tito said Sibley eventually left Grand Isle and took Rome’s remains with him, the Facebook post said.

Based on Tito’s admissions and information from the interview, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed Sibley as a person of interest in Rome’s murder, they said. Further investigation showed Lowe’s remains were found on a property formerly owned by Sibley’s family, authorities said.

Investigators issued arrest warrants for Tito and Sibley for second degree murder in the death of Rome.

“While the level of her involvement is not entirely clear, and despite her protestations of innocence, Tito obviously had knowledge of Mr. Rome’s death and failed to make any effort to notify law enforcement or a member of his family between 1984 and 2021,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement on Facebook.

[Jay7777]

Good to see this guy behind bars! Who knows how many victims there really are?


Convicted serial rapist sentenced to more than 150 years.

www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/convicted-serial-rapist-sentenced-to-more-than-150-years/ar-AA19Ya8Q?ocid=iehp&cvid=4d232e60c8c040809c329e763f50a766&ei=23

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana judge has sentenced a convicted serial rapist to more than 150 years in prison, authorities said Monday.

Darrell Goodlow was charged in 2021 with 57 counts, including rape, burglary and criminal confinement. He pleaded guilty in March to nine counts, including eight felony counts of rape and one felony count of killing a domestic animal, as part of a plea agreement.

Marion Superior Judge Mark Stoner sentenced him to 156 1/2 years behind bars on Friday, prosecutors said in a news release.

“With this resolution, the defendant will spend the rest of his life in prison without putting the survivors in a position to relive the trauma they have experienced throughout the duration of a trial,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said.

Telephone messages were left with defense attorneys listed in online court records as representing Goodlow.

Prosecutors alleged that Goodlow targeted women in their 60s and 70s on the east side of Indianapolis and in the suburb of Lawrence. They accused Goodlow of sexually assaulting eight women on six different occasions between August 2020 and September 2021.

In some cases, he dressed as a utility worker to gain access to his victims’ homes. He killed one of his victims' dogs during one attack, police said.

A fingerprint at one of the scenes helped investigators identify him. They also matched his DNA to evidence collected in all eight cases.

[Jay7777]

42-year-old cold case killing of ‘Jane Doe’ solved; family waits 26 years before officially reporting Texas teen missing

www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/04/20/42-year-old-cold-case-killing-of-jane-doe-solved-family-waits-26-years-before-officially-reporting-texas-teen-missing/

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Texas Rangers have made an arrest in a 42-year-old cold case. On April 13, Larry Allen West, 68, was arrested for the murder of 18-year-old Carol Joyce Deleon. He was taken into custody at his residence in San Antonio.

West was linked to the killing through new evidence in the case that was subjected to Advanced DNA testing under the Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) program, which is funded by the Department of Justice/ Bureau of Justice Assistance (DOJ/BJA).

Back on June 4, 1981, the unidentified partially nude body of a teenage female was found along IH-35 in southern Comal County. The autopsy determined the victim died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head. Investigators attempted to identify her using fingerprints and a composite sketch that was released to local media; however, the efforts were unsuccessful, and she was eventually buried as a “Jane Doe.”

In May 2008, the Texas Ranger’s Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program (UCIP) reviewed the case file. From researching missing persons reports, only one missing person similar to the description of the victim from the 1981-time frame was found. Deleon had only been reported missing to the San Antonio Police Department in 2007. The report was made by a family member 26 years after the last time they had heard from her.

Texas Rangers met with her family and provided a photo of the Jane Doe. They recognized her and further family DNA testing confirmed her identity, 27 years after being labeled a Jane Doe.

Deleon was found to have resided in the West Avenue area of San Antonio and had graduated from Thomas Edison High School on May 28, 1981, just days prior to her death. The family had attempted to file a missing persons report back in 1981, but because she was 18 and no foul play was noted at the time, a report was not taken. Deleon had also told the family she would be moving away once she turned 18 and the family had assumed she had followed through. However, after years of not hearing from her, Deleon’s youngest sister decided to file the missing persons report in 2007.

The Texas Rangers continued pursuing the case with forensic DNA advancements and in 2010 an unknown DNA profile was developed and entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). At that time, no matches were found, and the case once again stalled due to the lack of leads caused by the 27-year time frame.

In 2020, evidence in the case was subjected to Advanced DNA testing under DPS’ SAKI program which is funded by the DOJ/BJA.

DOJ/BJA provide investigative funding for agencies across the United States to further unsolved sexual assaults and sexually related homicides with the hope of bringing justice to the victims and their families. SAKI grant funds were utilized for the cost of the Advanced DNA testing and genealogy research through Bode Technologies. The testing led to the identity of West, which was confirmed through normal forensic DNA testing.

West was arrested and booked into the Bexar County Jail on a $125,000 bond. An indictment and trial are now pending.

Another posting about it:

www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/man-arrested-in-1981-murder-of-18-year-old-woman-in-texas/ar-AA1ahEPf?ocid=iehp&cvid=f18b59fde6cb42d8a033fd3896c245d5&ei=12

[Jay7777]

They keep arresting these creeps!

DNA On Coffee Cup Leads to Arrest Of Man For Two Violent Rapes On Golf Courses In Michigan And Pennsylvania Over 2 Decades

www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/dna-on-coffee-cup-leads-to-arrest-of-man-for-two-violent-rapes-on-golf-courses-in-michigan-and-pennsylvania-over-2-decades/ar-AA1agXLm?ocid=iehp&cvid=19d371dc5a79488689a0e9b2930c8dfb&ei=15

A breakthrough in DNA analysis has resulted in a Michigan man's arrest in connection with two violent rapes that occurred more than 20 years ago.

Rillema was arraigned on April 18 after cold case detectives matched his DNA, which was found on a styrofoam coffee cup he had used, to DNA left at two crime scenes.

Police believe that Rillema entered an employee-only area of Oakland Charter Township's Twin Lakes Golf Club in Michigan in 1999 to attack a 22-year-old woman, leaving behind biological traces at the scene.

The following year, he allegedly asked a 19-year-old jogger on the Blue Course of Penn State University for a band-aid before holding a knife to her throat, punching her in the stomach, and sexually assaulting her. Both cases went cold despite DNA evidence being present at the time.


Recent advances in genetic genealogy, however, have led investigators to obtain fresh leads from a coffee cup Rillema used, enabling a match to be made against DNA evidence collected from both golf courses.

Rillema was arrested at his home in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and charged with first and second-degree sexual conduct. He is also set to be charged with felony counts of rape, sexual assault, and aggravated indecent assault in Pennsylvania.

Police believe that the businessman and golfer may have victimized other individuals. Rillema's arrest follows a succession of other cold cases being solved by genetic genealogy.

In December 2022, Jeffrey Paul Premo was arrested in connection with the 1998 murder of Jennifer Brinkman after being linked via advanced DNA technology. The year before, a truck driver, William Talbott II, was found guilty in 2019 of killing Tanya Van Cuylenborg, 18, and her boyfriend, Jay Cook, 20, in 1987.

He was arrested in 2018, with the use of a genealogy website identifying him as the individual who left DNA evidence on one of the victims.

In 2020, DNA profiling secured the conviction of former California police officer Joseph James DeAngelo Jr., who had eluded capture for years, for a series of murders and rapes during the 1970s and 1980s.

The technology complements other advances in police forensics and crime detection at a time when crimes are becoming increasingly complex, with significant consequences for victims and offenders alike, per the Daily Mail.

I doubt he only assaulted two women, there is probably many more over the years unreported.

[Jay7777]

Michigan State Police and Three Rivers Police Department Team with Othram to Identify the Suspect in the 1988 Murder of Cathy Swartz
Robert Waters, 53, of South Carolina has been identified as the prime suspect in the 1988 murder of 19-year-old Cathy Swartz of Three Rivers, Michigan.

dnasolves.com/articles/michigan-murder-cathy-swartz-1988/

In December 1988, 19-year-old Cathy Sue Swartz was murdered in the apartment that she shared with her fiancé and daughter on East Hoffman Street in Three Rivers, Michigan. Cathy's fiancé returned home from work to find her brutally murdered on their bedroom floor. Cathy's daughter, who was nine-months-old at the time, was found unharmed in her crib. Investigators determined that it was likely that Swartz had been beaten and then stabbed to death. Investigators also noted that there were signs of attempted rape and self-defense wounds.

Detectives with the Three Rivers Police Department engaged the Michigan State Police to assist in gathering evidence at Cathy's apartment. Fingerprints, blood, and footprints were recovered at the crime scene. Despite the comprehensive analysis of this evidence and the exhaustive follow up on leads, the person responsible for Cathy's murder remained a mystery.

Over the years, investigators continued their pursuit to identify the person responsible for Cathy's death. The FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime created a profile for the perpetrator suggesting that the killer might have lived in the general area and may have known the victim. Additionally, the Western Michigan University Cold Case Program, which works with the Michigan State Police on cold cases such as Cathy's, assisted investigators in the case.

In 2022, the Michigan State Police submitted forensic DNA evidence from the crime scene to Othram. Othram scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a comprehensive genealogical profile from the DNA of the unknown contributor to the crime scene. Othram's in-house genealogical team used the genealogical profile to produce investigative leads. Othram returned the investigative leads to the Michigan State Police and they worked with the local agency investigators to continue the investigation.

This follow up investigation led to the identification of Robert Waters as the prime suspect in Cathy's brutal attack and murder. Waters is now 53 years-old and from Beaufort County, South Carolina. He was arrested on April 30, 2023 and is pending extradition to Michigan to face charges in the murder of Cathy Sue Swartz.

[Jay7777]

May 2, 2023 0:34:02 GMT Jay7777 said:

Michigan State Police and Three Rivers Police Department Team with Othram to Identify the Suspect in the 1988 Murder of Cathy Swartz
Robert Waters, 53, of South Carolina has been identified as the prime suspect in the 1988 murder of 19-year-old Cathy Swartz of Three Rivers, Michigan.

dnasolves.com/articles/michigan-murder-cathy-swartz-1988/

In December 1988, 19-year-old Cathy Sue Swartz was murdered in the apartment that she shared with her fiancé and daughter on East Hoffman Street in Three Rivers, Michigan. Cathy's fiancé returned home from work to find her brutally murdered on their bedroom floor. Cathy's daughter, who was nine-months-old at the time, was found unharmed in her crib. Investigators determined that it was likely that Swartz had been beaten and then stabbed to death. Investigators also noted that there were signs of attempted rape and self-defense wounds.

Detectives with the Three Rivers Police Department engaged the Michigan State Police to assist in gathering evidence at Cathy's apartment. Fingerprints, blood, and footprints were recovered at the crime scene. Despite the comprehensive analysis of this evidence and the exhaustive follow up on leads, the person responsible for Cathy's murder remained a mystery.

Over the years, investigators continued their pursuit to identify the person responsible for Cathy's death. The FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime created a profile for the perpetrator suggesting that the killer might have lived in the general area and may have known the victim. Additionally, the Western Michigan University Cold Case Program, which works with the Michigan State Police on cold cases such as Cathy's, assisted investigators in the case.

In 2022, the Michigan State Police submitted forensic DNA evidence from the crime scene to Othram. Othram scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to develop a comprehensive genealogical profile from the DNA of the unknown contributor to the crime scene. Othram's in-house genealogical team used the genealogical profile to produce investigative leads. Othram returned the investigative leads to the Michigan State Police and they worked with the local agency investigators to continue the investigation.

This follow up investigation led to the identification of Robert Waters as the prime suspect in Cathy's brutal attack and murder. Waters is now 53 years-old and from Beaufort County, South Carolina. He was arrested on April 30, 2023 and is pending extradition to Michigan to face charges in the murder of Cathy Sue Swartz.

This guy (Robert Waters) killed himself in jail today. I guess he didn't want to face the music! 

[Jay7777]

Sounds like this one many be getting solved:

FBI searches NASA scientist's home, property in California as part of 27-year cold case

www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/fbi-searches-nasa-scientist-s-home-property-in-california-as-part-of-27-year-cold-case/ar-AA1b7v5m?cvid=2f93fad7e6e741bdb2c7dabb32c394b7&ei=36

Acold case that's captivated Northern California for 27 years took federal officials to Redwood City this week for a continued search into the disappearance of Ylva Hagner, a Stanford University student missing since 1996.

On Wednesday, FBI agents and evidence technicians visited Stulsaft Park and a nearby home to search for evidence, according to media reports. Video and photos taken showed them removing stones in the yard of the home and preparing to dig.

Hagner, a 42-year-old native of Sweden, was reported missing in October 1996 after disappearing from work in Belmont, a city in San Mateo County.

“The case has been refocused and we are conducting an investigation in Redwood City into the whereabouts of Ylva Hagner,” Belmont Police Department Lt. Peter Lotti told CBS News.

Neither the Belmont police nor the San Mateo District Attorney's Office could immediately be reached by USA TODAY Friday.

Forensic support and an ex-boyfriend
The FBI’s San Francisco office referred questions to Belmont police, the Mercury News reported.

“The FBI is assisting the Belmont (Police Department) today in an investigation in which they are the lead investigative agency,” the FBI said in a statement. “At this time we are providing forensic support with our evidence response team.”

Thomas Pressburger, who was dating Hagner at the time of her disappearance, owns the home where the search took place and purchased it about seven months before she went missing, the outlet reported.

According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Pressburger is a Computer Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.

Hanger last seen at the office
Hagner, who lived in Palo Alto when she disappeared, was last seen on Oct. 14, 1996 at her place of employment at Ixos Software Company.

Her car was found in nearby San Carlos less than a mile from her office.

A company official filed missing-person report two days later after Hagner failed to make several appointments and missed a class at Stanford.

[Jay7777]

Sometimes I think, they will have to open a retirement prison for all these old cold case killers we are catching through DNA and other methods. Glad they won’t live their golden years happy! Lol

[almagata]

May 17, 2023 15:15:27 GMT Jay7777 said:

Sometimes I think, they will have to open a retirement prison for all these old cold case killers we are catching through DNA and other methods. Glad they won’t live their golden years happy! Lol

There are some really bad guys that have been identified in the past five years.  I think the families in these old cases deserve justice.  I'm glad law enforcement is spending the money to id these killers.  It is money well spent. 

These DNA cases have given us a much better picture of who some of these guys are. 

[Jay7777]

FBI Has Identified Zodiac Killer as Air Force Veteran Gary Francis Poste, Investigator Claims

www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/fbi-has-identified-zodiac-killer-as-air-force-veteran-gary-francis-poste-investigator-claims/ar-AA1bnkue?ocid=iehp&cvid=2e0338ff0db047998aee6a62f8a73fd2&ei=32

The FBI is being challenged by a group of independent sleuths about the 1960s notorious 'Zodiac Killer', whom they think is Air Force Veteran Gary Francis Poste.

Additionally, reporter Thomas Colbert alleges that an FBI whistleblower confirmed to him that Air Force veteran Poste, is listed by the Bureau as a suspect.

Colbert asserts the FBI has a 'partial' DNA sample on Poste, who has been dead since 2018, linking him to the series of killings. "My FBI guys say it's irrefutable. It's a match," Colbert stated in an interview with the media. Colbert goes on to say that authorities failed to investigate the suspect properly while he lived.

He continues: “As a nation, we've abandoned them – especially the remaining 10 brothers and sisters.”

The Zodiac serial killer killed at least five individuals during the late 1960s but was quoted as declaring to have killed 37 people.

Regardless of the FBI guaranteeing the case remained open as late as October 2021, Case Breakers, a non-profit investigative organization consisting of 40 independent sleuths, has actually come forward with evidence that could ultimately lead to closure for those affected by the Zodiac killer's cruelty, per the Daily Mail.

The group has compiled photographic evidence to compare a distinctive scar on the Zodiac Killer to photos of Poste and has requested the FBI to check their findings for DNA.

They have also talked to Poste's former next-door neighbors whom he and his spouse would babysit as a child, a man who proclaimed to be a part of Poste's criminal 'posse', and an ex-wife of the alleged suspect's son.

Detectives have even requested for the FBI to check the watch that officials recovered, which they suspected to have belonged to the Zodiac Killer.

The watch was covered in paint and, according to detectives, Poste was believed to be a house painter.