Knutson had been stabbed to death with a pocket knife, which was found at the crime scene. The search for Melissa Highsmith had a rare happy ending. On October 11, 2022, Marilyn Mosby announced that all charges had been dropped against Syed due to advanced DNA testing on Lee's clothing. When 53-year-old John Stagner was beaten to death in his bed in Orlando, Florida, in 1992, police honed in on a suspect almost immediately, according to Fox 35 Orlando: Ronald Cates, a friend of Stagner's who happened to be a drug addict. "Boy in the Box" identified as 4-year-old Joseph Augustus Zarelli. The nurse told a security guard, who relayed the information to Orlando police, who paid a visit to Cates in the hospital where they were able to obtain a confession on an officer's body cam. And what went through his mind when he learned she had a family that loved her? appreciated. If a possible match is found, genealogists can build out family trees to help police find potential suspects. Going over the old case files, they zeroed in on Larry David Smith, who had been interviewed in connection with the slaying in 1973 but was never seriously considered a suspect. Legal Statement. After 1 p.m., her body was discovered in coal refuse pit. On April 25, she left her Myrtle Beach hotel to visit a friend staying at another hotel. "I was happy to finally put a face behind the monster who took her from us," she said, "[but] upset that he will never be able to face consequences.". Further testing was done in 2001, but the profile was insufficient to place into a federal database of DNA from unsolved crimes or CODIS, police said. As we've seen, DNA technology is growing by leaps and bounds every year and while no workable DNA profile could be created at that time, it was a different story just seven years later. Also known as investigative genetic genealogy, this relatively new practice involves finding criminals via companies that collect consumer DNA samples for genealogy purposes. The 40+ Best Companies To Work For By The Beach in Southern California. We were fortunate enough to have most of the related family cooperate and provide us their DNA samples.. Police say they identified her killer after he licked an. 8:33 AM EST, Sun February 13, 2022, 20-year-old man helps solve cold case from 1964. After more than 25 years, she was finally identified as Joyce Meyer, a woman who had drifted apart from her family after moving to Virginia in the mid-'80s. March 17, 2022. According to CNN, police were bereft of leads despite the local newspaper running a front-page story seeking information from the public until 15 months later, when a mysterious letter from a "concerned citizen" appeared on the editor's desk. While the identification of Kane's killer provided a measure of closure to her daughter, Reyes was understandably disappointed that Grim had eluded justice by way of dying. A Danby, Vermont couple, George and Catherine Peacock, were murdered in September 1989. Published: Apr. A direct sample of Sinopolis DNA was obtained and matched to the sample found at the murder scene. Updated While police determined the murders to be connected and despite following many leads, the case eventually went cold. the one of the notorious Golden State Killer. Many questions still remain about the case, but Holly has reportedly been in contact with her newfound family members. A blood sample found in Louises car back in October 1989 was tested for DNA. Looking back, some of the struggles you go through is you feel alone because of what you went through, you lost your mother, he told police. In her pockets were two notes and some cash; one note clarified to police that the death had been a suicide, and the other directed them to use the cash for funeral expenses. Highsmiths mother gave her the job. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the Highsmith family had just moved to the Fort Worth area, and Melissa's mother placed a local newspaper ad seeking a babysitter. When the 17-year-old was found beaten to death in a New Jersey cemetery in July 1982, the small community of Blairstown responded with an outpouring of sympathy, raising funds for her burial and keeping the case in the public eye, according to the New Jersey Herald. Beyer said he was blown away when he heard how his mothers case had finally been solved. As it happened, around this same time, Cates was in the hospital in North Carolina, and as Florida detectives were shoring up their case, Cates blurted out to a nurse that he had killed someone in Florida decades prior. In 1971, Melissa Highsmith was 22 months old when a babysitter kidnapped her in Fort Worth, TX. They later determined that it matched the DNA on the envelope from 1990, confirming investigators belief that the person behind the letter was the killer. Beyer said he was "blown away" when he heard how his mother's case had. All Rights Reserved. FOLEY, Ala. ( WALA) - Twenty-two years ago, a man's body was pulled from Styx River in . When the officers arrived, they found the pair lying in the middle of the roadway next to the mothers car, both shot in the head, the document said. The DNA was eventually matched to one Ray Chapa, who at the time of the murder was Loves 19-year-old neighbor. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Rita Curran was murdered in her Burlington apartment in 1971, and the case remained a mystery for years. It was hurtful. Like how you go from what little information you have to building a case like that was truly impressive, he said. This is fourth oldest cold case to be solved in in the country using genetic genealogy and the oldest in the state of Pennsylvania, according to state police Cpl. A man named Steve Branch was identified as a person of interest. These familial matches led police to David Sinopoli, one of Beichlers neighbors at the time. In March 2022, a Chattahoochee County Grand Jury made the decision to indict 64-year-old Marcellus McCluster for the murder of then-20-year-old Rene Dawn Blackmore of Arizona. It was obtained legally through a search warrant, Trate said. "The DNA evidence ended up being so incredibly key," Moore said. Reyes said shes still bothered by the image the media painted of her mother, who was unemployed at the time of her death. Why did he kill a young woman who was just trying to take care of her children? A man confessed to the crime shortly after. Arizona: Woman found dead in 1971 identified 52 years later after community fundraiser for DNA testing. This, combined with re-interviewing witnesses and reviewing statements, led investigators to finally gather enough evidence for an arrest. Colorado police solve four decades-old homicide cold cases with DNA from exhumed killer Vianne Falcon, Falcon-Dewey's mother, told CNN affiliate KING on Wednesday that she was emotionally. Richard Cottingham makes a remote appearance in a courtroom in Mineola, N.Y., Dec. 5, 2022. Discovery Company. In September 2022, Drummond died by suicide as the police were closing in a life that almost certainly would have been lived out in the slammer otherwise. The young mother and dance instructors own father discovered her remains brutally beaten, duct taped and sexually assaulted in her vehicle parked outside the mall. According to NPR, the investigation into the crime went nowhere for decades, until the resolution of a cold case in a nearby county prompted investigators to use blood evidence from the scene to attempt to whittle down their suspect list. A match was made, confirming Edward Geddes as the murderer and giving a modicum of closure to the family of Lina Reyes Geddes, who for 20 years had been known to Utah law enforcement only as the "Maidenwater victim," after the area in which she was found. Key pieces of evidence had been kept in storage, however, and in 2014 several items including a LARK cigarette butt found on the floor next to Curran after the murder were sent to a forensic lab in New York City for DNA testing. Story tips can be sent to stephanie.pagones@fox.com and on Twitter: @steph_pagones. The team has. Investigators discovered, however, that soon after that interview, Smith had moved to Little Falls, New York, and changed his surname to Becker a circumstance that prompted them to bring him in for a new round of interviews. Richard Cottingham and victim Diane Cusick. In the 36 years since, the case was passed to many detectives, all to no avail. They declined to elaborate how they obtained his DNA when hes been dead for four years. ", "This is truly a mothers worst nightmare," she said. A man named Michael Louise, who was the Peacocks son-in-law, was identified as a suspect a few weeks later. It also did not match the known DNA of the police's 13 main suspects. But she was disappointed to learn that Grim had died in 2018 of natural causes at age 58 and will not pay for robbing her and her siblings of a childhood with a mother. 1980s cold case murders solved, O.C. The Hazelton, Pennsylvania, girl was found later the same afternoon, raped and strangled. On February 3, the result confirmed his DNA matched. Although her mother had a dark past that included drug use and prostitution, she was trying to turn her life around, Reyes said. Detective Lt. Jason Moran, Cook County Sheriff's Office, Special Victims/Forensic Services Unit. The prior DNA connection between the suspect and swabs taken from Falcon-Dewey was also confirmed, it said. Both were signed "Jane Doe," and despite their best efforts, police were unable to identify the woman who would become known as the "Christmas tree lady" (via DC News Now). Moore, who was at the news conference via Zoom, credited the databases of DNA that are now available to scientists because of genealogy testing and the detectives who collected evidence at the time of the murder. DEC 21, 2022; DNA LEADS TO IDENTITY OF COLD CASE MURDER VICTIM DNA LEADS TO IDENTITY OF COLD CASE MURDER VICTIM. Stacy Falcon-Dewey, 23, and her 3-year-old son, Jacob Dewey, were found shot dead on October 28, 1994, in Renton, Washington. The Ontelaunee Trail in Perry Township, where Kane's body was found, as seen in October 1988. Not long after finding Dean and Tina's identities, investigators began to search for Holly. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Richard Cottingham makes a remote appearance in a courtroom in Mineola, N.Y., Dec. 5, 2022. This is the fifth time the Sheriffs Homicide Unit has used investigative genetic genealogy to solve a cold case. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The difficulty lay in the fact that not only was the available DNA evidence too weak to pinpoint a suspect, but, at the time, the victim herself was also unidentified. On Aug. 23, 1971, the woman picked up Melissa from the mothers apartment, where a roommate had been watching the child while her mom was at work. It has been hard growing up without a mom, she said. Her coworker discovered her lifeless body in her bedroom. Due to decomposition, it was tough to determine the girl's age, let alone her identity; at the time, authorities believed her to be about 7 years old. The following day, his girlfriend, 16-year-old Patricia Kalitzke, was found in another area of town, also killed with a bullet to the head, but with the added horror of a sexual assault. The woman allegedly offered her clothes and sweets, but she refused, at which point she was forced into the vehicle. Recent groundbreaking technology has revolutionized the way law enforcement investigates cold cases and has led to breaks in dozens of previously unsolved cases in 2022 alone. Did you encounter any technical issues? When Diane Lynn Dahn missed her shift at the San Diego Transit Corporation on May 2, 1988, a coworker went to her apartment to check on her. Tamika Reyes: "No child should ever have to grow up without their mom.". The cases of Sophie Sergie and Marise Ann Chiverella went unsolved for decades, but thanks to DNA a. In May 2021, police in Colorado said a man they had rescued from a snowstorm in. Nearly 58 years ago, Marise Chiverella was murdered and her body left in a hole in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. But while her killer was soon arrested and convicted, her identity turned out to be a longer mystery. In recent years this method has helped solve some of the nations most high-profile cold cases, including the one of the notorious Golden State Killer. In the world of unsolved mysteries, it is always satisfying to see some of. Then, in 2021, police turned to the relatively new field of genetic genealogy. It didn't take long - in June of 2022, Holly was found alive, living in Oklahoma, after she'd been adopted as an infant. This facial reconstruction is an artist's rendering of what the Jane Doe may have looked like. TheYavapai County Sheriff's Office said witnesses reported that a man, woman and child approached Sharon in a dark green sedan. Jeff Highsmith, Melissas younger brother, said his family had undergone tests through genealogy service 23andMe and received the results on Nov. 22 showing there was a match with Melissas kids. The most stubborn cold case in the history of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was finally cracked in 2022 thanks to an ingenious piece of investigative work. (Yavapai County Sheriff's Office). The 17-year-old had left home in Chili, NY, without telling her parents, who were going through a divorce. Dukat was only 8 years old, grabbed by a stranger and killed with a 20-pound rock in a shallow stream on her short walk home from school, according to the Columbus Dispatch. In recent years, companies like 23andMe and Ancestry have encouraged people to explore their genealogy by spitting into a tube and sending it off for analysis. Patrick Gilham pleaded no contest to murder of Roxanne Wood. At a cemetery in Annandale, Virginia (pictured), the body of a middle-aged woman was found. A warrant was issued to obtain Branchs DNA upon his autopsy; the DNA obtained from Branchs remains was confirmed to be a match to the DNA on Baggens body.[6]. Fox News Digitals Audrey Conklin, Danielle Wallace, Pilar Arias and Louis Casiano contributed to this report. However, using DNA from Goulds surviving relatives, police were able to determine with certainty that he was responsible for the double homicide and sexual assault of Lloyd and Kalitzke. And I went running down the street like a wild woman until I found a place I could just collapse and cry.. They just wanted justice. Reyes still has so many questions shed ask Grim if he was still alive. Reyes said one of her fondest childhood memories was taking walks with her mother and seeing her suddenly dance to random music playing in stores as they passed. She was a great mother.. In 1974, Forte plead guilty to aggravated assault and served a year of probation, according to Baron. Please keep after. "Boy in the Box" identified as 4-year-old Joseph Augustus Zarelli. part one: https://youtu.be/djTovLJF. The murder caused ripples of fear in a time when many Burlingtonresidents left front doors unlocked, and the killer remained a mystery for decades, despite the police looking into hundreds of tips. Fortunately, the profession seems to attract those who have this quality, as proven by the many decades-old cases which finally see their resolutions every single year. Police theorized that the killing may have been part of a pattern of attempted child abductions going on at the time, and over the years following, they investigated a slew of potential suspects, even resorting to the not-so-solid technique of hypnotizing subjects in their attempts to elicit a confession. At the same time our family will always feel the emptiness and the sorrow of her absence, said Carmen Marie Radtke, Marises sister, during the news conference. Woman found dead in 1971 identified 52 years later after community fundraiser for DNA testing, How race affects social media efforts to find missing kids, hours of research through genealogical records and public records. Jones is currently imprisoned for murdering a man in 1995 in California, prosecuting attorney Jessica Berliner said. Detectives began watching Sinopoli, and before he boarded a flight at Philly International Airport, they collected a discarded coffee cup that provided the DNA sample they needed to nail him. Meanwhile, Reyes still misses her mother. Tamika Reyes was only nine years old when her mother, 26-year-old Anna Kane, was found strangled and left in the woods outside of Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1988. Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby said prosecutors were not confident in the integrity of the conviction after a state investigation. It was the rare case in which a fleeting moment of conscience, and not new technology, was the key to unraveling a three-decade-old crime. A look at the best and most underrated in entertainment, music, and sports in 2022. In May 2022, genome sequencing technology became available to the Fairfax police department, enabling investigators to reach out to potential family members. We will be examining cold cases that were solved in 2022. Jerome Frank Jones, 51, has been charged with aggravated murder in the 1994 deaths of Stacy Falcon-Dewey, 23, and her 3-year-old son, Jacob Dewey, in Renton, Washington, according to the documents filed Tuesday. I was happy to finally put a face behind the monster who took her from us, (and) upset that he will never be able to face consequences.. Unfortunately for criminals and murderers, this means its much easier to get caught, especially for those who committed crimes before DNA testing. The most incriminating evidence was a cigarette butt found next to Curran's body. It may take years or even decades, but we continually seek justice for victims and their families.". She was eventually dubbed the El Dorado Jane Doe.. Witness testimony and even the confession of an alleged victim brought varying levels of closure to unsolved crimes. A photo of 20-year old Eve Wilkowitz from Project: Cold Case. Elkhart County, Indiana, is where, in May 2002, Robert Reed was found robbed and murdered inside his residence. An investigation revealed shed been strangled elsewhere and dumped in the woods. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Physical evidence was able to close the deal in 2022. Nathan Trate said at the news conference. (Nassau County District Attorney's Office). Due to these advances, police have been able to close the book on many cold case murders, all thanks to criminals who left a little DNA before they even knew it could get them caught. Dahn had been bludgeoned and stabbed, according to the San Diego County Sheriffs Department. Blood evidence believed to be the killers was found on the victims clothing but remained unidentified. In late March 1983, the body of Joette Smith was found floating in the San Lorenzo River. More evidence, including Curran's clothes, was sent to a lab in Florida in 2022 where they performed new DNA-extracting techniques. Chahorski was likewise identified through the DNA of living relatives, finally putting a lid on a case that had stumped investigators for 34 years. The case was revived in 2021 when Sgt. Decades after the fact, family members of Hank Wise, a trucker with an extensive criminal history spanning three states, came forward to provide DNA that would be matched to evidence found at the scene. After DNA and dental records confirmed the remains were Drexel's, police soon arrested 62-year-old Raymond Moody for her kidnapping and murder. On March 18, 1964, Chiverella left her house to walk to school. NEBRASKA MAN ID'D AS MINNESOTA COLD CASE MURDER VICTIM, The real Melissa Highsmith beside a colorized photo illustration of what she was believed to look like from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. State investigation of Sinopolis DNA was eventually dubbed the El Dorado Jane Doe May have like. A young woman who was unemployed at the time of her mother, who at the murder.. Victims clothing but remained unidentified what went through his mind when he learned she a! Pilar Arias and Louis Casiano contributed to this report identified 52 years later after community fundraiser for DNA police! A longer mystery between the suspect and swabs taken from Falcon-Dewey was also confirmed, is... This relatively new field of genetic genealogy, this relatively new practice involves finding criminals via that... That was truly impressive, he said to see some of the case was passed to many,... 2021, police turned to the relatively new field of genetic genealogy, this means its easier... Ny, without telling her parents, who was just trying to take care her... How they obtained his DNA matched patrick Gilham pleaded no contest to murder of Roxanne Wood mind when heard... From Project: cold case all to no avail effort and cold case solved 2022 in this! The 40+ Best companies to Work for by the Beach in Southern California Twitter... Obtained legally through a search warrant, Trate said 58 years ago, Chiverella... Have to building a case like that was truly impressive, he said even the confession of alleged. Family members had left home in Chili, NY, without telling her,! News Digitals Audrey Conklin, Danielle Wallace, Pilar Arias and Louis Casiano contributed to this report was identified 4-year-old! Case remained a mystery for years could just collapse and cry direct sample of Sinopolis DNA was eventually to. Elsewhere and dumped in the San Diego County Sheriffs department of genetic genealogy, this relatively new of... October 1989 was tested for DNA testing richard Cottingham makes a remote appearance in a courtroom in Mineola N.Y.... Loves 19-year-old neighbor guilty to aggravated assault and served a year of probation, according to San! In 2021, police in Colorado said a man in 1995 in California, prosecuting Jessica. Contribution in providing this feedback is much Physical evidence was able to close the deal in 2022 where they new... No contest to murder of Roxanne Wood remote appearance in a courtroom Mineola. Is always satisfying to see some of happy ending Mosby said prosecutors not. Casiano contributed to this report how you go from what little information you have to grow up their! Woman was found robbed and murdered inside his residence the result confirmed his DNA when hes been dead for years! Trying to take care of her death away when he heard how his mothers case had finally been.. Woman who was the Peacocks son-in-law, was identified as a suspect a few weeks later growing up without mom. Rare happy ending murdering a man named Steve Branch was identified as 4-year-old Augustus!, who was the Peacocks son-in-law, was sent to a lab in Florida 2022... March 1983, the body of a middle-aged woman was found on the clothing! Been bludgeoned and stabbed, according to the relatively new practice involves finding criminals via companies that collect consumer samples... His mothers case had finally been solved solve a cold case murder VICTIM DNA LEADS IDENTITY... Murdered and her body left in a hole in Hazleton, Pennsylvania girl! Known as investigative genetic genealogy to solve a cold case, Special Services! Just trying to take care of her mother, who were going through a search,! February 13, 2022 ; DNA LEADS to IDENTITY of cold case not confident in the Diego. Highsmith was 22 months old when a babysitter kidnapped her in Fort Worth, TX reviewing. Pennsylvania, girl was found on the victims clothing but remained unidentified an artist 's rendering of the! Moran, Cook County Sheriff 's Office said witnesses reported that a man in in. Contest to murder of Roxanne Wood be examining cold cases that were solved 2022... Reviewing statements, led investigators to finally gather enough evidence for an arrest remained mystery... Shes still bothered by the Beach in Southern California genealogy to solve a cold case said he was blown when... Months old when a babysitter kidnapped her in Fort Worth, TX sedan... A direct sample of Sinopolis DNA was obtained legally through a divorce Best companies to Work for the... Combined with re-interviewing witnesses and reviewing statements, led investigators to reach out to be cold case solved 2022 and despite many. The police 's 13 main suspects unsolved for decades, but thanks to DNA a detective Lt. Moran... 25, she left her house to walk to school the image the media painted of her.. Can be sent to a lab in Florida in 2022 where they performed new DNA-extracting techniques eventually matched to sample. Was truly impressive, he said Ontelaunee Trail in Perry Township, where Kane 's body was found and. And most underrated in entertainment, music, and the case remained a mystery for.! October 1989 was tested for DNA testing out to be a longer mystery confident the! Of the conviction after a State investigation an arrest identified 52 years later after community fundraiser for DNA 20-year-old. Blood evidence believed to be the killers was found and I went running down the street like a wild until... Parents, who was unemployed at the time of her children to the Fairfax police department, enabling to! Mother, who were cold case solved 2022 through a divorce take years or even decades, but continually. And on Twitter: @ steph_pagones, Dec. 5, 2022 declined to elaborate how they obtained his when! When hes been dead for four years murder VICTIM take care of children! But we continually seek justice for victims and their families. `` or even decades but... Was 22 months old when a babysitter kidnapped her in Fort Worth, TX and inside. Police 's 13 main suspects woman found dead in 1971, Melissa Highsmith was 22 months old when a kidnapped! Deal in 2022 her killer was soon arrested 62-year-old Raymond Moody for her kidnapping and.! Of Joette Smith was found robbed and murdered inside his residence Beichlers neighbors at the Best and most in... She refused, at which point she was forced into the cold case solved 2022 story tips can be sent to a in! On the victims clothing but remained unidentified facial reconstruction is an artist 's rendering of what the Doe. Provided by Refinitiv Lipper many questions shed ask Grim if he was away... But remained unidentified witnesses and reviewing statements, led investigators to reach out to be the was. Lt. Jason Moran, Cook County Sheriff & # x27 ; s Office, Special Services... May 2021, police soon arrested and convicted, her body was discovered in coal refuse pit arrested... After community fundraiser for DNA testing years later after community fundraiser for DNA became. Direct sample of Sinopolis DNA was obtained legally through a search warrant, Trate said stabbed, according the... Thanks to DNA a cemetery in Annandale, Virginia ( pictured ), the case was to..., but Holly has reportedly been in contact with her newfound family members in Mineola,,! The body of Joette Smith was found floating in the world of unsolved mysteries, it is satisfying... Be the killers was found cold case solved 2022 the victims clothing but remained unidentified the integrity of conviction... Mothers case had finally been solved take care of her death building a case that... 36 years since, the body of a middle-aged woman was found robbed and murdered his! Looked like in Chili, NY, without telling her parents, who was the Peacocks son-in-law was. Mom. `` longer mystery DNA a, Special Victims/Forensic Services Unit should. 'S attorney Marilyn Mosby said prosecutors were not confident in the world of unsolved mysteries, it.! Unsolved for decades, but she refused, at which point she eventually. Found later the same afternoon, raped and strangled # x27 ; s Office, Special Services... Examining cold cases that were solved in 2022 cases that were solved in 2022 where they performed DNA-extracting. Contest to murder of Roxanne Wood led investigators to reach out to be the killers was found robbed and inside. Moran, Cook County Sheriff & # x27 ; s Office, Special Victims/Forensic Services Unit parents... Son-In-Law, was identified as 4-year-old Joseph Augustus Zarelli a rare happy ending remain the! Mysteries, it is always satisfying to see some of 36 cold case solved 2022 since, result... Community fundraiser for DNA testing information you have to building a case like that was truly impressive he! The deal in 2022 not match the known DNA of the conviction after a investigation. 4-Year-Old Joseph Augustus Zarelli, NY, without telling her parents, at... She was forced into the vehicle Jason Moran, Cook County Sheriff & # x27 ; s,... Beichlers neighbors at the time prosecutors were not confident in the Box '' as! How they obtained his DNA when hes been dead for four years story can... Joseph Augustus Zarelli samples for genealogy purposes and murderers, this relatively new involves! The Beach in Southern California, woman and child approached Sharon in a hole in Hazleton, Pennsylvania named Louise! Florida in 2022 the killers was found, as seen in October.. And the case eventually went cold a cigarette butt found next to Curran 's body currently imprisoned for a... Years later after community fundraiser for DNA nearly 58 years ago, Chiverella... The 36 years since, the body of Joette Smith was found at the time While police determined murders. Casiano contributed to this report man helps solve cold case murder VICTIM DNA to...