Man Arrested in 1980 Slaying of 79-Year-Old California Woman

[discocrisco01]

Source: Associated Press

Police arrested a 64-year-old man this week in connection with a 1980 cold case where a woman was found dead in her Southern California apartment, officials said Friday.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/california/articles/2021-04-30/man-arrested-in-1980-slaying-of-79-year-old-california-woman

[Stuart G]

1. DNA testing and wide use of computers to evaluate evidence is the answer as to why this happened.

It isn't just the DNA, it is the widespread use of computers to compare the DNA and other evidence. This
killer got away with it for 40 years, and was sure he would always get away with it....He was 24 when
he killed her.

[jimfields33]

2. The guy had to have DNA in some databank somewhere

We’re still at the mercy of getting DNA from every person in order to find cold cases processed.

[Bengus81]

3. Or did they have tips about him and get DNA upon his arrest?

Article doesn't really say or that if he was arrested for something else and gave DNA. But...this is yet another case where there should never be a death penalty.

It's a wonder some black or Hispanic wasn't arrested and put to death or spent 40 years in prison.

[jimfields33]

4. Good question.

And your last statement is spot on. Thank goodness that doesn’t seem to be the case at least in this one.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

5. Not necessarily. If a family member has dna on file they can get a partial match hit on them.

Once they identify a familial hit they have it narrowed down to a relatively small list of possibles. Now do the detective work to exclude people - deceased, not living in the area, etc.

Once they identify a suspect they can obtain DNA either voluntarily, by court order, or surreptitiously (follow the suspect and collect soft drink cups etc.)


The way authorities caught The Golden State Killer was nothing short of amazing

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_James_DeAngelo#Investigation

On June 15, 2016, the FBI released further information related to the crimes, including new composite sketches and crime details;[130] a $50,000 reward was also announced.[165] The initiative included a national database to support law enforcement's investigating of the crimes and to handle tips and information.[166] Eventually, "through the use of genetic genealogy searching on GEDmatch, investigators identified distant relatives of DeAngelo — including family members directly related to his great-great-great-great grandfather dating back to the 1800s. Based on this information, investigators built about 25 different family trees. The tree that eventually linked to [DeAngelo] alone contained approximately 1,000 people. Over the course of a few months, investigators used other clues like age, sex, and place of residence to rule out suspects populating these trees, eliminating suspects one by one until only DeAngelo remained."[16]
During the investigation, several people were considered and later eliminated as suspects:
Brett Glasby, from Goleta, was considered a suspect by Santa Barbara County investigators. He was murdered in Mexico in 1982, before the murder of Janelle Cruz; this eliminated him as a suspect.[167]
Paul "Cornfed" Schneider, a high-ranking member of the Aryan Brotherhood, was living in Orange County when the Harringtons, Manuela Witthuhn, and Janelle Cruz were killed. A DNA test cleared him in the 1990s.[168][169]
Joe Alsip, a friend and business partner of the victim Lyman Smith. Alsip's pastor said that Alsip had confessed to him during a family-counseling session. Alsip was arraigned for the Smith murders in 1982, but the charges were later dropped,[170][171] and his innocence was confirmed by DNA testing in 1997.[172]

[Bluepinky]

6. That was truly amazing!

That guy assumed he’d never be caught.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

10. I think I read somewhere they are trying the same technique for the Zodiac killer.

I bed Ted Cruz is nervous!

[Bluepinky]

18. Yeah, he should be.

He’s got a face that screams “guilty”.

[Yavin4]

9. These "find your family history" genealogy sites make it easier to solve these cold cases. n/t

[LeftInTX]

19. It''s actually alot of work, unless researchers get lucky

Usually they get like a 3rd cousin match etc...

It's very rare to get a parent, child or sibling.

[greenjar_01]

7. No, they could have tracked him through familial DNA, like they did for Golden State Killer

and several others at this point. They're able to triangulate and research from DNA that even fourth cousins (that is, people you probably don't even know) have in databases.

[Midnight Writer]

8. Or a relative had DNA in a databank.

[alphafemale]

12. Many people that thought they got away with murder/rape because decades have passed

are starting to sweat.

Good.

[alphafemale]

11. Let me guess.... He did this when he was 23 and has lived a full life....but

We should have mercy on him now because prison food is hard to digest and the beds will be hard on his old man bones.

Just waiting on the typical people crying for killers and child rapists that show up.

[AZLD4Candidate]

13. I'll save that attitude for the conviction if it happens

Arrest doesn't mean guilty, nor does it mean conviction. That's what trials are for.

But I'm sure the defense will use that, and others, to do their jobs.

A rush to conviction is one of the reasons our justice system is so broken. We've been indoctrinated since Nixon to believe if the police arrest you, you must be guilty.

Yes, the evidence says so, but I would still wait to speak your comment after conviction.

[alphafemale]

14. DNA does not lie.

It has freed people as many times as it has convicted them.

[AZLD4Candidate]

15. I agree, but I am not an "arrest means guilt" person. That's why there are trials.

I'm not saying mercy. I'm saying I will reserve judgement until after trial. He is guilty as sin, but let the jury do its job.

[alphafemale]

16. And then he has had most of his life since slaughtering that helpless old woman.

No mercy at sentencing.

None.

[AZLD4Candidate]

17. Did I say "mercy?" All I said was I will reserve my call for blood until after conviction.

[colorado_ufo]

20. You don't have "old man bones" at 64.

[alphafemale]

21. They are going to try everything.

Maybe he'll even hobble in with a walker they picked up from a drug store on the way to court.

Or maybe he will reel and stagger and pretend blindness.

[joshcryer]

22. It's more likely that this guy has been a repeat offender over the years...

...and they will find more victims.

[alphafemale]

23. Like the Golden State Killer turned out to be a cop while he was terrorizing and killing.

I will always believe that many of the cops around him knew and said nothing.