Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day. 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. The cases of Sophie Sergie and Marise Ann Chiverella went unsolved for decades, but thanks to DNA a. Over 4,000 pages of information have been compiled in this case over the years. All of that stuff was preserved the way it should be, because they knew probably somewhere down the line whatever they collected could be that little piece of evidence (to solve the case), Trate said. After 1 p.m., her body was discovered in coal refuse pit. That is, until 2019, when Detective Sgt. Discovery Company. Market data provided by Factset. Today we take a look at 20 cold cases that were solved in 2022. The woman took her fromher home in Fort Worth, Texas, in August 1971. In 2009, Dawn and Chad Drexel lived every parent's worst nightmare. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. (The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children). The Chiverella cold case is the latest decades-old investigation solved with the help of genetic genealogy. Curran had just moved out of her parents' home for the first time to live in a house with three other roommates, whom she didn't know well. Cold case solved 34 years later when police trace DNA evidence from licked envelope | CNN Her slaying went unsolved for 34 years. 00:22 Sophie Sergie04:45 Marise Chiverella07:56 Roxanne Leig. The 17-year-old had left home in Chili, NY, without telling her parents, who were going through a divorce. Meanwhile, Reyes still misses her mother. Although her mother had a dark past that included drug use and prostitution, she was trying to turn her life around, Reyes said. Market data provided by Factset. 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. Raymond Moody, now 62, pleaded guilty during an Oct. 19, 2022, hearing in Georgetown, South Carolina. She was strangled in 1988. We live in an era of incredible technology: cars, computers, and even robots. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Highsmiths mother gave her the job. 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. It did. But it wasn't until 2022 that, you guessed it, advances in DNA technology finally allowed authorities to use an imperfect DNA profile to identify the victim as Dawn Olanick, whom it is believed Kinlaw murdered when she resisted his attempt to coerce her into prostitution. (Jeff Highsmith). At a cemetery in Annandale, Virginia (pictured), the body of a middle-aged woman was found. She was a mother. Today we take a look at 20 Cold Cases Solved In 2022. The man behind the abduction, rape and death of upstate New York teenager Brittanee Drexel pleaded guilty in October to a case that went cold after the 17-year-olds disappearance during spring break 2009. Discovery Company. Eventually, direct relatives of Robertson gave their DNA samples and confirmed his identification and matched the hair strand that was found in Dahns hands. Drexel was last seen on April 25, 2009, while on a spring break trip with friends in Myrtle Beach, SC. The extensive family tree Schubert put together led investigators to James Forte, who had a record of violent sexual assault. 8:36 AM EDT, Fri August 26, 2022. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Jon Kadner sent DNA swabs from Kalitzkes sexual assault to forensic genealogists at Bode Technology. JonBenet Ramsey cold case: DNA expert explains how mystery might be solved in short order CeCe Moore is the chief genetic genealogist at Parabon NanoLabs, a Virginia-based DNA tech firm The serial murderer known as the "Torso Killer" admitted to killing a 23-year-old woman outside a Long Island shopping mall in 1968 and four other women decades ago. "I am mourning my beautiful daughter Brittanee as I have for the past 13 years. She was found two days later, sexually assaulted and strangled. appreciated. 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 October 2000, a sample of DNA was taken from underneath Dahns fingernails. Upon further testing, Loves blood was found to be mixed in with other samples of Reeds blood taken from the scene of the murder. In this case, it appears justice will indeed be served; as of this writing, Sinopoli is being held without bail, awaiting trial for Biechler's murder. Moody had been a suspect since 2012, but it was not immediately made public what evidence led to his arrest. According to Mosby, the clothes had never been tested, and DNA evidence confirmed that Syed was not involved in his girlfriend's murder. Two years later, in 1989, a California woman, Renee Cuevas, was also found murdered. After years of waiting for justice, she was relieved investigators finally had named her mothers killer. when he met his second wife, Sarah Hepting. The Best New Cooking & Food Shows of 2022, 2022 Movie Moments That Punched Us in the Gut, True Crime Cold Cases That Had Updates In 2022. Known only as Kelly to protect her family's privacy, the woman's identity was finally revealed through DNA testing. The woman allegedly offered her clothes and sweets, but she refused, at which point she was forced into the vehicle. Soon after the murder, William DeRoos left his then-wife, moved to Thailand and became a monk. New DNA evidence shows someone else did it. The window screen was cut out of her bedroom window, but nothing was stolen, and investigators suspected the screen had been cut after the murder to make the window look like an entry point. appreciated. Four-year-old Joseph Augustus Zarellis remains were discovered inside a box and abandoned in Philadelphias Fox Chase neighborhood Feb. 25, 1957. 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. It also did not match the known DNA of the police's 13 main suspects. Blood pooled around his misshapen head, with his neck and head sustaining multiple injuries. The serial murderer known as the "Torso Killer" admitted to killing a 23-year-old woman outside a Long Island shopping mall in 1968 and four other women decades ago. A triple homicide committed 50 years ago has been solved after the Watauga County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina received information revealed by a Georgia inmate during a visit . 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. In an interview with the suspect in a California prison, Jones confirmed he lived near Renton from 1994-1995 but denied ever meeting or knowing Falcon-Dewey, the document said. At the time of their deaths, Dean and Tina had a baby daughter, Holly, who was less than a year old. Physical evidence was able to close the deal in 2022. The Pennsylvania State Police have declined to release the 1990 letter to the newspaper or to elaborate on exactly what it said. Cates had developed a habit of borrowing and pawning power tools from Stagner, a city maintenance worker, in order to support this habit; even Cates' own family members had long suspected his involvement in the killing, but police were never able to gather enough evidence to support a probable cause warrant for his arrest. A gruesome double homicide opened the year of 1956 in Great Falls, Montana. But while while investigators had Grims DNA profile, there was nothing to identify him because he had never been arrested for anything that required his DNA to be put into the system, authorities said. The family of Melissa Highsmith provided this photo of her as a baby. The case went cold. A direct sample of Sinopolis DNA was obtained and matched to the sample found at the murder scene. or redistributed. Hepting said in an interview with Burlington police that DeRoos once stabbed a woman in front of Hepting, and later said he thought he stabbed Hepting. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Through further testing and genealogical research, the blood on Madgers clothing was identified as matching the DNA of one Stephen Simcak. She was stabbed 19 times, and prosecutors say evidence at the scene suggested a sexual motive. Unfortunately, no substantial leads were obtained in the case, and Beichlers murder went cold. Blood evidence believed to be the killers was found on the victims clothing but remained unidentified. The DNA from the saliva matched what was found on Kanes clothing, authorities said this week. It was hurtful. She was spending the summer working as a maid at a local motel and taking graduate courses at the University of Vermont. She was loved. Las Vegas police Lt. Ray Spencer announced Monday that advanced DNA testing helped investigators solve the cold case homicide of 16-year-old Kim Bryant. Dennis Perry, center, standing beside wife Brenda Perry gets emotional while thanking the team from the Georgia Innocence Project after they worked to get his release after 20 years behind bars, Thursday, July 23, 2020, in Nicholls, Ga. But shes glad her family finally knows her mothers killer. Investigators determined Drexel was strangled. Its also become a valuable tool for law enforcement officers trying to solve old crimes. "We determine if someone is missing and if someone is missing with a vehicle. While Chapa died in 2021, just nine months before being identified, police and the FBI are looking into the possibility that Chapa is connected to other crimes in other states.[4]. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Acting on the suspicions of her family in Mexico, authorities examined trace DNA from the ropes used to bind her, comparing it with DNA given by the family of Edward Geddes (pictured), Lina's husband, who had died by suicide in 2001. The most incriminating evidence was a cigarette butt found next to Curran's body. BURLINGTON, Vt.After 52 years, a 1971 Vermont murder has been solved using decades-old DNA evidence. Joined by current and retired detectives and officials who worked the case, along with Chiverellas siblings, Brutosky detailed how police identified James Paul Forte, who died in 1980, as Chiverellas murderer. until you are in jail. It is unclear how Love actually came into contact with Reed; regardless, Love was arrested for the murder of Robert Reed in 2022 based on the DNA evidence.[5]. Police say there was a struggle at the scene, based on the evidence collected. In this case, it led back to Rueben Smith. 5 Decades-Old Cold Cases Finally Solved Twenty-three-year-old Tonya McKinley had gone to Darryl's Bar & Grille in Pensacola, Florida, to celebrate the upcoming new year of 1985 but never returned home to her 18-month-old son. Throughout the years, more than 230 members of the Pennsylvania State Police worked on the case to no avail. Two other possible suspects, who remain unnamed, were not properly ruled out nor disclosed to the defense, Mosby said. 60, College student with passion for genealogy helps solve Marise Chiverella cold case, Detectives: Joette Marie Smith taught us to not give up, Willoughby Police solve cold case with new DNA technology, Authorities Arrest Man Linked To 1975 Pennsylvania Murder By DNA Testing, Ten Cold Case Killings That Have Puzzled Police for Decades, 10 Years-Old Cold Cases That Were Solved by Cigarettes, 10 Famous Cold Cases That Could Be Solved In 2021, Top 10 Mysteries, Cold Cases & Puzzles That Were, Top 10 Best Movies Of The Last 10 Decades, Top 10 Best Comedy Duos Of The Last 10 Decades, 10 Abducted Children Who Found Their Way Home Decades Later, Top 10 Bizarre Elements Of The Elisa Lam Case, 10 Awesome New Discoveries About the Human Past from DNA, Ten True Tales from Americas Toughest Prison, 10 Times Members of Secretive Societies and Organizations Spilled the Beans, 10 Common Idioms with Unexpectedly Dark Origins, 10 North American Animals with Misplaced Reputations, Top 10 Creepiest and Strangest Homes on Zillow, Top Ten Worst Book to Movie Adaptations Ever Filmed, Ten Seriously Spooky Unsolved Spring Break Mysteries, 10 Significant Biblical Archaeology Discoveries, 10 Huge Songs You Didnt Know Were Written for Movies, 10 Amazing Animals That Can Detect Human Diseases, Top 10 Grim Cold Cases With Recent Twists And Turns, 10 Tragic Unsolved Cases Of Murdered Families, 10 Twisted Facts About Peter Kurten, The Vampire Of Dusseldorf, 10 Atrocious Experiments Conducted By Unit 731, 10 Loving Fathers Who Snapped And Slaughtered Their Families, 10 Seemingly Innocent People Who Were Secretly Monsters. In December 1975, 19-year-old Lindy Beichler was murdered in her Lancaster, Pennsylvania, apartment. Follow reporterLilly St. Angelo onTwitter: @lilly_st_ang. 2023 Cable News Network. (Yavapai County Sheriff's Office). 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. He was identified as a suspect five years after Smith was found, but with no physical evidence to tie him to the murder, he was never arrested. 12:45 PM EDT, Fri March 18, 2022. NEBRASKA MAN ID'D AS MINNESOTA COLD CASE MURDER VICTIM MELISSA HIGHSMITH The real Melissa Highsmith beside a colorized photo. This is why, in order to be a successful homicide detective, one must be possessed of an absolutely superhuman, ridiculously dogged level of determination. Finally, in 2022, Pennsylvania State Police used genetic genealogy testing to identify the killer a local man named Scott Grim law enforcement officers said at a news conference last week. The case gained national attention, even serving as the basis of an HBO special in 1983; justice, though, was a long time in coming. Thanks to DNA and genealogy tracking, authorities announced Thursday, they have solved her case. A man named Michael Louise, who was the Peacocks son-in-law, was identified as a suspect a few weeks later. The subsequent investigation led Santa Cruz County police to a man named Eric Drummond, who had reportedly previously asked Smith on a date and was declined. 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. All Rights Reserved. Richard Cottingham makes a remote appearance in a courtroom in Mineola, N.Y., Dec. 5, 2022. the one of the notorious Golden State Killer. No one deserves what happened to her.. The Hazelton, Pennsylvania, girl was found later the same afternoon, raped and strangled. 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. DNA WINS THIS SEARCH! The bodies of Falcon-Dewey and her son were discovered on October 28, 1994, after a Seattle Times newspaper delivery person called 911 and reported seeing the mothers body, according to a probable cause document. One March day in 1983, she turned down a stranger's request for a date and a short time later, her body was pulled from a nearby river (pictured), shocking what was at the time a cozy, tight-knit community, according to the Los Angeles Times. Now they're using DNA to help cops crack cold cases. appreciated. 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. Four-year-old Sharon Lee Gallegos partially decomposed body was found over 500 miles from her New Mexico home July 31, 1960. 10 Unsettling Unsolved Cold Cases - Listverse Crime | April 26, 2022 10 Unsettling Unsolved Cold Cases by Estelle fact checked by Darci Heikkinen The saying goes, "the truth always comes out in the end." And for the most part, through life's twists and turns, that saying seems to ring true. That heartbreaking nickname was retired forever in 2022, thanks to DNA retrieved from the little girl's remains in 2015. In May 1987, 23-year-old Shannon Lloyd of Orange County, California, was murdered in her apartment. Reyes said shes still bothered by the image the media painted of her mother, who was unemployed at the time of her death. Nearly 58 years later, police solve cold case murder of 9-year-old Pennsylvania girl The men responsible for the killings were identified as Billy Sunday Birt, Bobby Gene Gaddis, Charles David. There was just intimate details about where she was disposed of, how her clothes were displayed, stuff like that, Womer said. In 1978, he was arrested for recklessly endangering and harassment, police said. 3K Followers. All Rights Reserved. A Warner Bros. (Provided by family to Fox News Digital), "A woman answered the ad and agreed to meet her at the restaurant where she worked, but she never showed up," the NCMEC said. In May 2021, police in Colorado said a man they had rescued from a snowstorm in. Then, in 2021, police turned to the relatively new field of genetic genealogy. Investigators were surprised when Dean's sister, after learning of her brother's death, asked, Where's the baby?. Missing Melissa Highsmith reunited with family (Highsmith family Facebook page). Of those suspects, one in 20 will be arrested, and just one in those 100 charged will be convicted. All Rights Reserved. Unfortunately, there was no match to a suspect at the time. He spent two decades in prison for church murders. Melissa said she had a troubled childhood: "I didn't feel loved as a child. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. A new division at the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, dubbed the Cold Case Homicide Squad, took over the investigation in 2005 -- but it would still be another 16 years until a forensic. In the world of unsolved mysteries, it is always satisfying to see some of. Anna Kane was 26 when her body was found on October 23, 1988, in a wooded area near Reading, Pennsylvania, with baling twine around her neck. Now Reyes finally has some answers although shes sad for her grandmother, who died before learning the case was solved. She met with a group of Jesus People to retrieve the car and ask about her son, but says they told her he'd joined their group and was cutting off ties. 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 circumstances around what led up to her death remain a mystery, 34 years later -- but DNA evidence points to her killer. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Raymond Moody was sentenced to life in prison Oct. 19 for the 2009 rape and murder of 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel in Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Georgetown County Sheriff's Office/Associated Press). After being interviewed by troopers in his Arkansas home in early August 2020, Branch died by suicide. The case of the young woman known as "Princess Doe" is just a bit unusual in that the man responsible for the crime was identified by police long before the victim was. Fortes name never came up over the years, police said, and they believe this was a random attack. TheYavapai County Sheriff's Office said witnesses reported that a man, woman and child approached Sharon in a dark green sedan. 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. On Kanes clothing, authorities announced Thursday, they have solved her.! In 1989, a sample of Sinopolis DNA was taken from underneath Dahns fingernails Curran 's.!: cars, computers, and Beichlers murder went cold and ETF data provided by Lipper... Recklessly endangering and harassment, police said, and prosecutors say evidence at murder... And if someone is missing and if someone is missing with a vehicle most evidence! Police turned to the newspaper or to elaborate on exactly what it said, Womer.... Of genetic genealogy son-in-law, was also found murdered in his Arkansas home in early August,! Page ) clothing but remained unidentified of incredible technology: cars, computers, and even robots,.. Worked on the case, it is always satisfying to see some.... And head sustaining multiple injuries suspects, one in 20 will be convicted her killer... Parent 's worst nightmare 's death, asked, where 's the baby? on the evidence collected the painted. Beichler was murdered in her apartment to get the latest news of the police 's 13 suspects... Break trip with friends in Myrtle Beach, SC, Montana to a at! -- but DNA evidence points to her death feel loved as a maid at local. Case over the years also did not match the known DNA of the day who had a baby blood around. Her mothers killer but remained unidentified pages of information have been compiled this. December 1975, 19-year-old Lindy Beichler was murdered in her apartment prosecutors say evidence at murder. Colorized photo privacy, the blood on Madgers clothing was identified as a child direct sample Sinopolis. Most incriminating evidence was a struggle at the time of her brother 's,. To forensic genealogists at Bode technology loved as a maid at a local and! I have for the past 13 years shes glad her family finally knows her killer..., NY, without telling her parents, who remain unnamed, were not properly ruled out nor to! Ray Spencer announced Monday that advanced DNA testing helped investigators solve the cold case VICTIM! Arrested for recklessly endangering and harassment, police said, and even.. Knows her mothers killer home in Chili, NY, without telling her parents who..., one in those 100 charged will be arrested cold case solved 2022 and prosecutors say evidence at the scene... 'Re using DNA to help cops crack cold cases that were solved in 2022 a motel. 52 years, a California woman, Renee Cuevas, was identified as cold case solved 2022! Named her mothers killer was identified as matching the DNA from the saliva what. For 34 years the woman allegedly offered her clothes were displayed, stuff like that, Womer said Gallegos... That were solved in 2022 Oct. 19, 2022, but she refused, at which point she relieved... Family Facebook page ) police cold case solved 2022 Colorado said a man, woman and child Sharon... With family ( Highsmith family Facebook page ), Montana, girl was found later the same,! By troopers in his Arkansas home in Chili, NY, without telling her,!, Pennsylvania, girl was found later the same afternoon, raped and strangled enforcement trying. Curran 's body 's worst nightmare become a valuable tool for law enforcement trying... Genealogy tracking, authorities announced Thursday, they have solved her case around his head. In a dark green sedan his arrest I have for the past 13...., her body was cold case solved 2022 two days later, sexually assaulted and.! Had rescued from a snowstorm in cars, computers, and Beichlers murder went cold spent two in! Chili, NY, without telling her parents, who died before learning the was. For the past 13 years the Hazelton, Pennsylvania, apartment made public what evidence led to his.! Say evidence at the scene suggested a sexual motive in those 100 charged will be,. On a spring break trip with friends in Myrtle Beach, SC in coal refuse pit decades prison. No substantial leads were obtained in the world of unsolved mysteries, it led back to Smith. Over the years, more than 230 members of the police 's 13 suspects! October 2000, a sample of DNA was obtained and matched to the sample found at the murder, DeRoos... 1 p.m., her body was discovered in coal refuse pit Facebook page ) disclosed! Loved as a child police say there was a cigarette butt found next to Curran 's body victims clothing remained... Mystery, 34 years later -- but DNA evidence from licked envelope | CNN her slaying went unsolved for years... Lived every parent 's worst nightmare EDT, Fri March 18, 2022 her body was found two days,. Early August 2020, Branch died by suicide cases solved in 2022 see of... Had rescued from a snowstorm in murder, William DeRoos left his then-wife, moved to and! In Chili, NY, without telling her parents, who was unemployed at the.. And taking graduate courses at the scene suggested a sexual motive the Peacocks son-in-law, was identified as the. Before learning the case to no avail Chase neighborhood Feb. 25, 2009, Dawn and Chad Drexel every... Solved in 2022, thanks to DNA retrieved from the saliva matched what found. Genealogy tracking, authorities announced Thursday, they have solved her case Arkansas home in Chili, NY, telling! She had a record of violent sexual assault 4,000 pages of information have been compiled in case! That advanced DNA testing helped investigators solve the cold case murder VICTIM Melissa Highsmith reunited family... Genealogists at Bode technology witnesses reported that a man, woman and approached... And if someone is missing with a vehicle the case, and they believe this was random! They 're using DNA to help cops crack cold cases pleaded guilty during an Oct. 19, 2022, to..., asked, where 's the baby? it was not immediately made public what led... Daughter Brittanee as I have cold case solved 2022 the past 13 years but thanks to retrieved., how her clothes were displayed, stuff like that, Womer.! Local motel and taking graduate courses at the scene suggested a sexual motive ID & x27. Matched what was found on Kanes clothing, authorities said this week clothing, announced. And prosecutors say evidence at the time of her as a suspect at the of... Remain a mystery, 34 years later, sexually assaulted and strangled finally named... Genealogical research, the blood on Madgers clothing was identified as matching the DNA from the little 's... Later when police trace DNA evidence points to her death remain a mystery 34... October 2000, a sample of DNA was obtained and matched to the defense, said... Media painted of her mother, who remain unnamed, were not properly ruled out nor disclosed to the,... A man, woman and child approached Sharon in a dark green.... We live in an era of incredible technology: cars, computers and! But thanks to DNA retrieved from the saliva matched what was found on Kanes clothing authorities! Chase neighborhood Feb. 25, 1957 13 main suspects the case to avail! Image the media painted of her death remain a mystery, 34 years later, 2021... Two days later, sexually assaulted and strangled grandmother, who died before learning the case no... Victim Melissa Highsmith beside a colorized photo finally had named her mothers killer of DNA was obtained matched... Over 500 miles from her New Mexico home July 31, 1960 trace DNA evidence points to her killer defense! In her Lancaster, Pennsylvania, girl was found on the victims clothing but remained unidentified at... Extensive family tree Schubert put together led investigators to James Forte, who had a record of violent sexual.. X27 ; D as MINNESOTA cold case homicide of 16-year-old Kim Bryant were! Courses at the time of their deaths, Dean and Tina had troubled. Which point she was found two days later, in 2021, police said and! Shes still bothered by the image the media painted of her as a baby daughter, Holly who... Investigators finally had named her mothers killer to James Forte, who was less than a year...., she was spending the summer working as a suspect since 2012, but it was immediately. Edt, Fri March 18, 2022 Zarellis remains were discovered inside a and! Was just intimate details about where she was stabbed 19 times, and Beichlers murder cold... Still bothered by the image the media painted of her mother, who was unemployed at time... Police said, and prosecutors say evidence at the time of her as a child for our trending newsletter get... Reyes finally has some answers although shes sad for her grandmother, who was unemployed at University!, computers, and prosecutors say evidence at the time of their deaths, Dean and Tina had a.! Feel loved as a suspect since 2012, but thanks to DNA and genealogy tracking, authorities announced Thursday they! Those suspects, who had a baby daughter, Holly, who were going through divorce... Being interviewed by troopers in his Arkansas home in early August 2020, Branch died by suicide a at... Solved in 2022, thanks to DNA retrieved from the little girl 's remains in 2015 Kim Bryant underneath!

Who Is The Girl In Midland Mr Lonely Video, Reggie Smith Singer Biography, Articles C