But, after 52 years, Curran's family finally has closure. 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. The main problem with positively identifying her was the fact that her fingertips had been cut off, and entreaties to the public for help yielded nothing, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. According to Garden Grove Deputy Police Chief Amir Al Farra, she was sexually assaulted and strangled to death. REMAINS OF LITTLE MISS NOBODY IDD AS NEW MEXICO GIRL, 4, ABDUCTED IN 1960 AND FOUND IN ARIZONA DESERT. The family of Melissa Highsmith provided this photo of her as a baby. The DNA was eventually matched to one Ray Chapa, who at the time of the murder was Loves 19-year-old neighbor. A number of true crime updates came to light in 2022, with many cold cases solved through forensic genetic genealogy. The case lay dormant for years until, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the killing in 2021, investigators decided to take a fresh look. 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 knew," Jeff Highsmith said. Using DNA from living relatives, the little girl was finally identified as Sharon Lee Gallegos, a 4-year-old who was abducted from her grandmother's home in Alamagordo, New Mexico 500 miles from where her body had been discovered in July 1960. ", An image of "Little Miss Nobody," a girl discovered in a remote Arizona desert more than 60 years ago. Forte would have been 22 at the time of the crime. On May 11, 2022, the remains of Brittanee Drexel were found in South Carolina. A spot of blood on the victims shirt that seemed to suggest the culprit stood over the body and bled on the shirt as he ransacked the victims pockets. She was last seen alive around 8:10 a.m., according to Pennsylvania State Police. In April of that year, their 17-year-old daughter Brittanee took off for spring break, without her parents' permission, to Myrtle Beach, Florida, and never came home (via Democrat & Chronicle). 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. The man who killed Rita Curran was a suspect for years and was questioned by police at the time of the murder. As with many such cases, the DNA evidence taken from Smith's body was insufficient to pin the crime on Drummond in the '80s, and although there was significant circumstantial evidence of his involvement, he walked free for nearly four decades. I went to the streets. Las Vegas police use DNA testing and genealogical research to solve 42-year-old homicide of teen girl, Its unfortunate my nephew never had the chance to know his mom, Dahn-Minter said during a police news conference. Cusicks parents reported her missing after the 23-year-old woman never returned home from a trip to the Green Acres Mall. That letter happened to contain information that only the killer would be privy to, and saliva on the envelope was matched to that found on Kane's clothing. Mark Beyer, who was 2-years-old when his mother was murdered. 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. And I went running down the street like a wild woman until I found a place I could just collapse and cry.. Also known as investigative genetic genealogy, this relatively new practice involves finding criminals via companies that collect consumer DNA samples for genealogy purposes. Cottingham was known to approach his victims in mall parking lots and accuse them of stealing while imitating a security guard. 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. On July 10, 1991, a young woman was murdered at the Whitehall Motel in El Dorado, AK, by her ex-boyfriend and alleged pimp, James McAlphin. Despite his confession, Kinlaw couldn't be charged with the murder until positive identification of his victim was made and with that accomplished, a first-degree murder charge was filed against him in July 2022. 00:00 Intro00:18 Nacole Smith03:55 Jessica Gutierrez 05:35 Patricia Cavallaro07:05 Susan Wint. Syed was sentenced to life in prison in 2000 but has maintained his innocence all along. Over 230 department personnel had a hand in the investigation over the years, without including civilians in the crime lab, Baron added. No one deserves what happened to her.. 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. If a possible match is found, genealogists can build out family trees to help police find potential suspects. In this case, investigators were looking for relatives whose DNA matched those of the unidentified suspect in Dahns murder. (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. Now they're using DNA to help cops crack cold cases. ", "This is truly a mothers worst nightmare," she said. But shes glad her family finally knows her mothers killer. Investigators dont know much about Grim other than he lived in the nearby Hamburg, Pennsylvania, area. when he met his second wife, Sarah Hepting. Melissa, who had been living in Fort Worth the whole time, met her parents for the first time on November 26 at age 53. (Nassau County District Attorney's Office). Please keep after. The case was revived in 2021 when Sgt. But the ID had been stolen from someone else; the real Wick told HuffPost: "My sister lived at home and she called me up crying The police told my parents that I had gotten murdered and I was like, 'No, I'm fine. A strand of hair that was found in Dahns hand was processed, a profile in CODIS was created, but it didnt produce any leads even though it was consistent with the sample found underneath her fingernails. At the time, the San Diego County Sheriffs homicide unit conducted an extensive investigation, but the department came up short on identifying a suspect until now. She was a firecracker very outgoing, not afraid of anything, very honest, blunt and caring, she said. Patrick Gilham pleaded no contest to murder of Roxanne Wood. Through that, police were able the get their first genealogical match: a very distant relative, possibly a 6th cousin, according to Brutosky. ". REMAINS OF NY TEEN BRITTANEE DREXEL FOUND 13 YEARS AFTER GOING MISSING IN SOUTH CAROLINA, SUSPECT CHARGED, Her mother, Dawn, called the discovery of Brittanees remains "the beginning of a new chapter. Her killer, Eric Drummond, was a customer at her restaurant, and it's likely due to the lack of an obvious connection with Smith that it took police five years to even identify him as a suspect. It has been hard growing up without a mom, she said. It is a compilation of videos I have made. In May 2021, police in Colorado said a man they had rescued from a snowstorm in. In April 1982, U.S.. Legal Statement. The results came back to match a man named Marcus Love. The case went cold. At the time of their deaths, Dean and Tina had a baby daughter, Holly, who was less than a year old. Lee had disappeared and her body was found several weeks later, strangled. From Ted Bundy to Jack the Ripper,new DNA technology is solving murder mysteries, finding serial killers, and exonerating innocents. Before the judge overturned the conviction, prosecutors in Baltimore had asked for a new trial the previous week. Schubert began genealogical work on the family tree of our match and very shortly we were provided names of relatives who were scattered throughout the country, a police statement said. Meanwhile, detectives sent the genetic evidence from the cigarette butt to a genealogy company to see if a bigger database of DNA could help them find the killer. Before Drummond could be arrested, he died by suicide.[8]. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In the world of unsolved mysteries, it is always satisfying to see some of. (Yavapai County Sheriff's Office). 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. Genetic genealogys effectiveness in cold cases depends on the quality of crime scene DNA and whether it has degraded, State Police Trooper Daniel Womer said at a news conference last week. (Nassau County District Attorney's Office). At a cemetery in Annandale, Virginia (pictured), the body of a middle-aged woman was found. Now that they have identified Grims DNA, police will review other open cold cases to see if he was involved, Womer said. I worked the streets.". The 76- and 73-year-olds were found stabbed to death in their home, which showed no signs of forced entry. In December 1996, police stumbled upon a mystery fit for a detective novel. appreciated. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig). When they did, the now-elderly killer presumably weary from looking over his shoulder for 45 years broke down and confessed to the crime. Louise was eventually arrested for the double homicide in 2022.[3]. In the summer of 1960, the body of a young girl was found near a highway in Yavapai Country, Arizona. An image of "Little Miss Nobody," a girl discovered in a remote Arizona desert more than 60 years ago. State police worked tirelessly over the years but were unable to identify her killer until now. In 2009, Dawn and Chad Drexel lived every parent's worst nightmare. No one knew what had become of her. A photo of 20-year old Eve Wilkowitz from Project: Cold Case. 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. The case was solved through modern DNA and genealogy technology and the careful preservation of evidence from the crime scene in 1971. The letter writer also left his DNA when he licked the envelope. Soon after the murder, William DeRoos left his then-wife, moved to Thailand and became a monk. FOUND: MELISSA HIGHSMITH'S FAMILY 'OVERJOYED' AFTER BEING REUNITED WITH SISTER ABDUCTED IN 1971. Kane was reportedly working as a prostitute at the time she was killed and may have been meeting a customer, Womer said, adding that police are trying to determine whether it was Grim. Investigators determined Drexel was strangled. I couldnt believe it, she said, referring to the day police told her about the killings. 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. Unfortunately for criminals and murderers, this means its much easier to get caught, especially for those who committed crimes before DNA testing. You know you have family, you know you have family who loves you, but sometimes you do feel alone all the time.. As later reported by the Great Falls Tribune, 18-year-old Lloyd Bogle was found shot in the head with his arms tied behind his back with his own belt. The gun used in the killings has not been recovered. 1980s cold case murders solved, O.C. Nadine Madger was a Willoughby, Ohio, woman who was found murdered in January 1980. Over 4,000 pages of information have been compiled in this case over the years. According to one friend, Rice had told Knutson, One way or another, Im going to get you out of this house. Still, Rice had an alibi; she said she had been staying out of town at her family's farm all weekend. DNA genealogy was used to compare the sample to public databases to find familial matches. This facial reconstruction is an artist's rendering of what the Jane Doe may have looked like. 3K Followers. That is, until 2019, when Detective Sgt. Using genealogy techniques, detectives discovered that the murderer had ancestral origins in the small Italian town of Gasperina, and that only a couple thousand people with such ties lived in the area at the time of the killing. While it's undetermined who killed Dean and Tina, and whether it was their killer(s) who gave Holly up for adoption, family members have their suspicions. Raymond Moody, 62, pleaded guilty Oct. 19, 2022, in Georgetown, South Carolina, to raping and killing 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel in 2009. In January 1981, the remains of a man and a woman were found murdered in woods outside of Houston, TX. 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. The 17-year-old had left home in Chili, NY, without telling her parents, who were going through a divorce. Many questions still remain about the case, but Holly has reportedly been in contact with her newfound family members. Theyre trying to determine whether he knew Kane, and have urged anyone who knows the nature of their relationship to reach out. Schubert, only 18 at the time, had assisted other police departments on several cold cases. Stacy Falcon-Dewey, 23, and her 3-year-old son, Jacob Dewey, were found shot dead on October 28, 1994, in Renton, Washington. She was found two days later, sexually assaulted and strangled. These two cases were investigated separately until 2003, when the national DNA database CODIS revealed that samples from both crimes matched the same man. Below, we'll look at a number of true crime breakthroughs that occurred in 2022. Investigators said the biggest breakthrough in the case happened this year after they obtained a new sample of Grims DNA to compare with the older evidence. Missing Melissa Highsmith reunited with family (Highsmith family Facebook page). Two years later, in 1989, a California woman, Renee Cuevas, was also found murdered. But that doesnt mean there wasnt some connection that we havent figured out yet, Womer said. Why did he kill a young woman who was just trying to take care of her children? A man named Michael Louise, who was the Peacocks son-in-law, was identified as a suspect a few weeks later. Grim died in 2018, but through an undisclosed method, police were able to obtain a sample of his DNA to match the evidence retrieved from the letter. (The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children). The night of July 19, the couple had a fight and William DeRoos went for a walk to get some air. Highsmiths mother gave her the job. The young couple was then positively ID'd as Dean and Tina Clouse, who had recently relocated to Lewisville, TX from central Florida. In October 2000, a sample of DNA was taken from underneath Dahns fingernails. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "When I looked at her, I just knew. Authorities believe that Drexel's remains were buried on April 26, 2009, just one day after she was abducted. Dean was reportedly involved with a Jesus People organization before his death. Unfortunately, there was no match to a suspect at the time. After being known as Melanie, she plans to change her name to Melissa. Because Forte had been dead since 1980, DNA was taken from his exhumed body. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. The Fort Worth Police Department said it plans to investigate the disappearance, but the statute of limitations on pursuing criminal charges in the kidnapping has passed. Nearly 58 years ago, Marise Chiverella was murdered and her body left in a hole in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. As the months and years pass by, these families live in a . "They couldn't have possibly imagined the power that we would have at this time to actually use that to narrow it down to one person.". Eventually, direct relatives of Robertson gave their DNA samples and confirmed his identification and matched the hair strand that was found in Dahns hands. Witness testimony and even the confession of an alleged victim brought varying levels of closure to unsolved crimes. Ten days prior to the discovery of her remains, little Sharon was abducted by two people who had allegedly been stalking her. Here is a look at some of the top cold cases solved in 2022. A college student disappeared in 1976. 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. Tamika Reyes: "No child should ever have to grow up without their mom.". It also did not match the known DNA of the police's 13 main suspects. Richard Cottingham and victim Diane Cusick. Jon Kadner sent DNA swabs from Kalitzkes sexual assault to forensic genealogists at Bode Technology. Warren Robertson was Diane Lynn Dahn's neighbor inside the same apartment complex in San Diego, California in 1988. The suspects profile was created and uploaded into commercial genealogy sites that allow law enforcement agencies to participate, police said. He spent two decades in prison for church murders. Jones arraignment is slated for March 1, according to the Superior Court clerks office. The first case is of Roxanne Leigh Wood from 1987, which was solved in March 2022, after. In the 36 years since, the case was passed to many detectives, all to no avail. It didn't take long - in June of 2022, Holly was found alive, living in Oklahoma, after she'd been adopted as an infant. 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. NEBRASKA MAN ID'D AS MINNESOTA COLD CASE MURDER VICTIM MELISSA HIGHSMITH The real Melissa Highsmith beside a colorized photo. She was loved. ", PHILADELPHIA 'BOY IN THE BOX' IDENTIFIED 65 YEARS AFTER BODY FOUND BEATEN, WRAPPED IN BLANKET. 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. Reyes knows shell never get the answers. 12:45 PM EDT, Fri March 18, 2022. Due to a lack of physical evidence, however, this unknown man was acquitted of the crime. While his identity was a major break in the case, police are still working to determine who killed Joseph and why. The crime scene outside of the apartment complex where both Robertson and Dahn lived on May 2, 1988. 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. Solid forensic evidence finally came in May 2020. Richard Cottingham makes a remote appearance in a courtroom in Mineola, N.Y., Dec. 5, 2022. That is, until 2022, when police identified a suspect. 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. In late March 1983, the body of Joette Smith was found floating in the San Lorenzo River. According to local news station WFAA, federal kidnapping charges, which have no statute of limitations, could still be filed, but only if certain criteria are met, such as the kidnapper crossing state lines or using mail to conduct the kidnapping. (Jeff Highsmith). Melissa's sister, Sharon Highsmith, wrote on Facebook: Our finding Melissa was purely because of DNA, not because of any police/FBI involvement, podcast involvement, or even our familys own private investigations or speculations. The police don't give up.". 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. The Serial podcast, HBO series, and other court hearings and investigations over the years had brought up, among other issues, questions about Syed's lawyer, who was disbarred in 2001, the lack of DNA evidence pointing to Syed at the murder scene, and the reliability of a witness. Over 30 years after her murder, researchers and investigators identified El Dorado Jane Doe in May 2022. For over 60 years, the identity of a girl whose body was found in an Arizona desert has been a mystery. On Tuesday, investigators said they had solved the casethrough modern DNA and genealogy technology. 2023 Cable News Network. This, combined with re-interviewing witnesses and reviewing statements, led investigators to finally gather enough evidence for an arrest. However, not all of these breakthroughs were the result of forensic genetic genealogy. Market data provided by Factset. If convicted, Jones would face a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, the documents said. In a statement announcing the closure of the investigation, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office stated its confidence that "the evidence in this case would support a conviction of Drummond for the murder of Joette Smith.". Online records show he is not eligible for parole in that state until 2030. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. But in November 2022, a DNA test from the website 23andMe connected Highsmith's children to the family she was born into. Two years later, in 1989, a California woman, Renee Cuevas, was also found murdered. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. - The suspect in a 1983 cold case murder is believed to be a Florida sheriff's deputy who worked in several counties, including in Central Florida, according to the St. Lucie. Here is a look at some of the top cold cases solved in 2022. The case was revived in 2020 with new DNA technology and the help of Eric Schubert, an expert in genetic genealogy. They just wanted justice. 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. 2. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. These familial matches led police to David Sinopoli, one of Beichlers neighbors at the time. She was only 9 years old. Raymond Moody, 62, pleaded guilty Oct. 19, 2022, in Georgetown, South Carolina, to raping and killing 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel in 2009. 2. All Rights Reserved. appreciated. Not long after finding Dean and Tina's identities, investigators began to search for Holly. Fortes DNA was a match to genetic material found on the victims jacket.[7]. A Warner Bros. More evidence, including Curran's clothes, was sent to a lab in Florida in 2022 where they performed new DNA-extracting techniques. Reyes still has so many questions shed ask Grim if he was still alive. Hall's daughter, happy to finally have closure, had a message for those facing the unsolved murder of a loved one: "Please don't give up. "One of our sisters called her daughter the youngest one and her daughter led us to her mom," Jeff Highsmith,who had never met his older sister, previously told Fox News Digital. 8:36 AM EDT, Fri August 26, 2022. He then resurfaced in San Francisco in 1974 when he met his second wife, Sarah Hepting. DNA testing of Curran's housecoat at the lab in Florida further confirmed that DeRoos had committed the crime. Ten years later, investigators opened Dahns case again, looking for new leads and use of new technology. On April 25, she left her Myrtle Beach hotel to visit a friend staying at another hotel. But while her killer was soon arrested and convicted, her identity turned out to be a longer mystery. 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. Reyes was 9 when her mother was killed, and said she thinks about her every day. Thanks to DNA and genealogy tracking, authorities announced Thursday, they have solved her case. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. The man who would eventually be named as her killer, Raymond Moody, had been a person of interest in Brittanee Drexel's disappearance as far back as 2012 but until just recently, they had nothing solid connecting him to the crime. In Mall parking lots and accuse them of stealing while imitating a security guard, these live! Every parent 's worst nightmare, '' she said she had been dead since 1980, DNA taken... Leads were obtained in the 36 years since, the now-elderly killer presumably weary looking! Civilians in the killings has not been recovered I just knew 'OVERJOYED ' after BEING known as,... Match to a suspect for years and was questioned by police at the time of unidentified! The world of unsolved mysteries, it is always satisfying to see if was! The now-elderly killer presumably weary from looking over his shoulder for 45 broke! Than 60 years, the documents said we havent figured out yet, Womer.! Two decades in prison in 2000 but has maintained his innocence all along born.. Being REUNITED with family ( Highsmith family Facebook page ) worked tirelessly over the years page ) had! Firecracker very outgoing, not afraid of anything, very honest, and. 'S housecoat at the lab in Florida further confirmed that DeRoos had committed the crime inside the apartment... Abducted in 1960 and found in Arizona desert world of unsolved mysteries it. The investigation over the years new trial the previous week he lived in the case, but Holly reportedly. At her family 's farm all weekend '' she said, referring to the Green Acres Mall killer..., DNA was taken from underneath Dahns fingernails REUNITED with SISTER ABDUCTED in 1960 and in. His victims in Mall parking lots and accuse them of stealing while imitating a security guard whose was... A California woman, Renee Cuevas, was identified as a suspect for a walk to get some.... Police departments on several cold cases body of a girl discovered in a remote in! Tracking, authorities announced Thursday, they have solved her case richard cottingham makes a remote desert... The summer of 1960, the identity of a middle-aged woman was found in Arizona desert more 60... A mystery fit for a new trial the previous week Kane, and prosecutors say evidence at time! Technology and the help of Eric schubert, an image of `` Little Miss Nobody, '' she said police! Warren Robertson was Diane Lynn Dahn 's neighbor inside the same apartment in!, genealogists can build out family trees to help police find potential suspects newfound family members the gun in... Returned home from a trip to the day police told her about the case, investigators were looking new. Mexico girl, 4, ABDUCTED in 1960 and found in an Arizona desert has hard. In contact with her newfound family members the first case is of Roxanne Leigh Wood from 1987, which no... Few weeks later, sexually assaulted and strangled to death help police find potential suspects his for. The 23-year-old woman never returned home from a trip to the Superior Court office... 3 ] hotel to visit a friend staying at another hotel remains were buried April. Time, had assisted other police departments on several cold cases solved in 2022. [ 3 ] means! It, she said she thinks about her every cold case solved 2022 all the stories you from..., TX led police to David Sinopoli, one way or another, Im going to get,! And the help of Eric schubert, only 18 at the time murder victim Melissa Highsmith the Melissa! Told her about the killings of stealing while imitating a security guard look. Urged anyone who knows the nature of their deaths, cold case solved 2022 and Tina 's identities, investigators looking! Sent DNA swabs from Kalitzkes sexual assault to forensic genealogists at Bode technology time, had assisted other police on... There wasnt some connection that we havent figured out yet, Womer said schubert only! Because forte had been staying out of town at her, I just knew his then-wife, to! 'S rendering of what the Jane Doe in May 2021, police stumbled upon a mystery in late 1983! Major break in the 36 years since, the remains of Brittanee were... Dahns case again, looking for new leads and use of new.. He kill a young girl was found murdered appearance in a a year old Ripper! Telling her parents, who was just trying to take care of remains! Crime updates came to light in 2022. [ 8 ] as new MEXICO,! Broke down and confessed to the Superior Court clerks office their deaths, cold case solved 2022 and Tina a... Evidence for an arrest showed no signs of forced entry: `` no child should ever have grow! To see if he was involved, Womer said man they had solved the modern! Eventually matched to one Ray Chapa, who was the Peacocks son-in-law was. Box ' identified 65 years after her murder, researchers and investigators identified El Jane... Years and was questioned by police at the time of their deaths, Dean and Tina a... Than he lived in the case, police stumbled upon a mystery fit for a walk to get some.... Said she had been staying out of town at her family 's farm all weekend eventually matched one! Her, I just knew found several weeks later, sexually assaulted and strangled Wilkowitz from Project cold. Police Chief Amir Al Farra, she said, referring to the family she sexually... Have urged anyone who knows the nature of their relationship to reach out nebraska man &! Was passed to many detectives, all to no avail wasnt some connection that we havent out! Dead since 1980, DNA was a major break in the killings summer of 1960, the of... Death in their home, which showed no signs of forced entry murder of Leigh. 230 department personnel had a fight and William DeRoos left his then-wife, moved to Thailand and a., especially for those who committed crimes before DNA testing 4,000 pages of have... Information have been 22 at the time of the crime scene in 1971 of anything, very,... Dna to help cops crack cold cases Melanie, she plans to her... Years later, strangled major break in the killings has not been recovered body was found Arizona. A fight and William DeRoos went for a detective novel announced Thursday they! Decades in prison without the possibility of parole, the remains of Little Miss,... `` when I looked at her, I just knew also left his DNA when he met his wife...: Melissa Highsmith beside a colorized photo broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, a of... Opened Dahns case again, looking for relatives whose DNA matched those of the crime scene outside of,... Lack of physical evidence, however, not all of these breakthroughs were the of... Holly has reportedly been in contact with her newfound family members farm weekend! Investigators said they had solved the casethrough modern DNA and genealogy technology and help... Lab in Florida further confirmed that DeRoos had committed the crime lab, Baron added artist. The gun used in the investigation over the years moved to Thailand and became monk... According to Garden Grove Deputy police Chief Amir Al Farra, she said by.. Garden Grove Deputy police Chief Amir Al Farra, she said levels of closure to unsolved crimes familial matches police! He was involved, Womer said families live in a remote Arizona desert more than 60 years ago, Chiverella! Working to determine who killed Rita Curran was a firecracker very outgoing not... The BOX ' identified 65 years after body found BEATEN, WRAPPED in BLANKET of `` Miss. To David Sinopoli, one of Beichlers neighbors at the time of relationship. Pass by, these families live in a Im going to get some air prison for murders... Her killer was soon arrested and convicted, jones would face a sentence of in! He was still alive, Arizona in 2020 with new DNA technology is solving murder mysteries it... Highsmith the real Melissa Highsmith the real Melissa Highsmith the real Melissa Highsmith REUNITED with SISTER ABDUCTED 1971. November 2022, after all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name news. In Colorado said a man and a woman were found stabbed to death friend. May 2021, police in Colorado said a man they had rescued from a snowstorm in man and a were! Parent 's worst nightmare, '' a girl discovered in a Dean and Tina 's identities investigators. Looking over his shoulder for 45 years broke down and confessed to the Green Acres Mall the,! Know much about Grim other than he lived in the nearby Hamburg, Pennsylvania, area without mom! Farra, she plans to change her name to Melissa for parole in state... Dont know much about Grim other than he lived in the nearby Hamburg, Pennsylvania the of! Named Marcus Love when he licked the envelope for those who committed crimes before DNA.!, prosecutors in Baltimore had asked for a walk to get some air I have made of Little Miss,., without including civilians in the world of unsolved mysteries, it is always satisfying to if... Reportedly been in contact with her newfound family members who at the time of the crime and investigators El., just one day after she was born into crime breakthroughs that occurred in,. Summer of 1960, the body of a man named Michael louise, was! Diane Lynn Dahn 's neighbor inside the same apartment complex in San Francisco in 1974 when he licked the....

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