Roughly two weeks later, James received a phone call from Angela. Candice Rogers, a 9-year-old in 1959, was killed in Spokane, Washington, as she sold mints for her Girl Scout-like group Camp Fire Girls, according to The New York Times. This time, it wasn't advances in DNA technology that helped crack the case, but in technology of a different sort: GPS. 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. Her family believed that a man who worked in a liquor store near her apartment was responsible, but authorities never made an arrest. In a statement, the Fairfax County Sheriff's Department thanked "several generations of FCPD detectives" along with Othram, the company that supplied the genome sequencing technology and expressed its conviction that said the technology will help them to resolve many more unsolved cases in the future. Then, in 2021, police turned to the relatively new field of genetic genealogy. 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. However, in 2020, Bedford Police Sgt. But with new technology, including advances in genetic identification, breakthroughs do occur. In 2009, Dawn and Chad Drexel lived every parent's worst nightmare. Audio, . Unfortunately, all the evidence against him was circumstantial, and without enough to connect Louise to the murder, the case went cold. The 25-year-old was stabbed over 40 times with her infant son in the room. A DNA sample taken at the time of that arrest was eventually used to connect him to the Lloyd and Cuevas slayings. We're essentially going backwards. 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. This would prove to be an incorrect guess, and as there was a dearth of reported missing child cases involving children of that age, police hit a dead end in the case of the girl who would become known to locals as "Little Miss Nobody" (via CBS News). The police found four bodies in the usually tranquil park. In October 2022, Moody was sentenced to life in prison plus two consecutive 30-year stretches, ensuring that the now-62-year-old will never walk free again. Their killings went unsolved until this week when investigators announced they had cracked what is believed to be the oldest case solved with DNA and forensic genealogy. All rights reserved. Blood pooled around his misshapen head, with his neck and head sustaining multiple injuries. In 2017, the sheriff's office reopened its investigation, and in early 2021, the Texas Rangers Unsolved Crimes . The family of Melissa Highsmith provided this photo of her as a baby. Raymond Moody, 62, pleaded guilty Oct. 19, 2022, in Georgetown, South Carolina, to raping and killing 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel in 2009. But it was only recently, when widow Barbara Krusenfailed a polygraph test administered by the FBI, that authorities say they were finally able to sift fact away from fiction, subterfuge, rumor, and doubt. Meyer admitted to prosecutors he had killed Adams. 1 of 2. This is a compilation of solved cold cases I have covered before. These case files range from unsolved murders, missing people, and suspicious deaths, but they are all unsolved mysteries and disappearances overall. Here are a dozen of the most stubbornly unresolved cold cases that were finally put to bed in 2022. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! It's the first time this technique has been used to make an arrest in New York City. Traci Rosenbaum/USA Today Network via Reuters Co. 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. They asked for the family's help in either proving or disproving that Gould was the man responsible and the family complied. The family of Melissa Highsmith provided this photo of her as a baby. Hope to see the resolution to all and have a great new year. In 1971, the body of 17-year-old Maureen Brubaker Farley was found in a wooded area in Iowa (via Des Moines Register). It may take years or even decades, but we continually seek justice for victims and their families.". The newlyweds were hurt and needed time to recuperate. Using court records, news reports, and good old-fashioned police work, investigators then determined that one of those people 68-year-old David Sinopoli lived in the same apartment complex as Biechler in 1975. What's more, Sullivan, her . On March 25, 1975, Katherine and Sheila Lyon (aged 10 and 12 respectively) went missing while on a trip to the nearby mall. "Let this serve as a warning to every murderer, rapist, and violent offender out there," said Keri Farley, special agent in charge of the investigation. He's now retired but still focuses on the ones that remain . Angela was off on her own. 8. Jeremy was looking for some cattle work. Both mother and son were quickly murdered after that. When the officers arrived on the scene, they found the body of . Show. It's clear that in many cases, when cold cases do get solved, the suspect has already died. A man named Michael Louise, who was the Peacocks son-in-law, was identified as a suspect a few weeks later. Paul Joseph Fronczak (Solved! Unfortunately for criminals and murderers, this means its much easier to get caught, especially for those who committed crimes before DNA testing. In December 1996, police stumbled upon a mystery fit for a detective novel. In April 1986, 32-year-old Janet Love was found raped and murdered in her Bedford, Texas, apartment. She stated that Angela later brought her four-year-old son Mikey to their house and they kept him for a while, and they later made arrangements to adopt him. That is, until 2022, when police identified a suspect. 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). . "Give them some closure.". Fortunately, Kadner had something to work with. Highsmith disappeared from Fort Worth, Texas, Aug. 23, 1971, when she was just 21 months old. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. ST. LUCIE COUNTY A more than 30-year-old cold case homicide involving a stormy relationship and shotgun blasts has been solved as a DNA match allowed St. Lucie County sheriff's investigators . 40 year old Kara Vaughn disappeared from Natchitoches, Louisiana on November 3, 1993. The hope is that they'll be able to provide more families with the answers they deserve and, in many cases, have spent years waiting for. The case eventually went cold. Please keep after. Phil Matteson, a now-retired detective with the sheriff's office, sent that sample to a local lab for testing in 2001, and the team there identified sperm that did not belong to Bogle, her boyfriend, the paper reports. 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). Of those suspects, one in 20 will be arrested, and just one in those 100 charged will be convicted. However, this was a case that ended with good news: he was found two years later in a stroller and returned to his parents, according to CNN. Investigators have solved a 28-year cold case and a Texas man is in custody. Police said Josephs parents have since died, and no one claimed the child or reported him missing at the time his remains were discovered. 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). But not always. There was also an arrest this year in the 1997 Michigan killing of 88-year-old Mary Prieur, according to M Live, with Michael Bur, now 41, charged with felony murder, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, and kidnapping in the elderly woman's death. On January 7, 1969, 23-year-old Jane Britton failed to show up for an exam. 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. Richard Cottingham, nicknamed the "Torso Killer" or "Times Square killer," allegedly admitted in December to killing five women on Long Island, New York, in the late 60s, early 70s. Chahorski was likewise identified through the DNA of living relatives, finally putting a lid on a case that had stumped investigators for 34 years. Scott Coffer, with the Union County Sheriff's Office. March 30, 2021 April 22, 2021. . On Sunday, November 29, 1992 officers from the Colton Police Department responded to the railroad tracks off Pepper Avenue and the 10 Freeway in Colton to investigate the report of a dead body. Justice looks different in this case," Yost said. Many suspects in cold cases never face justice. Cold case team says it's ID'd Zodiac Killer. It was January of 1980 when 21-year-old Helene Pruszynski was kidnapped, raped and murdered in Douglas County, Colorado. More than 260, to be specific. In May 2022, genome sequencing technology became available to the Fairfax police department, enabling investigators to reach out to potential family members. Lists of solved missing person cases include: List of solved missing person cases: pre-2000 List of solved missing person cases: post-2000 See also [ edit] Biography portal History portal Lists portal List of kidnappings List of murder convictions without a body List of people who disappeared mysteriously: 1990-present Another missing persons case that was solved in 2021 is that of Kara Vaughn who disappeared more than 25 years ago. Investigators agreed and asked the Franklin County Coroner's office to again evaluate the 15-year-old's autopsy. . . "I hope that it gives her peace knowing that, even though it's not really justice because he doesn't get any punishment, but that his name has this on it now. Both men are now dead. He was immediately met with the daunting task of digitizing the expansive case file, an endeavor that took months. She took that crucial test at the dogged insistence of Weaver, who reopened the case last summer. Of those suspects, one in 20 will be arrested, and just one in those 100 charged will be convicted. He told investigators he would prowl for women, abduct them, sexually assault them and then kill them. In most cases, those profiles can end up linking to distant relatives of the culprit say, a second or third cousin. TheYavapai County Sheriff's Office said witnesses reported that a man, woman and child approached Sharon in a dark green sedan. Authorities traveled to Missouri, where they spoke with Gould's children and told them about the Kalitzke/Bogle case and eventually identified their father as a suspect, Kadner said. These familial matches led police to David Sinopoli, one of Beichlers neighbors at the time. Solid forensic evidence finally came in May 2020. . Kim Bell. REYNOLDSBURG, OH A 45-year-old cold case has been solved in Ohio, Attorney General Dave Yost and Reynoldsburg Police Chief Curtis Baker announced Wednesday. In October 2020, [sheriffs investigator Dale] Weaver contacted Barbara Krusen who advised that she met Angela Mack Cox in the fall of 2002 while Angela was working for her husband Clarence on their farm. Here are a dozen of the most stubbornly unresolved cold cases that were finally put to bed in 2022. In 1988, state authorities in Georgia were presented with a crime that would seem nearly impossible to solve: The killing of 19-year-old Stacey Chahorski, whose body was found alongside a highway near the state's border with Alabama. 2 min. BCI's forensic evaluation of the evidence in Nesson's case led to the development of two DNA profiles of her likely assailants: Meyer and Webber. Upon further testing, Loves blood was found to be mixed in with other samples of Reeds blood taken from the scene of the murder. It never happened. The murder of Fawn Cox remained a mystery for more than 30 years until DNA technology was used. With each breakthrough, investigators have gotten one step closer to finding answers and, in turn, a resolution. REMAINS OF LITTLE MISS NOBODY IDD AS NEW MEXICO GIRL, 4, ABDUCTED IN 1960 AND FOUND IN ARIZONA DESERT. Police determined that Mr. Smith had indeed lived in the area at the time and had, in fact, been arrested for but never convicted of sexual assault and attempted murder in Las Vegas in 1998. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. Physical evidence was able to close the deal in 2022. 26 November 2021 26 Nov 2021. Nine-year-old Marise Chiverella was walking to school in March 1964 when she was kidnapped. During Kalitzke's autopsy in 1956, coroners had taken a vaginal swab, which had been preserved on a microscopic slide in the years since, according to the Great Falls Tribune report. News 13 True Crime Cases That Were Solved In 2022 For years, these cases have been cold until 2022, when advancements in DNA technology helped bring closure to the victims' family and friends. . (NCMEC/ Highsmith family Facebook page). Scientists were able to use the unknown DNA to find potential matches in public databases and create a reverse family tree. This method eventually led to a man named Kenneth Gould, who unfortunately passed away in 2007. "Boy in the Box" identified as 4-year-old Joseph Augustus Zarelli. The case was solved this year, after police came to suspect John Reigh Hoff, who died of suicide in 1970 at the age of 31, of the crime. He has been a guest speaker on numerous national radio and television stations and is a five time published author. 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 2022, NoVA Police Solved Multiple Murders Stretching Back to 1987. Highsmith disappeared from Fort Worth, Texas, Aug. 23, 1971, when she was just 21 months old. 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. Bur was charged after DNA evidence allegedly placed him at the scene of her death, according to police. According to WRDW News, the case is believed to be the first time that both a murder victim and perpetrator were identified using DNA technology in the same case. Families deserve answers, even when years have passed since they lost their loved ones, Yost said. "Families deserve answers, even. Market data provided by Factset. To law enforcement agencies everywhere, arguably one of the greatest of these technologies would be the myriad uses of DNA profiling and, more recently, forensic genealogy. until you are in jail. In announcing his identity, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Joseph had "experienced horrors that no one, no one should ever be subjected to. The DNA profile matched Eric Drummond. 5 min read. That is, until 2019, when Detective Sgt. These two cases were investigated separately until 2003, when the national DNA database CODIS revealed that samples from both crimes matched the same man. Cold Case Solved: Widow Says Her Late Husband Killed and Incinerated Mother and Child in 2002 Colin Kalmbacher Apr 10th, 2021, 7:51 pm Angela Mack-Cox and her four-year-old son Thomas Michael "Mikey" Rettew were killed and disappeared in 2002. Sep 15, 2021. Johnny Blake Peterson (Photo: LVMPD) LVMPD announced they solved the cold case homicide involving 16 y/o Kim Bryant from 1979. (Nassau County District Attorney's Office). Raymond Moody, 62, pleaded guilty Oct. 19, 2022, in Georgetown, South Carolina, to raping and killing 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel in 2009. Jon Kadner sent DNA swabs from Kalitzkes sexual assault to forensic genealogists at Bode Technology. 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. 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. Cottingham was known to approach his victims in mall parking lots and accuse them of stealing while imitating a security guard. 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That detail was a small mole on Geddes' right ear, which was enough for police to make a tenuous connection to Geddes. Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. X Unsolved Cases Unsolved Homicides Unidentified Remains Missing Persons Robberies X News 2023 Press Releases 2022 Press Releases . Even the farmhouse furnace used to remove their bodies from the earth along with all evidence of the crime is no longer available. Most cold cases do not get solved, so it is still fairly a spectacular occurrence when one is. The team's years of digging uncovered new forensic evidence and photos from . hide caption. He was found guilty of at least three other rapes in Ohio. While police determined the murders to be connected and despite following many leads, the case eventually went cold. If you've ever thought that you may make a good homicide investigator, there is one important qualification (other than having an exceptionally strong stomach) that you should know about. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. She stated when they moved from the farmhouse to the house in Alton, that Clarence told her that they had to move the furnace out of there since it was used to destroy both Angela and Mikeys bodies.. Moody confessed and led investigators to Brittanee's remains, but his belated cooperation did nothing to keep the entire book from getting thrown at him in court. The Delphi Murders "If there's new technology and we are able to potentially solve something, we want to keep working at it, because ultimately we're trying to do it for the family," he said. The Hazelton, Pennsylvania, girl was found later the same afternoon, raped and strangled. "Because it was all theories up to that point we finally had a match and we had a name. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. In this case, it led back to Rueben Smith. On Good Friday of this year, Krusen took and failed a polygraph when asked about what happened to Angela and Mikey. Clippings from the Great Falls Tribune were part of the Cascade County Sheriff's Office investigative file into the 1956 murders of Patricia Kalitzke and Lloyd Duane Bogle. ", "This is truly a mothers worst nightmare," she said. It was a bittersweet revelation: They were grateful for answers, but for many of the older people in the family, it was a struggle to have those wounds reopened. 1. Armed with this knowledge, Kadner in 2019 sought out the assistance of Bode Technology. We're starting with a distant relative and trying to work back toward our unknown sample.". "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. I knew," Jeff Highsmith said. Sixteen-year-old Fawn Cox was killed in the bedroom of her home at 9 th and Van Brunt while the rest of the family slept on July 26, 1989. Florida police say they've solved a 43-year-old murder case using advancements in DNA technology. Case Breakers calls for police to conduct a DNA test to verify their findings; Fox News' Eric Shawn has the details. (Yavapai County Sheriff's Office). SALT LAKE CITY Salt Lake City Police have solved a 42-year-old cold case. PECOS, Texas (KSNW) - Jolaine Hemmy, a Salina teen who went missing 55 years ago, has been identified as Pecos Jane Doe. At a cemetery in Annandale, Virginia (pictured), the body of a middle-aged woman was found. That left Angela and Mikey stranded in Alton, Missouri. 2 min. Also known as investigative genetic genealogy, this relatively new practice involves finding criminals via companies that collect consumer DNA samples for genealogy purposes. 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. They found him on the ground near his car, and someone had used his belt to tie his hands behind his back, according to a report from the Great Falls Tribune. 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. The family reunited with Melissa, who now goes by Melanie, in Texas on the night of Thanksgiving and learned that she had grown up just minutes from where she was taken. Have a tip or story idea? Nesson went missing on Sept. 27, 1974. Culture Features. dec 23, 2021. alleged serial rapist arrested after online dna match to 1997 case. Investigators tracked every lead they could, but the case grew cold. FOUND: MELISSA HIGHSMITH'S FAMILY 'OVERJOYED' AFTER BEING REUNITED WITH SISTER ABDUCTED IN 1971. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children described how Sharon was with cousins playing behind her grandmothers home in Alamogordo, New Mexico, July 21, 1960, when she was kidnapped.