Case Studies of Notable Cold Cases Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by RainyMoons

Crimes: Between 1974 and 1986, a serial rapist and murderer terrorized Califo­rnia, committing at least 13 murders, over 50 rapes, and 120 burgla­ries. The perpet­rator was known by several names, including the "East Area Rapist­" and the "­Ori­ginal Night Stalke­r."

Breakt­hrough: In 2018, law enforc­ement used an emerging technique known as genetic genealogy. They uploaded DNA from crime scenes to an online genealogy database and were able to identify a relative of the suspect.

Outcome: DeAngelo pled guilty to multiple counts of murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possib­ility of parole in 2020. The case is notable for being one of the first major cold cases solved using genetic genealogy.

Crime: On December 19, 1979, 18-yea­r-old Michelle Martinko was found stabbed to death in her car in the parking lot of a mall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Despite extensive invest­iga­tion, the case went cold for decades.

Breakt­hrough: In 2006, DNA evidence from the crime scene was reanal­yzed, but it wasn’t until 2018 that invest­igators used genetic genealogy to identify a suspect.

Outcome: Burns was convicted of first-­degree murder in February 2020 and sentenced to life in prison. The case is a signif­icant example of how advanc­ements in DNA technology can bring justice to cold cases.

Crime: Sister Cathy Cesnik, a Catholic nun, disapp­eared on November 7, 1969, in Baltimore, Maryland. Her body was found two months later, showing signs of blunt force trauma. The case went cold amid rumors of her knowledge of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.

Breakt­hrough: In 2017, the case was brought back into the public eye by the Netflix docume­ntary series The Keepers. This renewed attention led to new inform­ation and testimony coming forward, although no charges have been officially made against indivi­duals involved.

Outcome: The case remains officially unsolved, but the renewed focus on it has brought justice and recogn­ition to the survivors of abuse who have come forward.

Crime: In 1957, 7-year-old Maria Ridulph was abducted from a street corner in Sycamore, Illinois. Her body was found months later, but the case went cold for over 50 years.

Breakt­hrough: In 2011, a former neighbor, Jack McCull­ough, was arrested after new evidence and witness statements came to light. His arrest was based on a reexam­ination of evidence and the testimony of a key witness who identified him as the last person seen with Maria.

Outcome: The case was officially closed after McCull­ough’s conviction was overtu­rned, but it remains a signif­icant example of how cold cases can be pursued even many years after the crime.

Crime: On October 22, 1989, 11-yea­r-old Jacob Wetterling was abducted at gunpoint while riding his bike near his home in St. Joseph, Minnesota. Despite a massive search effort, Jacob was not found, and the case went cold.

Breakt­hrough: In 2015, a series of new leads, along with reexam­ination of evidence, led invest­igators to Danny Heinrich, a man who had long been considered a person of interest in the case.

Outcome: Heinrich was sentenced to 20 years in prison on child pornog­raphy charges as part of a plea deal. The discovery of Jacob’s remains brought a tragic closure to a case that had haunted Minnesota for nearly three decades.

Crime: On April 1, 1988, 8-year-old April Tinsley was abducted, raped, and murdered in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Her body was found three days later. Despite the existence of DNA evidence, the case went cold.

Breakt­hrough: In 2018, invest­igators used genetic genealogy to identify a suspect by matching DNA from the crime scene to relatives listed on genealogy websites.

Outcome: Miller confessed to the crime and was sentenced to 80 years in prison. This case, like others solved through genetic genealogy, highli­ghted the powerful new tools available to law enforc­ement for solving cold cases.

Crime: In 1979, the body of a young woman was found in a field in Caledonia, New York. For decades, her identity and the circum­stances of her death remained unknown, and the case went cold.

Breakt­hrough: In 2015, advances in forensic technology and a renewed invest­igation led to the identi­fic­ation of the victim as Tammy Jo Alexander, a 16-yea­r-old girl who had gone missing from Florida. This breakt­hrough allowed invest­igators to focus on the circum­stances of her death.

Outcome: The case remains officially unsolved, but the identi­fic­ation of the victim was a signif­icant breakt­hrough and an essential step toward solving the murder.

Crime: In 1976, Karen Klaas, the ex-wife of Righteous Brothers singer Bill Medley, was attacked and strangled in her home in Hermosa Beach, Califo­rnia. Despite extensive invest­iga­tions, the case went cold.

Breakt­hrough: In 2017, DNA evidence from the crime scene was reexamined using modern forensic techno­logy. Invest­igators were able to link the DNA to Kenneth Troyer, a convicted felon who had died in 1982 during a shootout with police.

Outcome: The case was officially closed with the identi­fic­ation of Troyer as the perpet­rator, bringing closure to the decade­s-old mystery.

Crime: On May 25, 1979, 6-year-old Etan Patz disapp­eared while walking to his school bus stop in New York City. His disapp­earance led to nationwide changes in the approach to missing children cases but remained unsolved for decades.

Breakt­hrough: In 2012, Pedro Hernandez, a former store clerk who had worked in Etan’s neighb­orhood, confessed to luring the boy into the store, choking him, and disposing of his body.

Outcome: Hernandez was convicted of Etan’s murder in 2017 and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. The case, one of the most famous missing child cases in U.S. history, was finally closed after nearly 40 years.

Crime: In January 1976, 16-yea­r-old Pamela Maurer was found strangled in Naperv­ille, Illinois. The case went cold despite efforts to find her killer.

Breakt­hrough: In 2020, genetic genealogy was used to match DNA from the crime scene to Bruce Lindahl, a man who had died in 1981. His DNA was found on Pamela’s body, linking him defini­tively to the crime.

Outcome: The case highli­ghted the potential for cold cases to be solved even decades later using modern forensic techni­ques.

Crime: In 1996, 9-year-old Amber Hagerman was abducted while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas. Her body was found days later, and the case became highly public­ized, leading to the creation of the AMBER Alert system.

Breakt­hrough: Although the case has not been fully solved, advanc­ements in DNA technology have given invest­igators new leads. In 2021, police announced they were re-exa­mining DNA evidence with the hope of identi­fying the perpet­rator.

Outcome: While Amber’s case hasn’t been closed, it serves as a critical example of how cold cases can drive signif­icant societal changes, such as the creation of the AMBER Alert system.

Crime: In 1991, 15-yea­r-old Jessica Keen was abducted and murdered in Columbus, Ohio. Her body was found in a remote cemetery, but the killer evaded capture for years.

Breakt­hrough: In 2008, new DNA technology led to a breakt­hrough. Invest­igators re-exa­mined DNA evidence from the crime scene, which led them to an indivi­dual, Marvin Lee Smith Jr.

Outcome: Smith was convicted of Jessica's murder and sentenced to life in prison. The case highlights the importance of revisiting old evidence with new techno­logy, which can lead to justice even years after the crime.