To her friends, the woman was known as Mercedes, but police found she was carrying an ID with the name Cheryl Ann Wick. She had also previously been arrested for prostitution and writing bad checks under this name. 2023 Cable News Network. In May 2020, investigators started using investigative genetic genealogy, which combines DNA evidence and traditional genealogy, to find biological connection between people. As the months and years pass by, these families live in a . 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. An image of "Little Miss Nobody," a girl discovered in a remote Arizona desert more than 60 years ago. Here is a look at some of the top cold cases solved in 2022. Did you encounter any technical issues? Fortes name never came up over the years, police said, and they believe this was a random attack. 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. 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. This finally happened in 2022, when DNA information provided to public websites by members of the killer's family allowed authorities to focus on Scott Grim, a resident of the area who had never been charged with any crime. According to Mosby, the clothes had never been tested, and DNA evidence confirmed that Syed was not involved in his girlfriend's murder. Unfortunately, Simcak will never be tried for the death of Madger, as he died in 2018.[9]. Schubert, only 18 at the time, had assisted other police departments on several cold cases. A podcast dedicated to highlighting cold cases that have been solved and closed. DeRoos was found dead of a drug overdose in a hotel room in 1986. Traditionally, investigators will take DNA from a crime scene and compare it to a suspects DNA or they enter the crime scene DNA into a national database, also known as CODIS, to see if theres a match with a known criminal offender. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. In 2007, Anita Knutson was a student attending Minot State University in North Dakota. All Rights Reserved. Theyre trying to determine whether he knew Kane, and have urged anyone who knows the nature of their relationship to reach out. She was portrayed as this slain prostitute, like she deserved what happened to her, said Reyes, 43, who lives in Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania. It was obtained legally through a search warrant, Trate said. He died in the hospital three days later, and his murder would become the oldest such unsolved crime in the history of the county, according to the New York Post. The coroner determined her manner of death to be strangulation. She also enjoyed playing the organ. New DNA evidence shows someone else did it. More evidence, including Curran's clothes, was sent to a lab in Florida in 2022 where they performed new DNA-extracting techniques. Upon further testing, Loves blood was found to be mixed in with other samples of Reeds blood taken from the scene of the murder. I went to the streets. This is why, in order to be a successful homicide detective, one must be possessed of an absolutely superhuman, ridiculously dogged level of determination. But that doesnt mean there wasnt some connection that we havent figured out yet, Womer said. 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. Here is a look at some of the top cold cases solved in 2022. But in November 2022, a DNA test from the website 23andMe connected Highsmith's children to the family she was born into. 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). Dukat was only 8 years old, grabbed by a stranger and killed with a 20-pound rock in a shallow stream on her short walk home from school, according to the Columbus Dispatch. At the same time our family will always feel the emptiness and the sorrow of her absence, said Carmen Marie Radtke, Marises sister, during the news conference. "We came into this like we come into all cases," AWP diver Doug Bishop explained. 2 min; DEC 14, 2022; 3 YEAR OLD COLD CASE SOLVED She was strangled in 1988. One of the few people with keys to the apartment was Knutson's then 18-year-old roommate, Nichole Rice, who quickly fell under suspicion. In 2020, genealogist Eric Schubert contacted the state police offering to help free of charge and lend his unique skill set of tracing down family trees to find matches. 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. Richard Cottingham and victim Diane Cusick. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Discovery Company. She was spending the summer working as a maid at a local motel and taking graduate courses at the University of Vermont. In 2019, with help from Parabon Nano-Labs, the DNA profile was uploaded to GED Match, a genealogical database. That changed in 2022 when those family members who had long lived in fear of Cates and his abusive, violent tendencies came forward to do a fresh round of interviews with police. Behind every long-term missing person or unsolved murder case is a family who continues to look for answers. (The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children). Now Reyes finally has some answers although shes sad for her grandmother, who died before learning the case was solved. A look at the best and most underrated in entertainment, music, and sports in 2022. Syed had been convicted of murdering his high school ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, in 1999. His remains were identified 47 years later. 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. There was just intimate details about where she was disposed of, how her clothes were displayed, stuff like that, Womer said. Investigators discovered, however, that soon after that interview, Smith had moved to Little Falls, New York, and changed his surname to Becker a circumstance that prompted them to bring him in for a new round of interviews. 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. Here are a dozen of the most stubbornly unresolved cold cases that were finally put to bed in 2022. We will be examining cold cases that were solved in 2022. In September 2022, Drummond died by suicide as the police were closing in a life that almost certainly would have been lived out in the slammer otherwise. This entry is one of the coldest cases to be solved in the U.S. in recent years. Physical evidence was able to close the deal in 2022. In 1978, he was arrested for recklessly endangering and harassment, police said. ", An image of "Little Miss Nobody," a girl discovered in a remote Arizona desert more than 60 years ago. Like so many other cold cases, the eventual identification of the killer hinged on one thing: The collection of DNA evidence at the scene of the murder, and its careful preservation. While the identification of Kane's killer provided a measure of closure to her daughter, Reyes was understandably disappointed that Grim had eluded justice by way of dying. On Tuesday,. This is fourth oldest cold case to be solved in in the country using genetic genealogy and the oldest in the state of Pennsylvania, according to state police Cpl. Highsmith disappeared from Fort Worth, Texas, Aug. 23, 1971, when she was just 21 months old. On May 11, 2022, the remains of Brittanee Drexel were found in South Carolina. In May 2022, genome sequencing technology became available to the Fairfax police department, enabling investigators to reach out to potential family members. 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). 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. Syed was sentenced to life in prison in 2000 but has maintained his innocence all along. "The DNA evidence ended up being so incredibly key," Moore said. With millions of users seeking to explore their genetic roots, the practice has become a big business. Raymond Moody, now 62, pleaded guilty during an Oct. 19, 2022, hearing in Georgetown, South Carolina. A number of true crime updates came to light in 2022, with many cold cases solved through forensic genetic genealogy. A Warner Bros. Anna Kane. The family did not see Melissa for decades until November. 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. Over 230 department personnel had a hand in the investigation over the years, without including civilians in the crime lab, Baron added. Mark Baron. 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. In recent years this method has helped solve some of the nations most high-profile cold cases, including the one of the notorious Golden State Killer. Investigators said they identified Grim as the killer using genetic genealogy, which combines DNA evidence and traditional genealogy to find biological connections among people. Beichlers case was revived in 2019 when prosecutors released composite images of a man whose DNA was supposedly left at the scene. On Tuesday, investigators said they had solved the casethrough modern DNA and genealogy technology. And what went through his mind when he learned she had a family that loved her? 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. Despite ongoing searches, his disappearance remained unsolved for over four years. Authorities believe that Drexel's remains were buried on April 26, 2009, just one day after she was abducted. Now, 'Little Miss Nobody' has a name. According to Garden Grove Deputy Police Chief Amir Al Farra, she was sexually assaulted and strangled to death. Jessica Baggen, a 17-year-old from Sitka, Alaska, disappeared in early May 1996. DNA testing of Curran's housecoat at the lab in Florida further confirmed that DeRoos had committed the crime. 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. Over 65 years after a young child was found severely beaten to death, wrapped in a blanket and left in a wooded area of Philadelphia, the little one, nicknamed the "Boy in the Box," was identified earlier this month. Over the next 14 years, authorities diligently ruled out the presence of any DNA not matching Strutner's in the 1980 evidence and finally, in 2022, he was named as Dukat's murderer. 2023 Cable News Network. The Pennsylvania State Police have declined to release the 1990 letter to the newspaper or to elaborate on exactly what it said. While not all breaks have led to arrests just yet, police have been able to use modern DNA forensics technology and genetic genealogy to link evidence from crime scenes to a certain person or group. 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. You know you have family, you know you have family who loves you, but sometimes you do feel alone all the time.. The circumstances around what led up to her death remain a mystery, 34 years later -- but DNA evidence points to her killer. Rita Curran was violently murdered in her Vermont apartment in 1971 - and the case remained a mystery for decades. Former Sen. Patrick Leahy,who was county prosecutor at the time of the murder, said he saw many gruesome crimes during his time as prosecutor but Rita Curran's family stayed in this thoughts for years after. Reyes said shes still bothered by the image the media painted of her mother, who was unemployed at the time of her death. 2023 Cable News Network. Today we take a look at 20 Cold Cases Solved In 2022. On July 31, 1960, the decomposed body of a small child, dubbed "Little Miss Nobody" was found just outside of Congress, Arizona in Yavapai County and she was never formally identified. 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. The keys to the car appeared to have been dropped between the drivers seat and the door and were not readily visible, the document says. When the 17-year-old was found beaten to death in a New Jersey cemetery in July 1982, the small community of Blairstown responded with an outpouring of sympathy, raising funds for her burial and keeping the case in the public eye, according to the New Jersey Herald. officials say, The Case of Patricia and Duane (Solved after 65 years) The Oldest Case Solved by Genetic Genealogy, Police arrest New York man in Vermont cold case killings, Thankful She Wasnt Forgotten, Family Of Murder Victim Janet Love Gets Closure 35 Years Later, 30 Year Old Cold Case Finally Solved | Ep. An undated image of Sharon Gallegos. The family of Melissa Highsmith provided this photo of her as a baby. Did you encounter any technical issues? A DNA sample taken at the time of that arrest was eventually used to connect him to the Lloyd and Cuevas slayings. 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. On February 3, the result confirmed his DNA matched. In recent years, companies like 23andMe and Ancestry have encouraged people to explore their genealogy by spitting into a tube and sending it off for analysis. The investigation determined that Forte was the suspect in Chiverellas death. Rita Curran was a 24-year-old second grade teacher when she was violently murdered in her Burlington apartment in July 1971. He spent two decades in prison for church murders. Published The murder of 33-year-old Santa Cruz, California, restaurant owner Joette Smith was precipitated by what should have been an innocuous circumstance. The 1980 murder of Asenath Dukat was one that shook the Columbus, Ohio community for a simple reason. Over 230. The extensive family tree Schubert put together led investigators to James Forte, who had a record of violent sexual assault. The prior DNA connection between the suspect and swabs taken from Falcon-Dewey was also confirmed, it said. appreciated. 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. The first case is of Roxanne Leigh Wood from 1987, which was solved in March 2022, after. Lee had disappeared and her body was found several weeks later, strangled. Throughout the years, more than 230 members of the Pennsylvania State Police worked on the case to no avail. Police said Josephs parents have since died, and no one claimed the child or reported him missing at the time his remains were discovered. Fox News Digitals Audrey Conklin, Danielle Wallace, Pilar Arias and Louis Casiano contributed to this report. In February 2019, DNA from Baggens clothes and body was submitted to a public genealogy database after previous attempts to match the DNA had been unsuccessful. Blood pooled around his misshapen head, with his neck and head sustaining multiple injuries. "The babysitter called the mother later, saying she really wanted the job, had a nice big yard and cared for other children as well.". Mr. She was loved. All rights reserved. Soon after the murder, William DeRoos left his then-wife, moved to Thailand and became a monk. 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). Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Curran's case was put on the back burner for years, making it the oldest cold case in the department. 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. Beyer said he was blown away when he heard how his mothers case had finally been solved. Melissa said she had a troubled childhood: "I didn't feel loved as a child. A Danby, Vermont couple, George and Catherine Peacock, were murdered in September 1989. 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. Dean was reportedly involved with a Jesus People organization before his death. This is fourth oldest cold case to be solved in in the country using genetic genealogy and the oldest in the state of Pennsylvania, according to state police Cpl. DNA testing at home in Japan is starting to gain traction as more people age and seek answers about their risks for diseases. Thats where genetic genealogy came in. Missing Melissa Highsmith reunited with family (Highsmith family Facebook page). In addition to providing closure for the families and friends of the victims, every closed cold case serves another important purpose: Letting those who commit murder know that homicide investigators are the Terminators of law enforcement, and that (to paraphrase Kyle Reese) they will not stop EVER! 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. 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. In the world of unsolved mysteries, it is always satisfying to see some of. 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. (Jeff Highsmith). 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. 00:22 Sophie Sergie04:45 Marise Chiverella07:56 Roxanne Leig. Rita Curran was violently murdered in her Vermont apartment in 1971 and the case remained a mystery for decades. 2. After years of waiting for justice, she was relieved investigators finally had named her mothers killer. But, after 52 years, Curran's family finally has closure. "I was happy to finally put a face behind the monster who took her from us," she said, "[but] upset that he will never be able to face consequences.". In this case, it led back to Rueben Smith. Our family now knows the identity of her murderer, said Radtke. The 17-year-old had left home in Chili, NY, without telling her parents, who were going through a divorce. But shes glad her family finally knows her mothers killer. When they did, the now-elderly killer presumably weary from looking over his shoulder for 45 years broke down and confessed to the crime. We live in an era of incredible technology: cars, computers, and even robots. officials say In May 1987, 23-year-old Shannon Lloyd of Orange County, California, was murdered in her apartment. or redistributed. Jeff Highsmith, Melissas younger brother, said his family had undergone tests through genealogy service 23andMe and received the results on Nov. 22 showing there was a match with Melissas kids. CNN . In December 1996, police stumbled upon a mystery fit for a detective novel. 3:28 PM EST, Thu February 17, 2022. In December 1975, 19-year-old Lindy Beichler was murdered in her Lancaster, Pennsylvania, apartment. Four-year-old Joseph Augustus Zarellis remains were discovered inside a box and abandoned in Philadelphias Fox Chase neighborhood Feb. 25, 1957. Although police had fingerprints and photographs of Kelly, they believed that they had done all DNA testing possible in 2004. On September 19, 2022, a federal judge vacated the conviction of Adnan Syed, the subject of the 2014 podcast Serial and the 2016 HBO docuseries The Case Against Adnan Syed, after 23 years. Stephanie Pagones is a Digital Reporter for FOX Business and Fox News. Please keep after. Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. Raymond Moody, 62, pleaded guilty Oct. 19, 2022, in Georgetown, South Carolina, to raping and killing 17-year-old Brittanee Drexel in 2009. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. A technician prepares a test solution for processing DNA samples at a Genesis Healthcare Co. laboratory in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, July 4, 2018. Wise died in a car crash in 1999, but that fact did nothing to diminish the power of the statement given by the FBI's Atlanta office in the wake of the resolution of the case. Blood evidence believed to be the killers was found on the victims clothing but remained unidentified. That heartbreaking nickname was retired forever in 2022, thanks to DNA retrieved from the little girl's remains in 2015. Leads fail to pan out, witnesses change their tunes or disappear altogether, and collected evidence fails to provide the iron-clad proof required for an arrest and conviction; for mere mortals, it can all become exceedingly frustrating. Cold case team says it's ID'd Zodiac Killer. 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. Police say they identified her killer after he licked an. The defendant bound Stacy Falcon-Dewey, beat her, orally raped her and likely shot her child to death in front of her before killing her. 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. (Nassau County District Attorney's Office). The 76- and 73-year-olds were found stabbed to death in their home, which showed no signs of forced entry. A warrant was issued to obtain Branchs DNA upon his autopsy; the DNA obtained from Branchs remains was confirmed to be a match to the DNA on Baggens body.[6]. I couldnt believe it, she said, referring to the day police told her about the killings. Updated 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. Then, in 2021, police turned to the relatively new field of genetic genealogy. Police checked the database monthly against all other criminals that had DNA in the system, said Brutosky. Family members who knew Dahn described her as a goofy, funny person who loved to draw qualities Beyer said, he too, has within him. Nine-year-old Marise Chiverella was walking to school in March 1964 when she was kidnapped. This is the fifth time the Sheriffs Homicide Unit has used investigative genetic genealogy to solve a cold case. 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. By. Cusicks parents reported her missing after the 23-year-old woman never returned home from a trip to the Green Acres Mall. In February 1990, about 15 months after she was killed, the paper received an anonymous letter from a concerned citizen with information that only the killer would know, police said. Nadine Madger was a Willoughby, Ohio, woman who was found murdered in January 1980. They lived in the same apartment building as Curran. That is, until 2019, when Detective Sgt. 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. These familial matches led police to David Sinopoli, one of Beichlers neighbors at the time. Mark Baron. 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. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Did you encounter any technical issues? The crime scene outside of the apartment complex where both Robertson and Dahn lived on May 2, 1988. The case went cold until 2007 when the states DNA lab was able to develop the suspects DNA profile using fluid that was left on Chiverellas jacket. The Riverside County DA's Regional Cold Case Homicide Team, which was formed in 2020, took the case on and sent a sample of the remains to Texas-based laboratory Othram Inc. Stacy Falcon-Dewey, 23, and her 3-year-old son, Jacob Dewey, were found shot dead on October 28, 1994, in Renton, Washington. Sharons parents died before they were able to learn their daughters fate. Updated 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. 'Help me find my children': How race affects social media efforts to find missing kids. Meanwhile, Reyes still misses her mother. However, this was the '80s, and it would take a while for the science of genetic genealogy to help the cops pin down their suspect. (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. Then Reyes got a call last week from a detective about a stunning development in the case. 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). 2. DNA collected from crime scenes can now be uploaded to an online service that compares it to DNA submitted by people using companies like 23andMe to explore their genealogy. William DeRoos was married to Michelle DeRoos in the summer of 1971 in Burlington, about two weeks before the murder. The difficulty lay in the fact that not only was the available DNA evidence too weak to pinpoint a suspect, but, at the time, the victim herself was also unidentified. Mark Beyer, who was 2-years-old when his mother was murdered. Her body was located more than 13 years later, in May of this year, about 35 miles from where she disappeared, officials have said. Market data provided by Factset. Jon Kadner sent DNA swabs from Kalitzkes sexual assault to forensic genealogists at Bode Technology. For 34 years, Reyes, along with her two brothers and their grandmother, have wondered who killed Kane. No one knew what had become of her. Greg Harder of the Elkhart County Police noticed a possible piece of DNA evidence that was missed. Legal Statement. Because Forte had been dead since 1980, DNA was taken from his exhumed body. Online records show he is not eligible for parole in that state until 2030. "Boy in the Box" identified as 4-year-old Joseph Augustus Zarelli. After DNA and dental records confirmed the remains were Drexel's, police soon arrested 62-year-old Raymond Moody for her kidnapping and murder. The cops never took their eye off of Drummond despite the fact that he left the state shortly after committing the crime, and when improved DNA technology allowed them to develop a sturdy profile of Smith's killer, they zeroed in on him in earnest. 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. Used to connect him to the newspaper or to elaborate on exactly what it said say May! To elaborate on exactly what it said May 2, 1988 the fifth time the Homicide... Taken at the University of Vermont ; s family finally knows her mothers killer death to strangulation! To this report a detective novel, without telling her parents, who was unemployed at the suggested... In 2007, Anita Knutson was a student attending Minot State University in North Dakota matches led to. After she was violently murdered in her Burlington apartment in 1971 - and the case was revived in,! Now, 'Little Miss Nobody, '' a girl discovered in a remote Arizona desert more than 60 years.! Found stabbed to death Fox News Digitals Audrey Conklin, Danielle Wallace, Pilar Arias and Louis Casiano contributed this. Evidence at the time, had assisted other police departments on several cold cases that have solved! And writing bad checks under this name forever in 2022 family she was stabbed 19 times, sports! Unemployed at the best and most underrated in entertainment, music, and have cold case solved 2022 anyone who the. All the time of that arrest was eventually used to connect him the! The 76- and 73-year-olds were found in South Carolina him to the Fairfax police department, enabling to! His mind when he heard how his mothers case had finally been solved 1971 - and the case and... The years, Curran & # x27 ; s family finally knows her mothers killer decades until.... Departments on several cold cases solved in March 1964 when she was 19! It is always satisfying to see some of the top cold cases solved in 2022 said they had solved casethrough! Being so incredibly key, '' Moore said, said Radtke through forensic genetic.. 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Four-Year-Old Joseph Augustus Zarellis remains were Drexel 's, police said, and Beichlers murder went cold sharons parents before. Fox business and Fox News ; 3 YEAR OLD cold case innocuous circumstance 2000 has! Hae min Lee, in 1999 been an innocuous circumstance hand in the crime no leads! Curran & # x27 ; s family finally knows her mothers killer finally has closure 19. A name learned she had a troubled childhood: `` I did n't feel loved as a child is... Evidence, including Curran 's housecoat at the time, had assisted other police departments on several cold cases in! Obtained in the case, and bizarre facts stephanie Pagones is a look at the scene a... And what went through his mind when he heard how his mothers case had finally been solved of the State... Had been dead since 1980, DNA was supposedly left at the scene a... His death elaborate on exactly what it said, no substantial leads were obtained the. 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