Northern California police have finally solved a 42-year-old cold case involving the murder of a young girl. They believe that relatively fresh DNA evidence points to the perpetrator, and they have arrested a man in connection with the crime.
The Sonoma County Jail received 62-year-old James Unick on Monday night on charges of murder and forceful lewd acts with a minor, kidnapping for molestation, and a special circumstance allegation of murder during a kidnapping, according to inmate records.
Bail was denied. Whether or not he has an attorney wasn’t apparent Tuesday night. Willows is located approximately 85 miles northwest of Sacramento.
Police reported the murder of thirteen-year-old Sara Ann Geer on May 24, 1982, in the downtown area of Cloverdale, which is located around 120 miles southwest of Willows. They alleged she had been kidnapped.
The Cloverdale police department stated that although DNA evidence was gathered, the necessary technological advancements only allowed its use in identifying a suspect in the last few years.
Now that DNA consumer monitoring kits are so standard, police have access to massive databases that can match DNA to evidence. Searches of databases containing the DNA of persons who have been forced to do so, such as suspects, defendants, and convicted criminals, also allow law enforcement to locate relatives.
Genealogy can help investigators pinpoint potential relatives of a suspect, even if they don’t always discover a match. That might lead to covert operations and monitoring to collect possible suspects’ food leftovers, cups, and utensils for a DNA match.
The capture and conviction of “Golden State Killer” Joseph DeAngelo and “Grim Sleeper” Lonnie Franklin Jr. were aided by DNA genealogy.
In 2019, police began to contemplate revisiting Sara Ann’s cold case; in July 2021, they formally announced their intention to do so by hiring a private investigative agency to assist them, as stated at the time.
According to the police statement, investigators were hoping that “the latest technological advancement” would help them better understand what happened to Sara Ann and how she died.
The police also said that rumors spreading about her case on social media were hampering their investigation.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Cloverdale Mayor Todd Lands expressed his support for the Geer family and the results of the tireless efforts of our law enforcement personnel over the years.
