Almost half a century after a younger California girl was strangled to loss of life, officers say a thumbprint on a carton of cigarettes has led to an arrest.
Willie Eugene Sims was arrested in Jefferson, Ohio, in reference to the loss of life of Jeanette Ralston, in keeping with a Friday assertion from the Santa Clara County District Lawyer’s Workplace.
Sims, 69, has been charged with homicide and was arraigned on Friday in Ashtabula County Court docket earlier than being despatched to California.
Ralston was discovered useless within the again seat of her Volkswagen Beetle on Feb. 1, 1977, in San Jose, in keeping with the Santa Clara County District Lawyer’s Workplace.
Her physique was discovered within the carport space of an condo complicated close to the bar the place buddies say she was final seen.
She had been strangled with a long-sleeve costume shirt, and proof appeared to point out she was sexually assaulted, in keeping with prosecutors. Her automotive confirmed indicators of getting been unsuccessfully set on hearth.
Her buddies mentioned on the time that they noticed her go away the bar with an unknown man the night earlier than, saying she can be again in 10 minutes, however she by no means returned. Police interviewed the chums and different witnesses and created a suspect sketch. However the investigation went chilly.
A thumbprint discovered on Ralston’s cigarette carton in her automotive was discovered to match Sims’s final fall after legislation enforcement had requested to run the print by way of the FBI’s up to date system, prosecutors mentioned.
Earlier this yr, officers from the District Lawyer’s workplace and San Jose police went to Ohio to gather DNA from Sims. Prosecutors say it matched the DNA discovered on Ralston’s fingernails and the shirt used to strangle her.
“Every day, forensic science grows better, and every day, criminals are closer to being caught,” District Lawyer Jeff Rosen mentioned in a press release. “Cases may grow old and be forgotten by the public. We don’t forget and we don’t give up.”
William Weigel, murder crew supervisor for the Santa Clara County public defender’s workplace, confirmed Monday that Lara Wallman had been assigned the case.
He mentioned their workplace can’t touch upon the proof but as a result of they haven’t seen it, however cautioned the general public from leaping to conclusions.
“It is kind of important that we let the system play itself out and allow our side to conduct our own independent review and investigation of the case before we rush to judgment, as it were,” he mentioned.
Again in 1977, Sims was a military personal assigned to a facility about 68 miles (109 kilometers) south of San Jose, prosecutors mentioned.
The yr after Ralston’s loss of life, a jury in a separate case convicted Sims of an assault to commit homicide in Monterey County and sentenced him to 4 years in jail, courtroom data present.
Ralston’s son, Allen Ralston, was 6 when she died. He instructed WOIO-TV that he’s grateful and relieved that an arrest was lastly made.
“I’m just glad that somebody cared,” he mentioned concerning the case.
