This week, I announced a guilty plea by a defendant for the 1976 killing of an 81-year-old World War I Veteran.
The victim's remains were originally discovered in March 12, 2019, prompting a full investigation to determine a DNA profile. In 2020, the Cold Case Unit that I created when I became the Queens District Attorney worked diligently with our law enforcement partners to help generate leads to the then unknown victim’s identity.
In February 2021, a private laboratory used advanced DNA testing to produce a comprehensive genealogical profile from the skeletal remains. This long-cold case marks the first successful application in New York City of forensic genetic genealogy.
For more than 46 years, this defendant eluded arrest for this gruesome murder but my Office is relentless in our efforts to hold individuals accountable for their actions.
No matter how much time has passed, we will use every tool at our disposal to achieve justice and to provide a measure of closure to the victim's loved ones.
We continue to work every day to investigate this borough’s oldest and most challenging unsolved homicide cases. Please take a moment to visit our Cold Case page for a list of our current cold cases. You can help us achieve justice by reporting any information to NYPD Crimestoppers. Remember that all tips are confidential and can be submitted anonymously.