Her murder case lay cold for 48 years. Then a thumbprint on a cigarette carton finally got a hit
She had been stuffed in the back of the Beetle, wedged tightly in the small crevice of the backseat. Detectives determined she had been strangled with the sleeve of her own shirt and had been sexually assaulted. The killer tried to light her car on fire, but it didn't ignite.
For 49 years, since 24-year-old Jeanette Ralston, a San Mateo resident, was found dead, her case lay cold, save for a sketch of an unknown man her friends saw her leave the bar with the night before she was found. Her friend told detectives that upon leaving, Ralston said she would be 'back in 10 minutes,' but never came back.
But a critical piece of evidence, a carton of 'Eve' cigarettes found on her floorboard, and the rapid advancement of forensic science, has changed everything.
This week, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office charged a 69-year-old man in her killing, Ohio resident Willie Eugene Sims, then a 21-year-old Army private assigned to Fort Ord in Monterey Bay. He was extradited to San Jose, where he was scheduled to be arraigned in Santa Clara County Superior Court on Friday afternoon.
Police collected many latent fingerprints in the case, but all of them had been searched several times before using the FBI's fingerprint database, said Deputy District Attorney Rob Baker, who heads the cold-case unit. But last summer, after investigators decided to search the database again, they got a hit.
'It was an old-school solve,' Baker told the Chronicle. 'It all started with a thumbprint, and that thumbprint led our investigators across the country to Mr. Sims' front door in Jefferson, Ohio.'
Investigators flew out to Ohio to collect Sims' DNA. That, combined with other pieces of evidence, including the sketch they had of the suspect and DNA found on Ralston's fingernails as well as the sleeve used as a ligature to kill her, helped them build the case.
Sims had been convicted of assault to commit murder and robbery of a woman using a knife in Monterey County just a year after Ralston's killing. He spent four years in state prison, officials said. But his criminal record after that was clean and he moved out of the state before his DNA could be entered into CODIS, the federal DNA database.
'Every day, forensic science grows better, and every day criminals are closer to being caught,' said Jeff Rosen, District Attorney for the county. 'Cases may grow old and be forgotten by the public. We don't forget and we don't give up.'
If convicted, Sims faces 25 years to life in prison, officials said.
The county's cold case unit was established when Rosen took office in 2011. Since then, the department has solved more than 30 homicides, and over half of them were solved in the past five years, in part due to a $500,000 federal grant it received to investigate cold cases, said Baker.
Last month, San Jose police identified a suspect in the killing of 28-year-old Karen Gevorkov in 1997, who died from blunt-force trauma after an attack in a park. The suspect, Victor Lamong Ferguson, a Kansas resident, died in 2022 at the age of 47.
Ralston's son did not respond to multiple requests for interviews but wrote about the break in the case on social media, saying that he lost his mother shortly before his 7th birthday.
He thanked law enforcement and the district attorney's office for their work in the case, even if, he said, he was not clear on how to 'actually move forward or navigate this shocking news.'
'Your persistence, dedication and devotion to me in my family is unquestionably some of the greatest form of respect and love for my mother,' he said. 'You have undoubtedly made a 6-year-old kid happy after all of these years.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Takeaways: US military expands enforcement zone to 1/3 of southern border
COLUMBUS, N.M. (AP) — The military is expanding its authority and reach along swaths of the southern U.S. border where troops have been empowered to detain people who enter the country illegally. Designated militarized zones will soon cover nearly one-third of the U.S. border with Mexico under supervision of nearby military bases. Federal prosecutors have filed criminal trespassing charges in the militarized terrain against more than 1,400 people, adding to possible consequences for people who cross the border illegally. Reaction to the military buffer has been mixed among residents of New Mexico's rural Luna County, where a strong culture of individual liberty is tempered by the desire to tame networks that ferry migrants and contraband across the border. Some farmers and ranchers have welcomed the military's expanded mission. But the changes also are being challenged in court and questioned by civil rights advocates and outdoor enthusiasts including hunters and hikers who fear they'll be locked out of public lands. No-entry signs The first two militarized zones, introduced in April and May, extend along 230 miles (370 kilometers) of border. The buffer runs from Fort Hancock, Texas, through El Paso and westward past factories and cattle yards to partially encircle the New Mexico border village of Columbus, where in 1916 Mexican revolutionary forces led by Pancho Villa crossed into the U.S. in a deadly predawn raid. The Army has posted thousands of no-entry signs across the region, declaring a 'restricted area by authority of the commander.' James Johnson, a fourth-generation local farmer, oversees the summer harvests on private farmland along 5 miles (8 kilometers) of the border. He says the military deployments under prior presidents put 'eyes and ears' on the border and that the new approach is 'trying to give some teeth' to enforcement. Luna County Commissioner Ray Trejo says he and other hunters are worried about their rights to carry firearms and harvest game from the newly designated militarized zones. He sees the new trespassing charges as inhumane in an economy built on immigrant farm labor. 'People are coming into our country to work, stepping now all of a sudden into a military zone, and they have no idea,' he said. Abbey Carpenter leads a search-and-rescue group for missing migrants and says public access is being denied across sweltering stretches of desert where migrant deaths have surged . 'Maybe there are more deaths, but we don't know,' she said. Fewer border crossings Border Patrol arrests along the southern border this year have dropped to the slowest pace since 1966, including a 30% drop in June. On June 28, the Border Patrol made only 137 arrests, a stark contrast with late 2023 when arrests topped 10,000 on the busiest days. Thwarted attempts to cross have plunged not only since Trump took office but also previously when President Joe Biden introduced severe asylum restrictions in June 2024, and when Mexican officials increased enforcement within their own borders in December 2023. At least 7,600 members of the armed forces have vastly expanded the U.S. government presence on the border. The Defense Department last week added an additional 250-mile (400-kilometer) militarized area in Texas' Rio Grande Valley and plans another near Yuma, Arizona. Combined, the four zones will cover nearly one-third of the U.S. border with Mexico. Legal challenges The new militarized zones are tied to President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency on the border on his first day in office this year. The moves are being challenged in proceedings at a federal courthouse in Las Cruces on the banks of the Upper Rio Grande, with mixed outcomes. Migrants in drab county jail jumpsuits and chains filed before a magistrate judge on a recent weekday. They included a 29-year-old woman from Guatemala who sells pottery for a living. Military trespassing charges against her were dismissed for lack of evidence, but a conviction for illegal entry resulted in a two-week jail sentence before likely deportation. In separate proceedings, a federal public defender's office has challenged the military's new oversight of public land at the border in New Mexico — an area nearly twice the size of Washington, D.C., — seizing on the arrest of one Mexican man for trespassing through remote terrain to test the legal waters. It says the designation of a militarized zone in New Mexico without congressional authorization is 'a matter of staggering and unprecedented political significance.' A judge has yet to rule on the arguments. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Takeaways: US military expands enforcement zone to 1/3 of southern border
COLUMBUS, N.M. (AP) — The military is expanding its authority and reach along swaths of the southern U.S. border where troops have been empowered to detain people who enter the country illegally. Designated militarized zones will soon cover nearly one-third of the U.S. border with Mexico under supervision of nearby military bases. Federal prosecutors have filed criminal trespassing charges in the militarized terrain against more than 1,400 people, adding to possible consequences for people who cross the border illegally. Reaction to the military buffer has been mixed among residents of New Mexico's rural Luna County, where a strong culture of individual liberty is tempered by the desire to tame networks that ferry migrants and contraband across the border. Some farmers and ranchers have welcomed the military's expanded mission. But the changes also are being challenged in court and questioned by civil rights advocates and outdoor enthusiasts including hunters and hikers who fear they'll be locked out of public lands. No-entry signs The first two militarized zones, introduced in April and May, extend along 230 miles (370 kilometers) of border. The buffer runs from Fort Hancock, Texas, through El Paso and westward past factories and cattle yards to partially encircle the New Mexico border village of Columbus, where in 1916 Mexican revolutionary forces led by Pancho Villa crossed into the U.S. in a deadly predawn raid. The Army has posted thousands of no-entry signs across the region, declaring a 'restricted area by authority of the commander.' James Johnson, a fourth-generation local farmer, oversees the summer harvests on private farmland along 5 miles (8 kilometers) of the border. He says the military deployments under prior presidents put 'eyes and ears' on the border and that the new approach is 'trying to give some teeth' to enforcement. Luna County Commissioner Ray Trejo says he and other hunters are worried about their rights to carry firearms and harvest game from the newly designated militarized zones. He sees the new trespassing charges as inhumane in an economy built on immigrant farm labor. 'People are coming into our country to work, stepping now all of a sudden into a military zone, and they have no idea,' he said. Abbey Carpenter leads a search-and-rescue group for missing migrants and says public access is being denied across sweltering stretches of desert where migrant deaths have surged. 'Maybe there are more deaths, but we don't know,' she said. Fewer border crossings Border Patrol arrests along the southern border this year have dropped to the slowest pace since 1966, including a 30% drop in June. On June 28, the Border Patrol made only 137 arrests, a stark contrast with late 2023 when arrests topped 10,000 on the busiest days. Thwarted attempts to cross have plunged not only since Trump took office but also previously when President Joe Biden introduced severe asylum restrictions in June 2024, and when Mexican officials increased enforcement within their own borders in December 2023. At least 7,600 members of the armed forces have vastly expanded the U.S. government presence on the border. The Defense Department last week added an additional 250-mile (400-kilometer) militarized area in Texas' Rio Grande Valley and plans another near Yuma, Arizona. Combined, the four zones will cover nearly one-third of the U.S. border with Mexico. Legal challenges The new militarized zones are tied to President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency on the border on his first day in office this year. The moves are being challenged in proceedings at a federal courthouse in Las Cruces on the banks of the Upper Rio Grande, with mixed outcomes. Migrants in drab county jail jumpsuits and chains filed before a magistrate judge on a recent weekday. They included a 29-year-old woman from Guatemala who sells pottery for a living. Military trespassing charges against her were dismissed for lack of evidence, but a conviction for illegal entry resulted in a two-week jail sentence before likely deportation. In separate proceedings, a federal public defender's office has challenged the military's new oversight of public land at the border in New Mexico — an area nearly twice the size of Washington, D.C., — seizing on the arrest of one Mexican man for trespassing through remote terrain to test the legal waters. It says the designation of a militarized zone in New Mexico without congressional authorization is 'a matter of staggering and unprecedented political significance.' A judge has yet to rule on the arguments.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
TikTokker, 22, allegedly shot and killed Marine veteran in front of his fiancée and 10-month-old infant: cops
A TikTokker allegedly shot and killed a Marine veteran in front of his infant son and fiancée in a Texas parking lot — and later posted about it on his popular account, according to reports.. Justin Guzman, 22, a wannabe influencer who posted cringey lip-sync videos on TikTok, surrendered to the Houston Police Department on Monday in connection to the senseless killing of Marine veteran Anthony Sanders, 30, earlier last month, according to KPRC. 5 Justin Guzman, 22, turned himself in to police on Monday in connection to the killing of Marine veteran Anthony Sanders. guzmanhimself1/TikTok In a hearing Monday, Sander's parents, both of whom are Army veterans, submitted evidence that included a TikTok posted by Guzman in which he emotes and dances in front of a television news segment about the shooting, KHOU reported. 'We're here for justice. Justice for Anthony and also to stand for what he stood for as a person,' father Frank Sanders told the outlet. 'This was uncalled for.' On June 3, Sanders confronted Guzman and his alleged accomplice Marko Cinan, 23, in the parking garage of the Galleria Mall after the pair had allegedly insulted the Marine vet's fiancée in an elevator of the shopping complex where she worked, according to reports. 5 Anthony Sanders, 30, was shot and killed in front of his infant son and fiancee on June 3, according to Houston police, Click 2 Huston 5 Army veteran parents Royal (left) and Frank (right) Sanders submitted a TikTok as part of evidence in which they allege Guzman danced in front of a news story covering the shooting. Click 2 Huston After the exchange of words, Sanders went to drive away from the dispute with his partner and their 10-month-old son in the car — but Guzman allegedly 'brake-checked' the vet and blocked him in with his own vehicle. When the Marine got out of his car to address the aggressive driving maneuver — he was shot a total of ten times as his infant and wife cowered in their car. Royal Sanders was grateful that her son stepped out of the car before the bullets started flying, 'because had he not stepped out, the baby was in the car, the fiancée was in the car,' she told KHOU at the courthouse Monday. 5 The Orange Garage at Houston's Galleria Mall where the altercation and shooting took place. Click 2 Huston Houston police stopped and detained Guzman, Cinan, and a third male shortly after the shooting but they were then released. Cinan turned himself into HPD on June 25 and was booked into Harris County Jail. Lawyers for Guzman said the 22-year-old was acting in self defense, claiming that Sanders had presented a knife when he confronted Guzman and Cinan about insulting his fiancée, Financial Express reported. 5 Cinan (left) and Guzman (right) appeared in several TikTok videos on the latter's popular profile. guzmanhimself1/TikTok Cops found no evidence at the scene that indicated Sanders was armed, according to reports. Guzman is being held on $750,000 bond and Cinan, who has a criminal record, is being held on $1million bond, according to Law and Crime. The pair are featured in several TikTok videos on Guzman's well account which boasts over 50,000 followers. In several tasteless videos, the pair hold their hands like guns and pretend to fire at the camera.
