Cigarette packet may finally solve 50-year mystery after woman's brutal murder
Nearly 50 years ago, a 24-year-old woman was found strangled to death in her Volkswagen Beetle, leaving everyone in the city of San Jose reeling. The tragedy went unsolved for decades, but investigators finally have a breakthrough.
Evidence gathered on Jeanette Ralston 's death sat in case files gathering dust for years. At the time of the murder, technology just wasn't where it is today. But everything changed in 2018 when the city's police upgraded its fingerprint search algorithm, allowing for more accurate and wide-reaching matches.
With the new technology in place, officers decided to try their luck again - to see if an old piece of evidence from the 1977 crime would give them answers. And it did. Willie Eugene Sims, now 69, has been charged with Jeanette's murder, thanks to the fingerprint match from the cigarette pack.
"Last year, we threw a Hail Mary by running all of the prints from the crime scene through the FBI database one last time," said Rob Baker, Deputy District Attorney. "The big break happened last summer when the San Jose Police fingerprint examiners told us we had a match that led our investigators to a small town in Ohio six months later," he added.
According to court records, Jeanette was last seen on 31 January 1977, just before midnight after leaving a bar in San Jose. Witnesses saw her with an unidentified man. The next morning, she was found in her vehicle parked near a construction site.
She had been brutally attacked, with a long-sleeve dress shirt knotted around her neck. The scene suggested the killer had tried to cover his tracks, the car smelled of gasoline, and there were signs that someone had attempted to light it on fire.
An autopsy revealed she'd been strangled and sexually assaulted. There was also evidence of an attempted arson, likely to destroy the crime scene and any lingering clues.
At the time, Sims was stationed at Fort Ord as an army private. Despite a thorough investigation, he was never linked to the murder - until now. In 1978, Sims was convicted of assault with intent to commit murder in Monterey County. But he only served two and a half months behind bars before moving out of California - avoiding the DNA collection that would eventually become standard.
The fingerprint was the break they needed, but it wasn't the only one. Investigators travelled to Ohio earlier this year to collect a DNA sample from Sims. It matched material found under Jeanette's fingernails and on the shirt used to strangle her.
This case shows just how powerful forensic science has become. 'Every day, forensic science grows better, and every day criminals are closer to being caught,' said District Attorney Jeff Rosen. 'We don't forget and we don't give up.'
Sims was extradited to San Jose and is currently being held without bail. His next court date is set for August 12. If convicted, he faces 25 years to life in prison.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Ghislaine Maxwell could reveal the truth about Trump's encounter with 14-year-old Epstein victim who testified at her trial
Ghislaine Maxwell could hold explosive new information about Donald Trump 's encounter with a 14-year-old Jeffrey Epstein victim, can reveal. This comes as senior officials from the President's Department of Justice met with Maxwell yesterday, and resurfaced transcripts from her 2021 trial reveal that Trump was once introduced to the underage girl. The victim, who testified under the pseudonym 'Jane,' claimed she was repeatedly raped and abused by Epstein - and that he brought her to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in the mid-1990s, where the introduction occurred. At the time, Trump and Epstein were allegedly close friends, with the future president having flown multiple times on Epstein's private jet. This emerges as the White House scrambles to contain a bombshell report that Pam Bondi warned Trump months ago his name appears 'multiple times' in the Epstein files and House Oversight members support subpoenaing the disgraced heiress. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who met Maxwell at a federal courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, on Thursday, has said he is seeking 'all credible evidence' from her. Blanche has said: 'If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say'. And Maxwell wants to talk too, according to a source who told 'she would be more than happy to sit before Congress and tell her story.' 'No-one from the government has ever asked her to share what she knows. She remains the only person to be jailed in connection to Epstein, and she would welcome the chance to tell the American public the truth.' Trump's ties to Jeffrey Epstein have come under renewed scrutiny since July 7, when the Department of Justice and FBI issued a memo stating that no further charges would be filed and no additional information about the case would be made public. The announcement triggered backlash from the president's own supporters, who accused him of backtracking on his campaign promises. Even members of the president's own party on the House Oversight Committee are risking his ire to hear Maxwell's testimony, with the push to subpoena her led by Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett and backed by Chair James Comer, Anna Paulina Luna, Nancy Mace and Marjorie Taylor Greene. 'The Committee will seek to subpoena Ms. Maxwell as expeditiously as possible,' an Oversight spokesperson said. 'Since Ms. Maxwell is in federal prison, the Committee will work with the Department of Justice and Bureau of Prisons to identify a date when the Committee can depose her.' In response to the backlash, Trump has expressed support for releasing grand jury transcripts related to the arrests of Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial, and Ghislaine Maxwell. Fueling the outrage is a bombshell Wall Street Journal report claiming that Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump months ago that his name appears 'multiple times' in the Epstein files - the same day she advised against releasing all documents. According to sources, Bondi urged the administration to withhold the remaining files due to the presence of child pornography and sensitive information about victims, after Trump gave her final authority over the decision. There is no suggestion that Trump participated in the abuse of 'Jane' - the victim who testified she was recruited by Epstein and Maxwell when she was just 14 years old. And just because the president is named in the files, it does not implicate him in any wrongdoing or connect him to Epstein's child sex trafficking crimes. During her first encounter with Epstein, he took her to the pool house of his Palm Beach home, pulled down his pants and masturbated on her, leaving Jane 'frozen in fear', she recalled. The abuse continued for several years, and Jane said she flew with Epstein and Maxwell around 10 times, sometimes to New York or his ranch in New Mexico. Referring to Epstein and Maxwell, prosecutors asked Jane 'What names do you recall them mentioning to you when they would tell you about their social circle?' Jane replied: 'Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Mike Wallace', referring to the late CBS 60 Minutes journalist. Prosecutors asked if Epstein 'introduced you to Donald Trump' and she replied: 'Correct.' Jane confirmed that was 'correct' and confirmed that it took place when she was 14. Prosecutors asked: 'You met Donald Trump there; correct?' Jane said: 'Correct.' According to Jane, she also took part in a teen beauty pageant in the 1990s that Trump ran. Looking back, she called it 'embarrassing' and said she wasn't sure if Epstein gave her a $2,000 dress to take part. In total, Trump's name came up 13 times during the 18 days of evidence in Maxwell's trial. A second victim, who testified as 'Kate', told the court how Maxwell, a British socialite, would brag about her famous friends to her. Kate said: 'Well, she seemed to know everybody. And she told me that she was friends with Prince Andrew, friends with Donald Trump, friends with lots of famous people. 'And sometimes their names would just come up in conversations or she might be talking on the phone about them with me present.' Among the others who brought up Trump was Juan Alessi, Epstein's house manager at his Palm Beach home. He told the jury about seeing photos of 'important people' around the house - including Trump - as well as photos of nude girls and a naked Maxwell. Alessi said: 'I think there was a photograph with Mr. Trump. Photographs with - if I remember, I think there was a photograph with the Pope. I think there was a photograph with Fidel Castro. 'There were many photographs with females topless. Usually, they were kept at Ms. Maxwell's desk.' Maxwell was convicted in early 2022 of luring underage girls to Epstein, who repeatedly abused and raped them. A jury found her guilty of conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors to participate in illegal sex acts, transporting a minor to participate in illegal sex acts, sex trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking of a minor. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence at FCI Tallahassee, where DOJ officials flew to meet her. Trump and Epstein were friends for more than two decades and a video of them in Mar-a-Lago in 1992 shows them laughing together while leering at women. In a 2002 interview with New York magazine, the President called Epstein a 'terrific guy.' He said: 'He's a lot of fun to be with. 'It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it - Jeffrey enjoys his social life.' More recently, Trump has tried repeatedly to contain the fallout from the Epstein scandal resurfacing. He has called it a 'hoax' created by the Democrats and called his supporters who believed the story 'weaklings'.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Pam Bondi on the brink over Epstein crisis
Attorney General Pam Bondi is causing 'unnecessary embarrassment' for Donald Trump as the Jeffrey Epstein 'cover-up' claims overshadow his presidency, angry administration insiders say. A DOJ source told the Daily Mail that Bondi's 'communications failure' when it comes to the Epstein files has fueled a 'truckload of misinformation' surrounding the case. The Trump administration's messy missteps regarding the files are driving MAGA mad and could forever alienate the President from his base. And Bondi's 'preventable' communications breakdown is to blame for sowing distrust with Americans, insiders claim. It all started on the campaign trail when Trump and his closest allies - including now-FBI Director Kash Patel and his now-deputy Dan Bongino - promised to make public all information related to the convicted [sexual] trafficker's horrific crimes. But since Trump took office and installed his top law enforcement team, Bondi has overpromised on transparency and gravely underdelivered, sources lament. They explain how there isn't some trove of new materials in the Epstein child [sexual] trafficking case hiding at the FBI as Trump and Bondi suggested. Our insider said the fallout was, unfortunately for Trump, 'completely avoidable' if Bondi had a better media strategy. The President's base, meanwhile, is growing more and more frustrated over what they see as a lack of transparency, and they now believe a nefarious 'cover-up' is underway. In the face of growing distrust, Bondi is now facing calls to testify before Congress. She's also under mounting pressure from within the online MAGAverse to step down if she doesn't plan to release promised federal secrets. Publicly at least, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed Trump's confidence in Bondi when reached by the Daily Mail about claims she was an 'embarrassment' to the administration. 'Attorney General Pam Bondi is working tirelessly to end the weaponization that has rotted our justice system, remove violent criminals from our streets and help President Trump in making America safe again,' Leavitt insisted. 'The President is appreciative of her efforts.' The infighting over Epstein came to a head this week when a Wall Street Journal report alleged Bondi had told Trump in a May meeting that his name appeared in the Epstein files more times than previously thought. Bondi also allegedly recommended at that same meeting that the administration not release more files because they included child pornography and sensitive information about victims. It's widely known that the president associated with Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell in the 1980s and 1990s. Trump's name is among the 'hundreds' that appear in the Epstein-related documents, which may include flight logs for Epstein's private plane and in the convicted [child predator's] 'black book' of contacts. Trump has not been implicated in any crimes and just because a name appears in the files does not mean any individual was involved in Epstein's child [sexual] trafficking scheme. But this observation raises the question: why isn't the administration then making the full trove of documents available to the public? Two months after Trump's May meeting with Bondi, an internal DOJ memo was released on July 7. The document said that an investigation found that Epstein died by [killing himself] in prison and that no other people named in the files would be charged. It also detailed that there was no evidence of a rumored 'Epstein client list.' Conservative media personality Laura Loomer responded by calling for Bondi's resignation. 'Please join me in calling for Blondi to RESIGN!' Loomer posted to X, using a derogatory nickname for the attorney general. 'How many more times is this woman going to get away with Fing [sic] everything up before she is FIRED?' Shortly thereafter, conservative pundit Mike Engleman posted to X: 'Pam Bondi should resign or be fired. She lied! This is NOT justice.' Podcaster Tucker Carlson theorized that Bondi is orchestrating a cover-up in order to protect members of the intelligence community who were ensnared in Epstein's conduct. 'The current DOJ under Pam Bondi is covering up crimes, very serious crimes by their own description,' Carlson said. 'Intel services are at the very center of this story, US and Israeli and they're being protected.' At least publicly, the White House has tried to quash the chorus of voices opposing Bondi's leadership at DOJ. 'President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims,' Deputy White House Press Secretary Harrison Fields told the Daily Mail. 'This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity.' He added: 'Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all.' Podcaster Megyn Kelly explained earlier this month that Bondi's mistake was 'running all over the media looking for attention on this, yes, click-baity story.' 'Come out and give a press conference, stand there for six hours to the point where people are dying of boredom - they've asked all their questions. That's how you put a scandal to rest,' Kelly recommended. And now, Democrats in Congress want to hear from Bondi and Patel over the botched files review. Democratic California Senator Adam Schiff demanded Wednesday that the two comes testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. And Republicans on Capitol Hill are facing their own pressures. A few GOP lawmakers have even signed onto a discharge petition to get the DOJ to release all materials they have related to the Epstein child [sexual] trafficking case. The handling of the Epstein files review also appears to be fueling a civil war between the DOJ and FBI. Bondi's public affairs team calls it a healthy 'sibling rivalry,' but admitted to the Daily Mail that this has likely led to a breakdown in coordination between the department and its component agency. Though, a source close to Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino told the Daily Mail earlier this month that he was considering quitting if Bondi was able to keep her job . Insiders say they wouldn't be shocked if his threats exacerbate tension between the DOJ and FBI. 'In terms of everything that's happened over the past two weeks, you've certainly seen the Deputy Director go to war, essentially, with his boss, the Attorney General,' DOJ's co-Director of Public Affairs Chad Gilmartin told the Daily Mail. 'And I wouldn't be surprised if that manifests at a staff level over at the FBI as well, towards main justice and the people that serve the Attorney General here,' he said when asked about the conflicting accounts coming from the FBI and DOJ. Administration sources say much of their frustration and headache stems from Bondi's public discussion of ongoing investigations. But Gilmartin explained how the DOJ is operating 'differently' from previous administrations. 'In this administration, it's certainly unique that you have an attorney general with a direct line and relationship to the president, and an FBI director, and, in fact, even a deputy FBI director, all with direct lines of access and relationships with the President,' he detailed. 'That is something that is certainly unique about this administration, and I think that certainly affects the staff.' He admitted this ' creates a natural tension' and 'healthy sibling rivalry.' No matter how hard Trump tries, his Epstein headache likely isn't disappearing anytime soon. Earlier this month, Trump instructed Bondi to request secretive Epstein grand jury testimony be unsealed. But a judge in the southern district of Florida denied that request on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Bondi's Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche was in Florida on Thursday to interview convicted Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell in person, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for the child [sexual] trafficking crimes.
The Independent
12 hours ago
- The Independent
Man wrongfully imprisoned for 32 years sues authorities who put him there
A Maryland man who was wrongly imprisoned for 32 years, including a decade on death row, is suing five former law enforcement officials. John Huffington was pardoned by then-Gov. Larry Hogan in January 2023, who cited prosecutorial misconduct in granting a full innocence pardon to Huffington in connection with a 1981 double slaying in Harford County. A Maryland board approved $2.9 million in compensation for Huffington later that year during Gov. Wes Moore 's administration. Huffington said in a statement Thursday that 'it took many, many painful years, but the truth eventually came out.' Just 18 at the time of his arrest, he said neither of his parents ever got to see and understand that his name had been cleared and he was set free. "All of those years I spent behind bars damaged and strained my relationships, cost me the ability to have a family of my own, cost me the ability to be with my mother when she died, cost me precious time with my father who was in his nineties and suffering from Alzheimer's when I finally was released,' he added. Huffington, 62, always maintained his innocence. He was released from Patuxent Institution in 2013 after serving 32 years of two life sentences. He was convicted twice in the killings known as the 'Memorial Day Murders.' Diane Becker was stabbed to death in her recreational vehicle, while her 4-year-old son, who was inside, was not harmed. Joseph Hudson, Becker's boyfriend, was fatally shot and found a few miles (kilometers) away. A second suspect in the slayings testified against Huffington, was convicted of first-degree murder, and served 27 years. Prosecutors relied on testimony that was later discredited about hair found at the crime scene purportedly matching Huffington's. He appealed his first conviction in 1981. In 1983, a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to death. Prosecutors later commuted that sentence to two life terms. Questions about evidence in the case arose when The Washington Post uncovered an FBI report in 2011 that found the FBI agent who analyzed hair evidence in Huffington's case may not have used reliable science, or even tested the hair at all. The report had been written in 1999, but Harford County State's Attorney Joseph Cassilly didn't provide it to Huffington's lawyers. A Frederick County judge vacated Huffington's convictions and ordered a new trial in 2013 after Huffington presented new evidence using DNA testing that was not available during his earlier trials. When the hair evidence was tested for DNA more than 30 years later, the results showed it was not Huffington's hair. Maryland's highest court unanimously voted to disbar Cassilly in 2021. The court found he withheld exculpatory evidence in the 1981 double murder and lied about it in the following years. Cassilly, who maintained he did nothing wrong, retired in 2019. He died in January. His brother, Bob Cassilly, who is now the Harford County executive, said in a statement that his brother was a decorated war hero who was injured while serving his country and served as the county's state's attorney for 36 years while in a wheelchair. 'Joe cannot defend himself in this decades-old matter because he is now deceased, as are the other named defendants, except for one who is almost 80,' Cassilly said. 'Harford County government, in which I currently serve as county executive, has no role in this case -- the county was never the defendants' employer." Huffington is also suing the assistant state's attorney on his case, Gerard Comen, the Harford County government, and the county sheriff's office detectives, David Saneman, William Van Horn and Wesley J. Picha. All but Saneman are now dead, according to the lawsuit filed July 15 in federal court in Baltimore.
