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Picture of Kenneth Nevada Williams, who was recognized on Wednesday because the sufferer of a 1978 murder. Picture courtesy of Lengthy Seashore Police Division
Dec. 16 (UPI) — A DNA method known as investigative family tree helped establish a teen “John Doe” sufferer of a 1978 murder in Lengthy Seashore who had gone lacking from faculty for months earlier than he was discovered, Lengthy Seashore Police detectives stated — now they need his killer.
The DNA method, which is used to develop a household tree of potential residing family who may assist establish the topic, confirmed the victim of the murder was Kenneth Nevada Williams, a 15-year-old runaway from La Puente, Calif.
Investigative family tree made nationwide headlines in 2018 when investigators used it to identify the suspect within the decades-old “Golden State Killer” case. Former police officer Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested for murders relationship again to the Seventies.
“With out the help of investigative family tree, Kenneth Williams might have by no means been recognized, nevertheless, his story is much from over,” the Lengthy Seashore Police Division stated in an announcement.
“The particular person(s) answerable for his homicide are nonetheless excellent and have to be recognized to be held accountable for his or her crimes in order that Kenneth Williams and his household will get the justice they’ve lengthy deserved.”
Authorities stated based on data supplied by the Hacienda La Puente Unified Faculty District Police, Williams final attended Sierra Vista Center Faculty in 1977 and was enrolled in Fairgrove Academy on Oct. 18, 1977. His final attended faculty day was on Oct. 27, 1977.
Lengthy Seashore Police detectives typically got here again to the case over time however have been by no means in a position to develop any stable leads on the sufferer and suspect till utilizing the nonetheless comparatively new DNA method.
Roxanne Jones, the sister of Williams, stated she was surprised to listen to about her brother’s loss of life. She stated he ran away from house typically and relations believed he had merely moved away to start out a brand new life away from them.
Jones stated the household even employed a non-public investigator to search out him with no success.
“He needed to stay within the metropolis and go to golf equipment and have enjoyable,” Jones told KABC-TV. “He wasn’t into medicine or something like that however you already know, vibrant lights, large metropolis. As quickly as they stated there was a familial DNA match, I knew who it was, who it needed to be.”
