James Unick was found guilty in the 1982 killing of Sarah Geer after crime scene DNA matched samples from a cigarette butt.
A 44-year-old cold case is finally solved after forensics confirmed Unick's DNA was on Geer's clothing the night she was murdered, on 23 May 1982.
Geer was 13 the night she died. Singled out from four primary suspects, Unick was identified after his discarded cigarette provided a DNA match.
A Sonoma County jury found Unick guilty of killing Geer, thanks to the breakthrough evidence. Geer's death was initially ruled a homicide in 1982, but no suspects were identified. Unick was convicted on 13 February, which would have coincided with Geer's 57th birthday.
Breakthrough in 44-Year Cold Case
'This guilty verdict is a testament to everyone who never gave up searching for Sarah's killer,' Sonoma County District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said in a statement. 'This is the coldest case ever presented to a Sonoma County jury. While 44 years is too long to wait, justice has finally been served, both to Sarah's loved ones as well as her community.'
It's now confirmed that it was Unick who approached Geer after she left her friend's house in Cloverdale, on the night she was murdered. At some point, Unick dragged Geer from an alley to a secluded area, where she was brutally raped and strangled to death. A Cloverdale fireman discovered Geer's body the following morning.
The cold case first made headway in 2003, after forensics used sperm taken from Geer's underwear to develop a DNA profile. The latter did not match any profiles in the database at that time. In 2021, the FBI revisited the case and narrowed down potential matches to one of four brothers, which included Unick.
Key Evidence Leads to Guilty Verdict
FBI agents surveilling Unick collected his discarded cigarette, which proved to be damning evidence. According to CNN, DNA from Unick's cigarette butt matched the 2003 DNA profile, which was also identified in multiple articles of clothing Geer wore when she died. Cloverdale police arrested Unick in July 2024.
'Today represents a bittersweet victory for justice,' Cloverdale Chief of Police Chris Parker stated after Unick's arrest. 'While nothing can undo the pain inflicted upon the Geer family and our community, we can finally offer some solace in knowing that the perpetrator will be held accountable.'
Unick initially denied knowing Geer, but he changed his testimony during the trial. He said Geer 'propositioned him for sex while he had been playing a video game' and that they had already engaged in consensual sex in a previous encounter.
Jurors heard testimonies from Geer's friends, who recounted how she spent time the last weekend she was seen alive. The jury rejected Unick's account and convicted him of murder after two hours of deliberations.
Justice Found in Cutting-Edge Forensics
Geer's case was solved via genetic genealogy, which combines DNA analysis and family tree research. Drawing from a database of millions of people who contributed genetic profiles, investigators use these to reconstruct a family tree of probable matches.
Genetic genealogy hit a milestone in the 2018 arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, who police believe is the Golden State Killer. The latter is linked to more than a dozen homicides and 50 assault cases across California. The case marked the first time genetic genealogy was used as evidence in a trial.
Prosecutors want Unick to face life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is scheduled for sentencing on 23 April.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
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