DNA leads to arrest of suspect in 1982 murder of teen girl in California

Police in Northern California announced the arrest of a man in the 42-year-old cold case rape and murder of a teenage girl, saying relatively new DNA technology points to the suspect.

James Unick, 62, of Willows, about 85 miles northwest of Sacramento, was booked late Monday into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of murder, rape, lewd acts with a minor by force, kidnapping for molestation and a special circumstance allegation of murder during a kidnapping, according to inmate records.

He was being held without bail. It wasn’t clear Tuesday night whether he has legal representation. The Sonoma County Public Defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sara Ann Geer, 13, was found murdered in downtown Cloverdale, about 120 miles southwest of Willows, on May 24, 1982, according to police. She had been abducted and raped, they said.

Evidence containing DNA was collected, but technology wasn’t advanced enough to use it to track down a suspect until recent years, Cloverdale police said.

“A male DNA profile was identified from the evidence and through the use of modern DNA genetic genealogy technology,” the department said.

The popularization of consumer kits for DNA trait and heritage tracking has created huge databases for police to compare evidence to DNA. Likewise, detectives can look at databases of suspects, defendants and convicted criminals ordered to submit DNA to find close matches that may lead them to relatives.

With genealogy, investigators might not get an exact hit, but they can get close enough to establish whether a suspect may be among a group of siblings or other relatives. That can lead to surveillance and covert operations to collect discarded food, cups and eating implements from a possible suspect in their quest for an exact DNA match.

DNA genealogy was used in the arrest and conviction of “Golden State Killer” Joseph DeAngelo and “Grim Sleeper” Lonnie Franklin Jr. 

Police started considering reopening the cold case of Sara Ann in 2019, and in July 2021 they made it official as they hired a private investigation firm to help, according to a statement at the time.

Investigators hoped “the latest technological advancement” would shed new light on Sara Ann’s death, according to the police statement.

Detectives also blamed social media rumors about her case for making the probe more difficult. “Misleading information posted on social media … has already threatened to jeopardize the integrity of the investigation moving forward,” Cloverdale police said in 2021.

On Tuesday, Cloverdale Mayor Todd Lands said in a statement: “Today, we stand united in solidarity with the Geer family as we witness the culmination of years of hard work and perseverance by our law enforcement officials. This arrest signifies not only a step towards closure but also a reiteration of our commitment to ensuring safety and justice for all in Cloverdale.”