DNA and Facial Match Crack 34-Year Cold Case

Arrest in a 1991 Killing

Authorities in California have arrested a man in the 1991 kidnapping and killing of Cindy Wanner, a case that remained unsolved for 34 years. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest at an April 27 press conference, according to CNN.

The suspect, James Lawhead Jr., 64, was taken into custody on April 24 in Bullhead City, Arizona. He faces charges of murder and kidnapping, Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said.

Wanner, a 35-year-old mother of two, vanished from a Granite Bay home on November 25, 1991. She had gone to clean her sister’s home, and her 11-month-old child was found in a high chair when a relative arrived, according to CNN.

A Disappearance That Shook a Community

Wanner’s sudden disappearance rattled residents of Granite Bay, a suburb near Sacramento, investigators said. Her shoes, coat, and car were all left behind at the home.

An extensive search ended about three weeks later when her body was found in a remote area roughly 40 miles away, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. For decades, questions about who was responsible, and why, went unanswered for the family and for investigators alike.

Over the years, law enforcement continued testing evidence without sufficient results, the sheriff’s office said. Newer DNA testing technology eventually gave investigators renewed hope of identifying a suspect, decades after the original investigation began.

A DNA Breakthrough

Investigators said the case turned on advances in DNA testing. For years, items submitted for analysis produced no results, according to the sheriff’s office.

Detectives later submitted a final piece of evidence to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Lab, where advanced DNA analysis identified Lawhead as the suspect, authorities said.

The identification gave investigators a name but not a location. Lawhead had no documented record after 2005, and detectives came to believe he was living under an assumed identity.

Located Through Facial Recognition

To find Lawhead, detectives contacted law enforcement agencies in areas where they believed he might be living. With assistance from the Scottsdale Police Department, a facial recognition comparison produced a match, according to CNN.

The comparison used a state transportation database typically employed to flag fraudulent identification, CNN reported. Investigators determined that Lawhead had been living in Bullhead City under the name Vincent Reynolds.

He was taken into custody there with help from local police. Sheriff Wayne Woo described the case as one of the most notable cold cases in the county, and authorities said a search of Lawhead’s residence yielded additional evidence.

A Second Arrest and Prior Record

CNN reported that Lawhead’s sister, Terry Lawhead Steele, 71, was arrested in South Carolina on an accessory charge. Investigators said they found evidence she owned the home where Lawhead was living and had remained in contact with him, despite previously telling authorities otherwise.

Authorities said Lawhead had a prior record. According to ABC10, he had been released in early 1991 after serving part of a sentence for earlier crimes.

Both arrests are accusations, and neither defendant has been convicted. Each is entitled to the presumption of innocence as the case proceeds.

Where the Case Stands

Lawhead was extradited to Placer County to face the murder and kidnapping charges, according to CNN. Investigators said they are reviewing his movements over the past two decades, including in states such as Washington, Oregon, and Arizona.

The sheriff’s office encouraged other West Coast agencies to compare unsolved cases with the evidence in this investigation. District Attorney Gire said the arrest reflected a continued commitment to cold cases, describing them as cases that remain open until answered.

The case remains active as it moves toward court proceedings. No trial date had been reported at the time of the announcement, and investigators indicated their work on Lawhead’s history was continuing.

References: California Cindy Wanner Cold Case Arrest - CNN | 103 5f978560 3d77 4f54 9157 Ca0f533efd20 - ABC10