ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — This is the second time a local college program has been recognized for helping solve a cold case. After more than 60 years, a family finally has answers, and Russell Sage’s Criminal Investigation Resource Center helped make that possible.
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The most recent case the Russell Sage team helped crack dates back to 1964, when 12-year-old Mary Theresa Simpson was murdered in Elmira where she was found in the woods.
“Her body looked like it was dragged and the person tried to attempt to hide her body by taking heavy rocks and covering her body with other debris. Not only that, what met her demise by the medical examiner was that there was dirt shoved down her throat,” said Dr. Christina Lane, Director of the Criminal Investigation Research Center.
What reopened this case was how well law enforcement preserved Mary’s mini skirt, which contained biological evidence from her attacker.
Albany PD identify suspect in 1964 cold case homicide
“20 years later, they were able to get enough extract or DNA extract to test it forensic genealogy and identify the person who attacked her and also took her that night when she was trying to walk home,” Lane said…