More than 40 years after a brutal killing along the Russian River, Sonoma County detectives say they have finally cracked a Guerneville cold case. On May 21, 1983, 31-year-old Robert Pangborn was found partially clothed and fatally stabbed, the victim of a sexual assault. Investigators collected what evidence they could and stored it, hoping that someday science might catch up. This week, they say it did.
In 2024, DNA preserved from the 1983 crime scene was tested again and produced a match to Oscar Chotos Bolanos of El Salvador, sheriff’s officials said, according to NBC Bay Area. Authorities said Bolanos’ DNA was on file because he was arrested in 1992 and convicted in Los Angeles County of sodomizing and sexually assaulting a teen. According to sheriff’s officials, Bolanos was deported in 1994 and died of cancer last month at age 67.
How Modern Forensics Helped
Detectives credited specialized lab work and cooperation among agencies for finally getting a hit, sending the decades-old samples to advanced facilities for additional testing. Kinship DNA and coordinated forensic analysis have been key in solving other cold cases across California, according to the California Department of Justice. That broader statewide effort, officials said, provided the technical roadmap for reexamining the Pangborn evidence.
Suspect’s History and Case Status…