Suspect description released in 1984 Kelly Ralston San Jose cold case

The Brief

  • Decades after the 1984 killing of Kelly Ralston, investigators have uncovered information about a suspect description that was not initially made public at the time of the crime.
  • The possible suspect is described as a white man, approximately 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-8, between 32 and 35 years old at the time of the crime. He had a thin build and strawberry blond hair.
  • Authorities also recovered a 2005 anonymous tip suggesting the killer likely lived in the vicinity of the crime.

SAN JOSE, Calif. Cold case investigators reexamining the 40-year-old killing of a college student have uncovered information that had not been made public for decades.

Roommate found victim

What we know:

Detectives from the San Jose Police Department and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Unit are probing the Aug. 28, 1984, death of Kelly Ralston. Ralston’s roommate found her dead in their shared apartment on the 4900 block of Edsgar Court.

Authorities said she suffered from multiple traumatic injuries. The apartment showed clear signs of a violent struggle, and investigators recovered a knife at the scene.

Previously undisclosed suspect description

Dig deeper:

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