More than four decades after the brutal murder of 19-year-old Arlis Perry inside Stanford University’s Memorial Church, investigators have identified the man they believe is responsible for her death using DNA evidence. However, the alleged killer died by suicide as deputies arrived to arrest him.
The Murder of Arlis Perry
In October 1974, Arlis Perry, a 19-year-old newlywed from Bismarck, N.D., was found murdered inside Stanford University’s Memorial Church. She had moved to California just weeks earlier to be with her husband, a Stanford University sophomore. Perry had also recently begun working at a law firm in Palo Alto.
Witnesses reported seeing Perry inside the church shortly before it closed for the night. The church remained open late for students and visitors, with security guards responsible for locking it at closing time. Hours later, Perry’s body was discovered near the altar of the church’s east transept.
The Discovery and Investigation
When the night watchman opened the church at 5:45 a.m. on October 13, 1974, Perry’s body was found in a horrific state. Investigators determined she had been killed by a blow to the back of her head from an ice pick, which was still embedded in her skull. Perry was found naked from the waist down, sexually assaulted with a candlestick, and another candlestick had been pushed up her blouse…