1982 murder victim's childhood friend plays pivotal role in convicting killer

Childhood friend of murder victim helps solve case after more than 40 years

VACAVILLE, Calif. (CNN, KYMA/KECY) - For more than 40 years, the murder of a 14-year-old girl in Northern California remained unsolved. De Anna Lynn Johnson never returned home from a party in her hometown of Vacaville in 1982, but Johnson's best friend, Mary Borchers, never gave up trying to find the person who killed Johnson. Even though the trail seemingly had gone cold, detectives in the Vacaville Police Department identified Marvel Markle a…

1982 murder victim's childhood friend plays pivotal role in convicting killer

By Kayla Moeller Click here for updates on this story     VACAVILLE, California (KOVR/KMAX) — De Anna Lynn Johnson,14, never returned home after a party and her friend never gave up on finding the person responsible, playing a pivotal role in convicting the killer. Mary Borchers is breathing a sigh of relief after her childhood best friend’s killer was finally convicted of murder earlier this week. “We know he’s never ever going to be getting ou…

Solano County jury hands down guilty verdict in 1982 murder of 14-year-old Vacaville girl - Local News Matters

A Solano County Superior Court jury has convicted a man for the 1982 murder of a 14-year-old Vacaville high school student.The jury on Thursday found 59-year-old Marvin Ray Markle guilty of murdering De Anna Lynn Johnson, a student at Will C. Wood High School whose body was found on railroad tracks not far from her home on Nov. 16, 1982. Prosecutors said Johnson was strangled and badly bludgeoned.Markle was arrested in 2017 for the killing and w…