Colorado man convicted in 1978 San Francisco cold case murder of 15-year-old girl sentenced to life in prison
Investigators used DNA testing and genealogy to link Mark Personette to the killing after decades of stalled leads, prosecutors said.
- On Wednesday, a San Francisco judge sentenced 80-year-old Mark Personette to life in prison for the 1978 murder of 15-year-old Marissa Harvey, holding him accountable after nearly 50 years.
- In 1978, Harvey was visiting her sister in San Francisco when she disappeared while riding horses in Golden Gate Park; her body was discovered the next day in Sutro Heights Park.
- Investigators identified Personette in 2021 through 'investigative genetic genealogy' after finding his DNA on Harvey's clothing and a piece of gum on her back; FBI agents later confirmed his identity via items discarded at a Denver Walmart.
- District Attorney Brooke Jenkins stated, "While nothing can bring Marissa back to her family, today's sentence hopefully leaves her family with a sense that justice was done," with Personette eligible for parole after seven years.
- During the trial, a woman testified that Personette raped her in New Jersey in 1979, while defense lawyer Sam O'Keefe unsuccessfully argued that legal issues affected his client's right to a fair trial, maintaining Personette remains innocent.
12 Articles
12 Articles
An 80-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 15-year-old adolescent Marissa Harvey in San Francisco, United States, in March 1978. The sentence was handed down on September 18, at the High Court of San Francisco. Despite the life imprisonment, the perpetrator, identified as Mark Personette, may request parole after seven years. GLOBO in the World: Receive international news directly on his mobile Want to live away? Gui…
MARK Personette, 80, was sentenced to life in prison for the 1978 murder of 15-year-old Marissa Harvey in San Francisco.
Colorado man convicted in 1978 San Francisco cold case murder of 15-year-old girl sentenced to life in prison
A Colorado man convicted in the cold case murder of a teenage girl in San Francisco in 1978 was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, with parole eligibilty in seven years.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
