Evidence Preserved in 1976 Slaying of 14-Year-Old Girl Could Crack Her Unsolved Case
Investigators used preserved evidence and independent forensic tests to match the suspect, but his 2013 death means there will be no prosecution.
- On Wednesday, Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni announced that investigators identified Joseph James Ceravolo Jr. as the person responsible for the 1995 murder of Celestina Perez using new forensic evidence.
- The Hampden County District Attorney's Office Unresolved and Unidentified Case Investigation Unit reopened the cold case two years ago, using advances in forensic DNA technology to re-examine preserved evidence from the 1995 crime scene.
- Testing developed a major male DNA profile from blood on Perez's clothing that matched Ceravolo in the Combined DNA Index System, with the probability of a random match estimated at one in 130 million.
- Because Ceravolo died in 2013, criminal prosecution is impossible, yet Perez's nephew Jose Reyes said the truth allows the family to find 'a little peace' after three decades of uncertainty.
- Springfield Police Department Superintendent Lawrence Akers emphasized that "justice should never depend on a person's ZIP code, their income, or the neighborhood they called home," affirming every family deserves answers.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Duluth News Tribune
Evidence preserved in 1976 slaying of 14-year-old girl could crack her unsolved case
DNA profiles were obtained from evidence preserved in the 1976 slaying of 14-year-old Elizabeth Jean Getchell, who was strangled and left to die on a Minneapolis lawn.
How did DNA evidence finally help identify the suspect in a three‑decade‑old murder of a young mother?
Investigators identified the suspect in the Celestina Perez murder case after three decades. Advances in DNA technology provided the breakthrough after thirty-one years. Perez was assaulted and murdered in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1995. Her family now knows who was responsible for the killing of the mother of four. The homicide investigation into Perezs death is now officially closed.
‘There is no longer any mystery’: Prosecutors announce DNA link in 1995 killing of woman in Springfield - The Boston Globe
"We never stopped hoping that one day, the truth would come to light," the woman's nephew said at a news conference. "Today, that day has arrived.”
Authorities close Springfield cold case after 30 years, thanks to DNA analysis
A western Massachusetts cold case that’s had family members and law enforcement seeking answers for decades has come to a close. Authorities now say they are confident they know who killed a 24-year-old woman in Springfield over 30 years ago.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 59% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
