A suspect shot by police has been connected to a cold case murder from 1981 through DNA evidence, bringing closure to a long-standing mystery.
Mansfield: A cold case that’s been hanging over the town for decades finally got some closure. It all started when police shot a suspect at a motel last month.
Debra Miller, an 18-year-old waitress, was found murdered in her apartment back in 1981. For 43 years, her family and the community have been searching for answers.
Now, it turns out that James Vanest, the 68-year-old suspect who died in that shootout, has been linked to her murder through DNA. Crazy, right?
Police say Vanest lived in the same building as Miller when she was killed. He was even questioned back then but wasn’t seen as a suspect until now.
They kept DNA evidence from the scene all these years, and it really painted a picture of how brutal the attack was. Miller fought hard for her life, and the evidence showed that.
In a recent press conference, the police chief said they have solid proof that Vanest was the one who killed her. It’s a relief for everyone involved, but it’s also a sad reminder of what happened.
Vanest had a chance to talk to investigators again in 2021, but he lied about his story. He claimed he was just chasing a homeless man away from Miller’s door that night.
When they tried to question him again this year, he took off to West Virginia. He was eventually arrested on federal weapons charges but ended up hiding out in a motel.
When the police came to arrest him, he barricaded himself and started shooting. Sadly, he was shot and killed during that standoff.
The police chief expressed sympathy for Miller’s family, saying that while this case closure doesn’t bring her back, they hope it helps the family find some peace after all these years.
