Scott Weinberger

If so, it meant that police were facing the grim reality that there was a serial killer targeting women in the Palo Alto community. And it might be only a matter of time before they struck again. But if they were not connected, that prospect was just as frightening because it meant that there was more than one killer on the loose.

If so, it meant that police were facing the grim reality that there was a serial killer targeting women in the Palo Alto community. And it might be only a matter of time before they struck again. But if they were not connected, that prospect was just as frightening because it meant that there was more than one killer on the loose.

The three crimes had some glaring similarities, specifically the age and gender of the victims and method of death for Janet and Leslie. But the evidence in each case was slim. Leeds had dried up. And after months of following up tips and canvassing for possible witnesses, the cases went cold.

The three crimes had some glaring similarities, specifically the age and gender of the victims and method of death for Janet and Leslie. But the evidence in each case was slim. Leeds had dried up. And after months of following up tips and canvassing for possible witnesses, the cases went cold.

Decades went by. It was not until 2016, 43 years after Leslie's murder, that Sergeant Noe Cortez was assigned to the cold case unit. He was just a youngster when the crime occurred, but he was a California kid born and raised in Santa Clara County. He knew how much these unsolved murders had loomed like a dark cloud in the collective memory of this community. And so he got to work.

Decades went by. It was not until 2016, 43 years after Leslie's murder, that Sergeant Noe Cortez was assigned to the cold case unit. He was just a youngster when the crime occurred, but he was a California kid born and raised in Santa Clara County. He knew how much these unsolved murders had loomed like a dark cloud in the collective memory of this community. And so he got to work.

I agree. This could mean everything in a decades-old investigation. You know, you can collect the purest type of evidence 40 years ago, and if it's not stored correctly and it's degraded by the time you open it for testing, in today's world, it could leave you empty-handed because the DNA could just be gone.

I agree. This could mean everything in a decades-old investigation. You know, you can collect the purest type of evidence 40 years ago, and if it's not stored correctly and it's degraded by the time you open it for testing, in today's world, it could leave you empty-handed because the DNA could just be gone.

That is exactly what happened with the case that I worked with the Miramar Police Department, a 37-year-old murder mystery with a great amount of evidence collected, but it was not so well stored. not well preserved, and we ended up solving the murder the old-fashioned way by finding new witnesses and re-interviewing old witnesses and connecting the crimes a whole totally different way.

That is exactly what happened with the case that I worked with the Miramar Police Department, a 37-year-old murder mystery with a great amount of evidence collected, but it was not so well stored. not well preserved, and we ended up solving the murder the old-fashioned way by finding new witnesses and re-interviewing old witnesses and connecting the crimes a whole totally different way.

But, you know, finding critical evidence doesn't necessarily mean it's going to pay off, even 40 years later.

But, you know, finding critical evidence doesn't necessarily mean it's going to pay off, even 40 years later.

In 1973, police had failed to find any blood evidence under those same fingernails. But in 2018, a trace amount of skin tissue was enough to work up a DNA profile. Given the violent struggle as evidenced by Leslie's defensive wounds, it made sense that she may have scratched her attacker in self-defense. Now armed with a DNA profile, Noe could go to work hoping to make an ID.

In 1973, police had failed to find any blood evidence under those same fingernails. But in 2018, a trace amount of skin tissue was enough to work up a DNA profile. Given the violent struggle as evidenced by Leslie's defensive wounds, it made sense that she may have scratched her attacker in self-defense. Now armed with a DNA profile, Noe could go to work hoping to make an ID.

You know, it's an incredible system when it works. But in this case, Noe's hopes of a quick close were dashed.

You know, it's an incredible system when it works. But in this case, Noe's hopes of a quick close were dashed.

But that also meant that they could definitely rule out the possibility that Leslie was the victim of some other serial killers that, by 2018, had been caught and convicted, and in some cases, executed. This included co-ed killer Ed Kemper, the Golden State killer Joey DeAngelo, and Ted Bundy.

But that also meant that they could definitely rule out the possibility that Leslie was the victim of some other serial killers that, by 2018, had been caught and convicted, and in some cases, executed. This included co-ed killer Ed Kemper, the Golden State killer Joey DeAngelo, and Ted Bundy.

It's a technique being used more and more by law enforcement to solve cases, especially cold cases in which DNA testing was not previously available. By 2018, Noe turned to a private lab for this service.

It's a technique being used more and more by law enforcement to solve cases, especially cold cases in which DNA testing was not previously available. By 2018, Noe turned to a private lab for this service.