DNA Breaks 60‑Year‑Old Murder Mystery

A woman in San Rafael was killed on 1 Feb 1966. Her husband, a banker, had just left for surgery, so the victim was alone when an unknown intruder entered. Investigators found three Salem cigarettes in a table ashtray – the victim never smoked that brand, so they kept them as evidence. Back then, police had a suspect: Laurel James Switzer. He vanished the day after the murder and was later found dead by suicide in Sacramento. No one could prove he was at the scene because DNA testing wasn’t available. In 2008 a former officer, now retired, heard the case still open when a woman called to ask about it. He checked the evidence room and saw the old cigarettes. The samples were sent to a state lab, but no match appeared in the database. A relative of Switzer was asked for DNA in 2010, but he declined.

Fast forward to 2023. A different relative agreed to give a sample. Detectives sent the cigarette DNA to Othram Inc. , a Texas lab that uses advanced genome sequencing. The scientists produced a detailed SNP profile and ran it through forensic genealogy software. The search matched the relative’s DNA to the cigarette sample, proving Switzer was present at the crime scene. With this new evidence, detectives closed a case that had sat cold for six decades. The victim’s husband was the president of Bank of America in San Rafael, where Switzer’s wife worked. The families knew each other but had no close ties; the motive remains unclear. The retired detective who reopened the file told the victim’s daughter that the family was grateful for closure. He hopes this success will inspire more cold‑case reviews as DNA tools keep improving.

Actions