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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017 - FEBRUARY 8, 2017 - VOLUME 7, NO. 5
Murder Investigation Solved Homicide detectives announce use of familial DNA search which revolutionized science and crime investigation, and solved the 41-year-old murder case of Karen Klaas
Kenneth Eugene Troyer, below, was identified as the suspect who sexually assaulted and murdered Karen Klaas, above. He was 29 years old at the time of the crime. – Courtesy photo
After 41 years, science has rewarded patience and diligence; DNA evidence collected by Sheriff’s homicide investigators in 1976 at the scene of a crime confirmed the identity of a killer. At a press conference held Monday, at the historic Hall of Justice, Sheriff Jim McDonnell stood with Homicide Bureau detectives and announced the conclusion to a decades-old murder investigation solved by Familial DNA technology. Sheriff McDonnell was joined by District Attorney Jackie Lacey, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office; Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers singing duet fame; Bureau Chief and DNA Specialist Elissa Mayo, California Department of Justice Bureau of Forensic Services; and Captain Milton McKinnon, Hermosa Beach Police Department; all whose agencies played vital parts in the investigation and saw it through to conclusion. It was the morning of Jan. 30, 1976, when a woman was found by Hermosa Beach police inside her home, strangled, sexually assaulted and left unconscious. The victim was Karen Klaas, a 32-yearold mother and the ex-wife of Bill Medley, who returned just moments earlier from taking their four-yearold son to school. Karen was supposed to meet two female neighbor-friends for coffee after her school-run, but she never arrived. Noting the unusual-
ness of her cancellation without a call, the women became concerned and went to their friend’s home to check on her. When the women arrived, they saw a man walk out of Karen’s home and recognized him as someone seen walking the area in days leading up to the attack, but did not know his identity. They immediately called police, who responded to the home and found the victim unconscious and having suffered a brutal sexual assault. Karen was transported to a local hospital, where she suffered a coma for five days before succumbing to her wounds on Feb. 4, 1976. Although the science of identification through DNA was not possible in that era, investigators diligently gathered and documented items they anticipated would be helpful in the future. This aforethought turned out to be the key. Karen’s home and person were processed to collect any evidence which could help solve the crime and unveil the identity of her assailant, possibly the stranger seen leaving her home. A towel containing biological evidence found next to Karen’s body was collected, and other biological evidence was recovered from her body. The friends were interviewed by detectives and described the suspect as a male White adult around 28 years old, stood 5’ 6” tall, weighed 160 pounds, had bushy, curly, brown hair, and wore a short,
full beard without a mustache. Based on the interviews, a composite sketch and a plaster bust depicting the suspect’s appearance were created and circulated to the news media. Through tips, leads and the investigative process which included interviews of family, friends and acquaintances of the victim, detectives identified and focused on five possible suspects. These suspects were contacted and interviewed, but no evidence was discovered linking them to the crime. At that time, there were no additional suspects; all investigative leads were exhausted and the case went cold. In 1999, LASD Homicide Bureau Unsolved Unit detectives reinvestigated the case. This time, however, they used developing technology and requested DNA processing of the towel containing the biological evidence. A DNA profile was obtained from it and submitted to the Combined Offender DNA Index System. This profile is categorized numerically and compared with other profiles submitted into state and federal databases in order to locate an exact match. Unfortunately, no match was located. As DNA technology advanced, a new type of search, known as familial DNA, was conducted. The significance of a familial DNA search is that it can locate partial DNA SEE PAGE 5
Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation Encourages Children Worldwide to Write Letters to Stop the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in Asia Prominent animal activist Marc Ching, Founder of The Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation, has launched a worldwide children’s letter writing cam-
paign to augment its ongoing efforts to pressure officials in China to stop the horrific Dog Meat Festival in Yulin. In lieu of the common
signed petition, the progressive non-profit is working in conjunction with its Animal Welfare Program in China to encourage children of all ages to write letters
and lend their voice to the voiceless. The five-month campaign is taking place now through the beginning of June 2017. With a goal of collect-
ing 100,000 handwritten letters from children across the globe, AHWF is looking to parents, teachers, troop leaders and animal lovers everywhere to help facili-
tate the process to make this crucially important crusade a success. Letters should be addressed to the governor of SEE PAGE 5