Current:Home > Contact45 years after teen girl found dead in Alaska, DNA match leads to Oregon man's murder conviction -TradeWisdom
45 years after teen girl found dead in Alaska, DNA match leads to Oregon man's murder conviction
View
Date:2025-04-13 03:25:48
An Oregon man has been convicted of murder in the 1978 death of a teenage girl in Alaska, in a case investigators made using genetic genealogy decades later.
Donald McQuade, 67, was convicted this week in state court in Anchorage of murder in the death of Shelley Connolly, 16, whose body was found near a highway pullout between Anchorage and Girdwood, Alaska Public Media reported. Sentencing is set for April 26.
Years after Connolly's death, Alaska State Troopers developed a DNA profile from swabs collected from her body but failed to get a match. In 2019, they turned to genetic genealogy testing, which involves comparing a DNA profile to known profiles in genealogical databases to find people who share the same genetic information.
McQuade was living in Alaska when Connolly died, and investigators later were able to get a DNA sample from him that they said matched DNA found on her body.
When news of a possible hit from DNA samples in a 1978 Amurder cold case turned up, it meant Alaska authorities had a new chance at justice, and from there, it wasn’t long before troopers honed in on a new suspect.
— Alaska's News Source (@AKNewsNow) December 22, 2023
https://t.co/FsugEnWztO
Alaska State Troopers investigator Randy McPherron came out of retirement to lead the case, KTUU reported.
"We started using regular, good old police work, figuring out, was this individual living in Alaska at the time? Did he have access?" McPherron told KTUU. "And we were able to determine he was living in Anchorage through various databases and records, determined he was actually in Anchorage four days before the homicide occurred, and he said he was living here in Anchorage at the time, so we were pretty confident that this was a viable suspect."
McQuade was arrested in 2019 but his trial, like others at the time, was delayed because of the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
The prosecutor during the trial emphasized the evidence from Connolly's body. But McQuade's attorney, Kyle Barber, told jurors the DNA evidence was the only evidence the state had against McQuade. He said investigators also found DNA evidence possibly linked to two other people.
Public Defender Benjamin Dresner said he planned to appeal the case, but McPherron told KTUU that he's grateful that new technology led to a breakthrough.
"It was very exciting to be a part of this, you know, and I just happened to be at the right place at the right time, when this technique came along," he told the station. "It's quite a game-changer. It's like how forensic DNA has changed a lot over the past 20-odd years or so, and to think, back in the 70′s, when this case happened, if that [happened] now, it could've been a much different story."
- In:
- Cold Case
- DNA
- Alaska
veryGood! (391)
Related
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Interest rate cuts loom. Here's my favorite investment if the Fed follows through.
- United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby vows to keep passengers safe after multiple mishaps
- New York to probe sputtering legal marijuana program as storefronts lag, black market booms
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Shop Customer-Approved Big Hair Products for Thin Hair and Fine Hair
- NBA playoffs picture: 20 most important games this week feature Cavaliers, Heat, Lakers
- Parents of Michigan school shooting victims say more investigation is needed
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- Who stole Judy Garland's red ruby slippers in 2005? The 'Wizard of Oz' theft case explained
Ranking
- Average rate on 30
- Missing NC mother, 2 young children found murdered in Charlotte, suspect arrested: Police
- Protecting abortion rights in states hangs in the balance of national election strategies
- The Best Plus Size Swimwear That'll Make You Feel Cute & Confident
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- The Daily Money: Has the Great Resignation fizzled out?
- Women’s March Madness bracket recap: Full 2024 NCAA bracket, schedule and more
- Brenda Song says fiancé Macaulay Culkin helps her feel 'so confident'
Recommendation
Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
Women's NCAA Tournament 2024: Full schedule, times, how to watch all March Madness games
Pro-Trump Michigan attorney arrested after hearing in DC over leaking Dominion documents
PACCAR, Hyundai, Ford, Honda, Tesla among 165k vehicles recalled: Check car recalls here
Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
David Guetta and Girlfriend Jessica Ledon Welcome First Baby Together
Man seeks clemency to avoid what could be Georgia’s first execution in more than 4 years
Interest rate cuts loom. Here's my favorite investment if the Fed follows through.