Daijiworld Media Network - California
California, Feb 23: More than four decades after a 13-year-old girl was murdered in California, DNA evidence recovered from a discarded cigarette butt has led to the conviction of her killer.
Sarah Geer was last seen on May 23, 1982, leaving a friend’s house in Cloverdale. The following morning, a firefighter discovered her body in a secluded area near an apartment building. Authorities said she had been raped and strangled. Her death was ruled a homicide, but due to limited forensic technology at the time, the case went cold.
Nearly 44 years later, a jury found James Unick, 64, guilty of her murder on February 13, which would have been Sarah’s 57th birthday, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office.
A major breakthrough first came in 2003 when investigators developed a DNA profile from evidence collected at the crime scene. However, the profile did not match any entries in law enforcement databases, and the investigation stalled again.
In 2021, Cloverdale Police reopened the case and worked with a private forensic firm and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Using genetic genealogy, investigators determined that the DNA likely belonged to one of four brothers, including Unick.
Authorities later collected a discarded cigarette butt that Unick had been smoking during surveillance. DNA testing confirmed it matched the profile developed from evidence in 2003, as well as samples taken from the victim’s clothing.
Genetic genealogy, which combines DNA analysis with family tree research using publicly accessible databases, has helped solve several cold cases in recent years, including the identification of the Golden State Killer.
Unick was arrested in July 2024 at his residence in Willows, California. During the trial, he initially denied knowing Sarah but later claimed they had engaged in consensual sex and suggested she was killed by someone else.
After two hours of deliberation, the jury rejected his claims and convicted him of murder. Prosecutors said the jury also found a special circumstance related to sexual assault during the commission of the crime.
Unick is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23 and faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.