DNA Evidence solved a 50-year-old Maureen Brubaker Farley’s Murder Case

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The Iowa police department has solved a 50-years old murder case of a 17-years old girl using DNA technology. Cedar Rapids police have identified Maureen Brubaker Farley’s killer as George M. Smith who died in 2013 at the age of 94. Moreover, 2 teenage boys found Farley’s body in a wooded ravine (Tait Cummins Park) on 24^th September. Her body was found partially clothed with no shoes. An autopsy report determined she had been sexually assaulted and struck in the head, causing a skull fracture that killed her. Farley’s mother, Mary Brubaker long suspected Smith was responsible, having written to police six months after her daughter’s death. Smith was an acquaintance of Farley’s at the diner where she worked. He also worked at a liquor store near her apartment.

However, police interviewed Smith in 1971 but didn’t have enough evidence to charge him or any other suspect. DNA technology unavailable at the time of Farley’s killing allowed police to confirm that Smith was Farley’s killer. Farley’s sister, Lisa Schenzel informed a news outlet that the family is relieved to have some closure but is still angry her killer died before justice could be served. Schenzel said, “We’ve had some time to get used to the (case being solved). I guess we were in shock. Then we went through a little bit of anger, I think because he was allowed to live his life without facing justice in this world. Maybe we didn’t (get) full justice in this world, but I’m sure that he did in the next”.

It is noteworthy that an 18-years old Arizona man, Jessen Perez alleged kidnapping and killing his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend, and dumping his body in the desert. Reports have confirmed that he was arrested on Wednesday allegedly involved in kidnapping his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend at gunpoint, fatally shooting him, and dumping his body in the desert. Perez allegedly informed investigators that he had been planning to kill 19-years old Oscar Ortega, for a month and waited outside his ex-girlfriend’s Phoenix home until 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday and kidnapped Ortega after he left. He allegedly forced Ortega into his car and shot him several times after Ortega texted his girlfriend that he had been kidnapped. The suspect then dumped the body in the desert and disposed of the evidence, including the victim’s clothing and shell casings, in a different location.