A 70-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder, 40 years following the tragic death of a young girl in California.
Five-year-old Anne Pham disappeared in January 1982 on her way to her preschool alone, two blocks from her Seaside residence.
Two days following his disappearance, his little body was found in a wooded area. The child had been raped and strangled.
Despite investigations by the Seaside police and the FBI, the perpetrator had not been found.
Until several police officers return to the file and discover an unused piece of evidence, a hair without a bulb.
The Astrea Forenscis laboratory was able to identify a DNA. A specialist in genetic genealogy then managed to link the clue to the Lanoue surname.
An investigator discovered that Robert J. Lanoue was a neighbor of the girl at the time of the facts, reports the New York Times.
In 1998, the man was found guilty of possession, distribution of child pornography and sexual contact with a minor under the age of 16.
On the sex offender registry, he spent more than 20 years in prison in Nevada.
The 70-year-old man is imprisoned in Reno, awaiting extradition to the “Golden State”.