PORTLAND, Ore. (KGW/NBC) – A 40-year-old cold case in Portland, Oregon has finally been solved and it’s all thanks to DNA.
20-year-old Anna Hlavka was found dead in her northwest apartment on July 24th of 1979.
After following up on multiple leads and clearing multiple suspects, the case went cold.
That was until 2011 when police said an unknown man’s DNA profile was discovered in the evidence.
That man turned out to be Jerry McFadden, who was executed in Texas in 1999 for raping and murdering an 18-year-old high school cheerleader.
Authorities found his DNA to be a match by testing one of his family members.
Modern technology led to this breakthrough.
Portland Police Detective Meredith Hopper said, “Honestly, without this tech, we never would have solved this case. Upon researching McFadden and we did not find any connection with Oregon. Detective McGuire and I traveled to Texas, we met with many of his family members and were able to obtain DNA samples that led to the confirmation of McFadden as our killer.”
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.