Douglas Thomas, 67, was charged Friday within the dying of Sherri Herrera, a 30-year-old mom of 4 who was discovered on a freeway on-ramp in March 1993, the Riverside County, California, district legal professional’s workplace mentioned in a information launch.
Herrera was final seen alive a number of days earlier than her physique was discovered, the discharge mentioned.
The workplace additionally filed a particular circumstance allegation of homicide through the fee of a rape, based on the information launch.
It’s unclear if Thomas has authorized illustration. All through greater than 40 years working as a truck driver, Thomas traveled extensively, the discharge added.
Simply weeks earlier than the district legal professional’s announcement, authorities in Texas arrested Thomas on the suspicion of homicide for the April 1992 killing of a lady present in Titus County.
“Thomas was linked by authorities to that homicide by a DNA match to proof from that crime scene,” the district legal professional’s workplace mentioned.
Thomas was taken into custody in Texas in late Might below a $2 million bond on a homicide warrant for the April 1992 killing, based on CNN affiliate KWTX, which cited a search warrant affidavit filed by a Texas Ranger.
The lady’s physique was discovered close to a relaxation space alongside a freeway and an investigation confirmed she was strangled “with a tool manufactured from wire and twine,” based on the affiliate. There was additionally proof of sexual assault, the affiliate reported.
Investigators from the 2 completely different states have been capable of make the reference to the assistance of forensic family tree: An investigator with the district legal professional’s workplace in California uploaded DNA profile from the scene of Herrera’s killing in 2002 and roughly 5 years later, there was a match connecting the killings within the two states, KWTX reported.
After forensic family tree investigations from each instances, the Riverside investigator contacted the Texas Ranger on the case, informing him of a number of folks in Texas who have been “in the suitable genetic vary for comparability,” the station mentioned.
Authorities took a DNA pattern from Thomas in late April and the outcomes matched the suspect profile, based on KWTX.
Whereas he was in custody in Texas, investigators from California traveled to Texas and interviewed Thomas about Herrera’s killing, the information launch mentioned.
Thomas stays in custody in Texas, the place he can be prosecuted for the 1992 homicide, the discharge mentioned. The Riverside County district legal professional’s workplace will then request he be extradited to California to be prosecuted for Herrera’s dying.
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