A nearly 50-year-old San Francisco cold case has come to a close after a Colorado man was found guilty this week of killing a teenager visiting San Francisco back in 1978, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.

Fifteen-year-old Marissa Harvey was visiting her sister when she went missing on March 27, 1978, after saying she was going to Golden Gate Park. A day later, Harvey’s body was found at Sutro Heights Park, with signs she had been sexually assaulted. 

Harvey was found to have died of strangulation. 

The San Francisco Police Department’s homicide division responded to the scene, but the case went cold for decades, with no suspect identified. In 2000, new technology allowed law enforcement to pull DNA from Harvey’s clothing and some used chewing gum found on her back.

It took 21 more years before SFPD’s cold case division was able to use that DNA to identify a suspect via investigative genealogy and homed in on Mark Personette. 

In a joint operation with the FBI, law enforcement surveilled Personette in Denver, where he lived, and watched as he discarded trash about 15 miles from his home. They then used that trash to obtain his DNA and found it was a match for the DNA found on Harvey’s clothing and the gum at the scene.

While Personette claimed he had not been in San Francisco at the time, law enforcement also found 1970s maps of the city and a set of California license plates with a 1979 registration sticker. During the trial, another woman testified that Personette had sexually assaulted her a year and a half after Harvey’s murder. 

“At long last, justice has been delivered, and Mr. Personette is being held accountable for this horrific crime,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said in a statement. “I would like to thank the survivor and the victim’s family for never losing hope and remaining steadfast in their commitment to seeing justice done.”

After being found guilty of murder, Personette, now 80, faces seven years to life in prison. He is expected to be sentenced on Dec. 15. 

To celebrate the closing of Denver Fashion Week (DFW), we are offering our followers a complimentary 2-for-1 standing room ticket to the High Altitude runway show this Sunday, November 16, at 6:30 P.M. This allows you and a guest to attend this exciting final event.

To reserve your complimentary ticket, please click HERE or use the code LOVEDFW during checkout.

Please note that this offer is limited to the first 100 people who sign up.

The featured designers for the High Altitude show include:

A. Tsagas Fur and Leather

Obermeyer

OUTPST

YoColorado

Dani K

SEATTLE – Heavy rain is sweeping through the Seattle area on Friday, creating widespread water-accumulation problems in low-lying and urbanized districts.

While rain-soaked roads and standing water are common during seasonal storms, Friday the breadth and speed of accumulation have been notable. Urban drainage systems are being challenged.

In particular, neighborhoods with older infrastructure or heavy pavement cover are seeing water pooling at intersections, storm drains backing up, and slower-moving surface runoff.

Keep reading for live updates on weather in western Washington.

10:27 a.m. – Snoqualmie road report

Transportation officials say roads are bare and wet with areas of standing water along I-90 in and out of Snoqualmie. WSDOT has a mountain pass travel time report available on their website.

9:12 a.m. – Car slides up over I-5 highway barrier

The high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane was blocked just after 9 a.m. on Friday as commuters navigated increasingly slick roads due to quick accumulation across the Puget Sound region.

WSDOT reports a car ended up hanging over the concrete highway barrier along I-5 South just past NE 130th in Seattle. 

8:54 a.m. – Crash on West Seattle Bridge

A crash on the West Seattle Bridge was blocking the right westbound lane just west of SR 99 for about an hour-and-a-half.

8:40 a.m. – Safety precautions urged for residents and drivers

Officials advise residents and motorists to exercise caution. The AlertSeattle system emphasizes:

8:30 a.m. – What this means for the coming hours

According to forecasts and past storm-behavior for the region:

• Additional rainfall could further saturate soils and drainage systems, increasing the chance of flooding, especially during any short bursts of heavier showers.
• Roads may become slick and visibility reduced; hydroplaning risk is higher when standing water remains.
• Smaller creeks and drainage channels are likely to remain elevated, potentially spilling over into adjacent streets or properties if the rain persists.
• Once rainfall eases, water may remain standing for longer periods in flatter neighborhoods or where drainage capacity is constrained.

8:25 a.m. – How residents can prepare now

• Sign up for flood alerts from King County and AlertSeattle.
• Avoid all shortcuts through flooded streets; turn around rather than risk getting stuck.
• Move vehicles off low-lying streets if flooding is anticipated.
• Clear leaves and debris from gutters and near storm‐drain inlets; blockages slow drainage.
• If your home begins to flood, turn off utilities (electricity, gas) if safe to do so and move valuables to higher ground.

Urban flooding in the Puget Sound region is not uncommon during late-fall and early-winter storms, especially when heavy rain coincides with saturated ground, clogged drains or elevated tides. Past events have shown how quickly streets can become impassable and how much strain storm-water systems can face. For instance, heavy rains and strong winds have previously caused roads to flood and trees to topple in Western Washington. FOX 13 Seattle+1
While today’s event appears within the range of expected seasonal flooding, the combination of rain intensity and urban drainage stress makes it important for residents to remain alert until conditions stabilize.

8:22 a.m. – Abby’s forecast for western WA

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