San Francisco, CA
San Francisco murder case solved after 47 years
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.
San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder will resume her duties next week after taking a three-month leave of absence due to mental health.
“I’m coming clear-eyed and grounded and eager to serve in this role again,” Fielder said in a video posted to social media Tuesday.
Fielder was first elected in 2024 to serve District 9, which includes the Mission District and Bernal Heights and Portola neighborhoods. In late March of this year, her staffers announced she was taking a leave of absence to address an “acute personal health crisis” after missing a few weeks of Board of Supervisors meetings.
“I left the work that I love so much, not because I wanted to, but because my mental health demanded it, and I say that with no shame,” she said.
In the video statement, Fielder mentioned that the pressure of serving as a supervisor took a toll on her mental health.
“I’ve often felt like the weight of this district and city is on my shoulders, and I, through this leave, have had the silver lining of understanding that it never has,” she said. “I was going 100 miles an hour since early 2023 when I started the campaign for supervisor, and being a grassroots candidate is a lot of elbow grease.”
Fielder’s staff continued some of the work in her district while she was gone. She thanked her colleagues and Mayor Daniel Lurie for their support and allowing her to be excused from meetings.
Fielder will return to work Monday and appear at the June 30 board meeting. She is also expected to host listening sessions in her district through July.
“I am an example that it is possible to come back and heal,” she said. “I could not be more honored to serve and more ready to serve.”
San Francisco, CA
Where to watch Athletics vs San Francisco Giants: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 23
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Tuesday as the Athletics visit the San Francisco Giants.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Athletics vs San Francisco Giants?
First pitch between the San Francisco Giants and Athletics is scheduled for 9:45 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, June 23.
How to watch Athletics vs San Francisco Giants on Tuesday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for June 23 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
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