Area women may finally be solved almost 40 years later thanks to evidence found on a cigarette butt. Kpix 5s andria borba explains the new evidence in the murder spree known as the gypsy hill murders. Reporter one in 10. 9 trillion thats how specific the dna match is on a cigarette butt liking this man 76year old Rodney Halbower of the 1976 gypsy hill murders in oregon. He was transferred to murder after he served a term for rape in nevada in 2013 and his dna was taken and a hit came up on the national database. Halbower is accused of terror on the pins from january to april 76. The m. O. Was the same women loop or stranded at night,raped and stabbed to death. The dna hit on the cigarette butt is out of reno for the death of michelle mitchell. She was killed in february 1976 in the same way, in the same time period, as the peninsula victims. The dna profile on the reno cigarette matches that of three of the gypsy hill murders. The dna hit also sets up potential freedom for this woman k
Their suspected killers identity a mystery for ny 40 years. Live from the cbs bay area studios this is kpix5 news. Five bay area women murdered, their suspected killers identity a mystery for nearly 40 years, but tonight his luck may have finally run out. Andria borba on the new evidence in the socalled gypsy hill murders that may finally have cracked the case. Reporter we are talking about decades, three different states, but the fbi thinks they may finally have a person of interest in this case after all this time. D of a reign of terror on the peninsula january to april 1976. The was the same. Women alone stra raped and one in 10. 9 trillion is how specific the dna match is on a cigarette butt linking this man 76yearold Rodney Halbower to the 1976 gypsy hill murders in san mateo county. Halbower is in prison in oregon on attempted murder charges transferred there after serving a term for rape in nevada. Thats when his dna was taken and a hit came up on the national database. Halbowe
Now theyre saying theyre launching a new traffic fort to try and grum drum up new leads. It is named for an area in pacifica where one of the women were stabbed. Casia was last seen at a bus stop in pacifica that year. Her body was found in a creek there. She was stabbed and rained. Now investigators in reno are saying dna connected to a woman named Michelle Mitchell found bound and stabbed there in 1976, that dna from that scene appears to match dna from three scenes in the area or more. Theyre trying to find witnesses and jog someones memory of what they may have seen or heard. My colleague is here and she will have the full story this evening. Christie smith, nbc bay area news. Thank you. Now to developing news. President obama spoke about the crisis in ukraine just moments ago, he says a plan to separate the region would violate international law. The proposed ref run dumb would violate the ukrainian constitution and violate international law. Any discussion about the future of ukr
Stay. At this point firefighters still dont know the cause of the fire. Live in heyward, amy holleyfield, abc 7 news. This morning San Francisco police are investigating two more pedestrian accidents. The first happened around 9 00 last night at follow some and fifth street. This shows the force of the impact. An officer tells us the pedestrian suffered serious but nonlife threatening injuries. A few minutes later another pedestrian was hit by a car. That person was taken to the hospital. No word yet on their condition. The accidents came less than 12 hours after city leaders announced San Francisco will spend 17 million on Pedestrian Safety including new sidewalk curbouts which extend into the street and traffic light timing changes at key intersections. Happening this morning, a Silicon Valley area lawmaker will announce a measure to deter Cyber Bullying and Sexual Assault all blamed for a 15yearold sara toga teens suicide. Jim bell is introducing audreys law following the 2012 death
To investigate five murders in san mateo. They think it may be connected to a sixth murder, that same year in reno. Cheryl, this operation is called Gypsy Hill Task force. Named after a road in pacifica where one body was found. There is fbi, four Police Agencies and the county Sheriffs Department beginning on monday, theyll be knocking on doors and canvassing the neighborhoods asking people if they can remember anything that will help them solve the cases. All killed between january and april, 1976. 18yearold ser ronnica cas tichlt llo. She was stabbed 32 times and raped. 14yearold tonya blackwell. Last seen january 24th, her body found in gypsy hills area. She was also stabbed to death. Her wounds almost identical to casillos. 17yearold paula baxter left seen as she left cappucino high school. Her body found behind a church. 26yearold carol booth seen march 15th last, her body discovered in a shallow grave near kaiser hospital. 19yearold denise lampy. Stabbed to death april 1st in he