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Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Fingerprints found on a cigarette pack helped solve a 50-year-old cold case in California
An Ohio man has been charged in the decades-old murder of a California woman after authorities linked him to fingerprints found on a cigarette pack in the victim's Volkswagen Beetle, officials said. The prints belonged to Willie Eugene Sims, 69, and it was discovered in the car of Jeanette Ralston, 24, Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Rob Baker said Tuesday in a news release. Ralston appeared to have been strangled and sexually assaulted when her body was found wedged into the VW's back seat on Feb. 1, 1977, near a bar in San Jose, Baker said. Jeanette Ralston. (County of Santa Clara) DNA found on Ralston's fingernails and on the alleged murder weapon — a shirt used to strangle her — was later found to match Sims, Baker said. Sims is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in San Jose on one count of murder, Baker said in an email. It was not immediately clear if he has a lawyer to speak on his behalf. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Baker said investigators had previously sought to identify the prints through an FBI database. But those efforts had proved futile, he said. Then, last year, Baker said his office "threw a Hail Mary" and ran the prints again after the FBI updated the search algorithm in the fingerprint database. The effort was successful, he said, and produced a "hit" for Sims, who was living in Ashtabula County, northeast of Cleveland. The cigarette pack that helped solve the case is circled in red. (County of Santa Clara) Baker told NBC Bay Area that Ralston's son, who was 6 when his mother was killed, told him that he was thankful for Sims' arrest. "His birthday is coming up," Baker said. "He said this was such a great birthday present." Ralston was found dead after her friends told authorities she left the bar with an unknown man just before midnight on Jan. 31, 1977, Baker said. Her VW was found the next day in the carport area of an apartment complex near the bar. Her killer had tried to burn the vehicle but failed, Baker said. At the time, Sims was a private assigned to what was then an Army base in Monterey County, south of San Francisco, Baker said. In 1978, he was convicted of assault with intent to commit murder and robbery in a Monterey County, California, case that involved another woman, court documents show. Sims was sentenced to four years in prison. Sims left California long before DNA became an essential forensic tool for law enforcement, Baker said, and although his prints were in the FBI's database, it was not until last August when Baker was notified of Sims' identity. 'Forensic genealogy gets all the attention these days,' Baker said. 'But a retired cold case prosecutor from the San Diego DA's Office told me years ago to never underestimate latent print search since the FBI upgraded the algorithm.' Baker also said they relied on a powerful new forensic tool known as STRmix to help develop DNA profiles from crime scene evidence. The tool uses statistical modeling to analyze tiny and complex mixtures of genetic material that likely would have been considered unusable a decade ago. This article was originally published on
NBC News
08-05-2025
- NBC News
A fingerprint found on a cigarette pack helped solve a 50-year-old cold case in California
An Ohio man has been charged in the decades-old murder of a California woman after authorities linked him to a fingerprint found on a cigarette pack in the victim's Volkswagen Beetle, officials said. The print belonged to Willie Eugene Sims, 69, and it was discovered in the car of Jeanette Ralston, 24, Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Rob Baker said Tuesday in a news release. Ralston appeared to have been strangled and sexually assaulted when her body was found wedged into the VW's back seat on Feb. 1, 1977, near a bar in San Jose, Baker said. DNA found on Ralston's fingernails and on the alleged murder weapon — a shirt used to strangle her — was later found to match Sims, Baker said. Sims is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in San Jose on one count of murder, Baker said in an email. It was not immediately clear if he has a lawyer to speak on his behalf. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Baker said investigators had previously sought to identify the print through an FBI database. But those efforts had proved futile, he said. Then, last year, Baker said his office "threw a Hail Mary" and ran the print again after the FBI updated the search algorithm in the fingerprint database. The effort was successful, he said, and produced a "hit" for Sims, who was living in Ashtabula County, northeast of Cleveland. Baker told NBC Bay Area that Ralston's son, who was 6 when his mother was killed, told him that he was thankful for Sims' arrest. "His birthday is coming up," Baker said. "He said this was such a great birthday present." Ralston was found dead after her friends told authorities she left the bar with an unknown man just before midnight on Jan. 31, 1977, Baker said. Her VW was found the next day in the carport area of an apartment complex near the bar. Her killer had tried to burn the vehicle but failed, Baker said. At the time, Sims was a private assigned to what was then an Army base in Monterey County, south of San Francisco, Baker said. In 1978, he was convicted of assault with intent to commit murder and robbery in a Monterey County, California, case that involved another woman, court documents show. Sims was sentenced to four years in prison. Sims left California long before DNA became an essential forensic tool for law enforcement, Baker said, and although his prints were in the FBI's database, it was not until last August when Baker was notified of Sims' identity. ' Forensic genealogy gets all the attention these days,' Baker said. 'But a retired cold case prosecutor from the San Diego DA's Office told me years ago to never underestimate latent print search since the FBI upgraded the algorithm.' Baker also said they relied on a powerful new forensic tool known as STRmix to help develop DNA profiles from crime scene evidence.
Global News
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Irish woman legally residing in the U.S. for decades detained by ICE
An Irish woman who has been residing in the U.S. for more than 30 years has been detained by immigration authorities for a week because of criminal charges from nearly two decades ago. Cliona Ward, 54, a 30-year resident of Santa Cruz, Calif., was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at San Francisco airport on April 21 while returning from a trip to Ireland to visit her sick father and transported to a facility in Tacoma, Wash., where she is currently being held, The Guardian reported. Ward, who is originally from Dublin, possesses a green card valid until 2033, according to Irish Central. She has prior drug possession charges dating back to 2007 and 2008. According to a GoFundMe set up by her sister, Orla Holladay, Ward's nearly 20-year-old conviction was expunged. Before her detainment, Ward supplied all the necessary documentation concerning the decades-old conviction, Holladay said, adding that the requirement to do so was 'in reality, an effort to take her into custody.' Story continues below advertisement 'She did everything she was supposed to do in order to make reparations for that criminal conviction, and has been gainfully employed, paying taxes and building a family life in Santa Cruz,' Holladay wrote, also telling Newsweek that her sister struggled with addiction in the past, but has been sober for more than 20 years. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I feel like I'm living in the Twilight Zone,' Holladay told NBC Bay Area. 'She has a criminal past which she has atoned for.' Ward also has a chronically unwell son who relies on her for care, Holladay added to the GoFundMe page plea. As of publication time, the fundraiser was just a few hundred dollars short of its US$30,000 goal. A source close to the investigation told NBC Bay Area that Cliona is still under federal custody because her expungement happened at a state level, not federal. Story continues below advertisement Irish Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, spoke out against the Trump administration's apparent crackdown on foreign nationals with legal status in the U.S., telling Ireland's national broadcaster, RTÉ: 'Where people have green cards and citizenship rights, there shouldn't be an issue, so we will be pursuing this on a bilateral basis to make sure that those who are legitimately entitled to be in the U.S. are free from any challenges or difficulties of this kind.' Meanwhile, California Rep. Jimmy Panetta told NBC Bay Area in a statement: 'It's unimaginable that a reportedly expunged, 20-year-old incident could be used as justification for deporting a legal permanent resident who is a productive member of our community. 'But this is the cruel and unreasonable state of this Administration's deportation policy. 'As a former gang prosecutor, I understand and appreciate the need to remove hardened criminals from our communities, but the detention of Cliona Ward—now in her 50s and a Green Card holder—for decades-old crimes that have reportedly been expunged from her personal record is unfathomable and unacceptable. On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised 'the largest deportation operation in American history,' but has outraged and shocked the world with a crackdown on citizens who have status by birth, naturalization or are green card holders.
NBC News
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- NBC News
San Francisco tennis coach says a Waymo drove off with pricey equipment
A San Francisco passenger claims a Waymo driverless taxi drove off with his expensive tennis equipment inside. More than two months later, he still has no idea where his possessions went. As first reported by the San Francisco Standard, the passenger is filing a small claims suit against the company. Dan Linley lives in lower Nob Hill and spends his days going back and forth between his work as a high school tennis coach and coaching tennis lessons. 'I've been doing it 30 years now, it's how I make my living,' Linley said. Like many San Franciscans, he doesn't have a car. Lately, he's been getting around the city by riding Waymo driverless taxis. On February 7, at around 5:30 p.m., Linley said the Waymo he was riding in dropped him off at Golden Gate Park, but the trunk, which was filled with his expensive tennis equipment, didn't open. Waymo said in an online forum that once riders reach their destination, the trunk will automatically open when the rider exits the vehicle. But Linley said that didn't happen on this occasion. Having used the Waymo app before, Linley knows a button in the app can allow passengers to open the trunk. But this time, Linley said there was no option to open the trunk through the app, and the trunk wasn't opening on its own. 'So I called customer service to see if someone could open the car remotely for me,' Linley recalled. 'A guy picked up the phone, he was very very nice, and in the middle of him trying to open up the trunk, the car drove away.' 'And I'm like, 'you know the car is driving away, and I have a picture of it, I don't know what you want me to do'' Linley said. 'He was very calm and very nice and he goes, 'Well I'll file a lost and found report for you.'' Linley recalled that his items were easy to see through the trunk window, so he figured Waymo would have no difficulty finding them. He said that in the trunk of that vehicle was a large duffel bag full of tennis balls, a portable teaching cart, a couple of 'ball hoppers,' his personal tennis racket, and other gear. He added that not only is the missing gear pricey, but he is losing money because he can't teach lessons without it. Linley said for the past two months, he has been asking Waymo to return his belongings or reimburse him. But he said neither has happened, despite correspondence with multiple Waymo agents. This week, Linley filed a small claims suit against Waymo, seeking $12,500 in damages. He said that amount includes both the value of the missing equipment and the revenue he's lost from not being able to teach lessons. Linley said he currently has a list of more than 20 people who are requesting lessons with him, but he doesn't have the gear to help them. Waymo declined NBC Bay Area's request for an interview, but a spokesperson said in a statement, 'Waymo is in touch with the individual and working to resolve the claim. Waymo's Support Team operates with the goal of reuniting riders and their forgotten items.' 'They're not forgotten,' Linley said of his possessions. 'They were lost, not of my accord, they were not lost by me, they were taken by the car,' he insisted. Linley is frustrated and perplexed about where his items might have gone. He said one Waymo representative he contacted told him the company was still investigating his case. 'I'm like, 'I don't know what there is to investigate. Are you dusting for prints? Are you calling the FBI? What is there to investigate? Find the stuff!'' Linley said. He added that this whole experience is making him reconsider whether to use Waymo going forward. For the time being, he has advice for other riders: 'I would say keep your stuff in the back seat, that's what I would recommend.'
BreakingNews.ie
28-04-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Irish woman living legally in the US detained by ICE after returning back from Ireland
An Irish woman who has been living legally in Santa Cruz, California for more than 30 years was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this month after returning from a visit to Ireland to see her ill father. Green-card holder Cliona Ward, 54, from Cork and who works for a charity, first ran into legal trouble last month after arriving back in the US from a trip to Ireland to visit her 81-year-old father Owen, who is living with dementia. Advertisement Ms Ward was detained and questioned by customs at the San Francisco airport over her past criminal record, which stretched between 2003 to 2008 and included some charges pertaining to the possession of drugs. She and her sister Orla Holladay, who also lives in the US, claimed her convictions were expunged, however, prompting customs to temporarily release her to obtain the appropriate documentation to prove that her records had been cleared in California. When she went to plead her case at San Francisco airport Customs on Monday of last week and present proof of her expungement, she was detained once more and told to argue her case in front of an immigration judge. A GoFundme page has been set up by her sister, Orla to cover legal costs. Advertisement Ms Holladay, speaking to NBC Bay Area news, said her sister has a son who is an 'American citizen, who she is currently a caretaker for because he's chronically ill. 'I feel like I'm in the twilight zone. She's not a criminal. She has a criminal past, which she was atoned for,' adding that her sister struggled with addiction. In a recent update to Ward's GoFundMe Page, Ms Holladay wrote that her sister was being held in an ICE facility in Tacoma, Washington. She added: 'I just got to talk to Cliona. She said that she has been really depressed but knowing people are keeping eyes on her lifted her again. Advertisement 'She shared that although she can't speak with the majority of the women in there because most don't speak English they have been giving each other support and there are lots of tears and hugs between the women.' Ms Ward is due to appear in court for a hearing on May 7. Ms Holladay added: 'I found out that when she got off the plane in Tackoma officers handcuffed, shackled her and escorted her though the airport- like a hardened criminal. She was mortified, shamed and demoralised. 'On a positive note, we were able to get two visitors into her today thanks to our neighbor Valarie and her boss Tess.' Advertisement California Congress Democrat Representative Jimmy Panetta, in a statement said: 'It's unimaginable that a reportedly expunged, 20-year-old incident could be used as justification for deporting a legal permanent resident who is a productive member of our community. 'But this is the cruel and unreasonable state of this Administration's deportation policy. As a former gang prosecutor, I understand and appreciate the need to remove hardened criminals from our communities, but the detention of Cliona Ward—now in her 50s and a Green Card holder—for decades-old crimes that have reportedly been expunged from her personal record is unfathomable and unacceptable." Mr Panetta added that he is continuing to press US Customs and Border Protection for the release of Ms Ward and that he is working closely with her advocates to 'coordinate efforts, ensure transparency, and uphold the law and due process that must be afforded to everyone in the United States'.
