13-year-old girl’s death ‘haunted’ CA city for 42 years, cops say. Now man arrested
In 1982, two children found the body of 13-year-old Sara Ann Geer in California.
Her partially clothed body “was found in the backyard of an apartment complex off an alley in downtown Cloverdale,” The Press Democrat reported in 2021 when her case was reopened.
Though investigators collected blood and semen samples, no technology existed to test them at the time, the newspaper reported.
Her case went cold, and her death “haunted the community for over forty years,” the Cloverdale Police Department said in a July 22 Facebook post.
But now, there is “bittersweet victory for justice,” Police Chief Chris Parker said in the post.
Using DNA testing, James Unick, 62, of Willows, was arrested in connection to Sara’s killing, police said.
“While nothing can undo the pain inflicted upon the Geer family and our community, we can finally offer some solace in knowing that the perpetrator will be held accountable,” Parker said in release.
Police announced they had reopened Sara’s case and partnered with a private investigation firm three years ago, according to a July 2021 Facebook post from the department.
After the police chief spearheading those efforts retired, Parker continued to push the case forward “alongside private investigator Kevin Cline and Cloverdale Detective Katie Vanoni,” police said.
Sgt. Salvatore Borruso took charge, “meticulously reviewing evidence and conducting interviews,” according to police.
Additionally, police said investigators used genetic genealogy technology to test a male DNA profile from evidence.
Genetic genealogy uses DNA testing coupled with “traditional genealogical methods” to create “family history profiles,” according to the Library of Congress. With genealogical DNA testing, researchers can determine if and how people are biologically related.
The testing identified Unick as a suspect in Sara’s killing, and he was arrested on multiple counts, including murder, rape and kidnapping, according to police.
Police said they notified Sara’s family of Unick’s arrest, and they were “very appreciative in giving them some closure.”
“Today, we stand united in solidarity with the Geer family as we witness the culmination of years of hard work and perseverance by our law enforcement officials,” Cloverdale Mayor Todd Lands said in the post.
Unick is being held without bail and expected to appear in court on July 24, online jail records show.
Cloverdale is about a 130-mile drive northwest from Sacramento.
This story was originally published July 23, 2024 at 2:32 PM with the headline "13-year-old girl’s death ‘haunted’ CA city for 42 years, cops say. Now man arrested."
