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Arrests Made in 1991 Cold Case Murder of Northern California Mother Cindy Wanner
Advanced DNA analysis and a facial-recognition match helped investigators identify James Lawhead Jr. and arrest his sister as an accessory, officials said.
- On Monday, Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo announced the arrest of 64-year-old James Lawhead Jr. in Bullhead City, Arizona, for the 1991 kidnapping and murder of Cindy Wanner.
- Wanner, 35, vanished from her Granite Bay, California home on November 25, 1991, leaving her 11-month-old baby strapped in a highchair while her shoes, coat and car remained at the scene.
- Investigators identified Lawhead using advanced DNA analysis, and a facial recognition match from the Scottsdale Police Department revealed he had been living in Arizona under the alias Vincent Reynolds.
- Authorities arrested Lawhead's 71-year-old sister, Terry Lawhead Steele, in South Carolina on an accessory charge after discovering he lived in a home she owned, contradicting her prior claims of no contact.
- Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire stated Lawhead faces one count of murder with special circumstances for rape and kidnapping, while detectives urge West Coast agencies to contact them about potential links to other cold cases.
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DNA cracks 35-year cold case mystery as accused killer’s new name melts under cops’ heat
James Lawhead Jr., 64, was arrested in a 35-year-old cold case involving the 1991 kidnapping and murder of Cindy Wanner, who vanished from her Granite Bay, California home.
·New York, United States
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California Horror To Arizona Hiding: DNA Snags Fugitive 35 Years After Young Mother’s Murder - Tampa Free Press
More than three decades after a young mother was snatched from her home and her infant daughter was left alone in a highchair, authorities say they have finally caught the man responsible. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that 64-year-old James Lawhead Jr. was taken into custody on Friday in Bullhead City, Arizona, marking […] California Horror To Arizona Hiding: DNA Snags Fugitive 35 Years After Young Mother’s Murder
·Tampa, United States
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Total News Sources31
Leaning Left2Leaning Right2Center18Last UpdatedBias Distribution82% Center
Bias Distribution
- 82% of the sources are Center
82% Center
C 82%
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