1 month ago
A 64-year-old man was arrested past week successful relationship to a decades-old execution investigation that had agelong haunted an able suburb of Sacramento, wherever it occurred.
On 25 November 1991, Cindy Wanner, 35, vanished from her sister’s location successful Granite Bay, California. Her hubby arrived to nan residence pinch their four-year-old girl and recovered their 11-month-old babe alone, wailing and strapped to a precocious chair. Three weeks later, Wanner’s assemblage was discovered 40 miles distant successful a secluded wooded area. She had died from strangulation.
“Arguably, this is 1 of nan astir heinous, notorious acold cases we person here,” said Wayne Woo, nan Placer region sheriff, successful a Monday news conference, arsenic he stood beside an enlarged photograph of Wanner.
Woo identified nan execution fishy arsenic James Lawhead.
“We dream this apprehension will thief bring immoderate justness and closure to Cindy Wanner’s family,” he said.
Investigators had linked Lawhead to nan crime segment via forensic DNA analysis. Lawhead had been convicted of activity crimes and sentenced successful 1980 to a 19-year term. After serving 11 years, he was released from situation successful February 1991. It’s unclear what led to nan early release.
“When he was sentenced, psychiatrists from nan authorities classified him arsenic a mentally disordered activity offender who was not amenable to treatment. Yet he was still released aft 11 years and kidnapped and murdered Cindy Wanner wrong a year,” said Woo.
Lawhead ran afoul of nan rule a fewer times successful nan early aughts, including an apprehension for failing to registry arsenic a activity offender successful Placer county. He had been virtually unseen since 2005. Authorities judge he assumed a caller identity, surviving arsenic Vincent Reynolds.
Investigators had been searching for Lawhead, according to Woo, and were connected nan verge of enlisting nan public’s help.
A fortuitous lead came precocious aft an expert pinch nan Scottsdale constabulary section utilized nan authorities transportation’s information to get a photograph lucifer of Lawhead.
He was arrested connected 24 April successful nan driveway of his Arizona home, Woo said. After obtaining a hunt warrant, authorities seized respective items from his home, including a container that contained $15,000 and a burner phone.
Lawhead is facing execution and kidnapping charges, among others.
His sister, Terry Lawhead, has besides been taken into custody for an accessory charge.
“She said she hadn’t seen aliases heard from her relative successful complete 20 years and that he whitethorn person perchance been dead,” Woo said. “Investigators later recovered retired nan location that Mr Lawhead had been domiciled successful in Arizona was owned by his sister.”
In caller years, location person been respective high-profile breakthroughs successful acold cases owed to nan thief of modern technology.
“Justice, conscionable because nan transition of time, doesn’t mean justness diminishes successful importance,” Morgan Gire, nan Placer region territory attorney, said astatine nan news conference.
Lawhead will beryllium extradited from Arizona.
