DNA Breakthrough Links Notorious Serial Killer Randy Kraft to 1980 Murder Case
In a chilling development, police have linked notorious California serial killer Randy Kraft to the 1980 murder of Larry Eugene Parks, a Vietnam veteran whose body was discovered along Interstate 5 in Oregon. Parks, 30 at the time of his death on July 18, 1980, remained unidentified until a recent investigation led to his identification through groundbreaking forensic genealogy techniques.
Kraft, currently serving a life sentence at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, was convicted of the brutal killings of 16 men in a series of slayings in Orange County during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Authorities believe he may be responsible for more than 60 additional murders across the West Coast and in Michigan.
The identification process for Parks began last month when an investigator from Orange County offered assistance in uncovering the identity of the long-unidentified victim. Using a blood sample from the crime scene, a genetic profile was created, which allowed officials to connect with Parks’ potential relatives. After DNA samples from family members confirmed his identity, it was revealed that Parks had lost contact with his family a year prior to his death.
Police have stated that Kraft is now the primary suspect in Parks’ murder, as well as in the death of another man found nearby just a day earlier. Evidence from both murder cases has been transferred to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for potential prosecution.
With Parks’ identity now confirmed, investigators aim to resolve this nearly 45-year-old case. This notable breakthrough also follows the recent identification of an Iowa teenager believed to be one of Kraft’s earliest victims, highlighting the ongoing impact of forensic genealogical methods in cold case investigations.
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