"San Jose police reported today that advanced DNA testing of evidence from the crime scene where the 84-year-old murder victim lived alone enabled cold case detectives to identify a suspect in October 2024, leading to his arrest in Oregon. In 2021, a male DNA profile developed from the DNA collected from the crime scene was submitted for advanced forensic genetic genealogy analysis, San Jose police reported today."
"Contreras was extensively interviewed and Detectives determined Contreras was responsible for the death of Ms. Sharitz. Detectives obtained a warrant for Contreras' arrest and he was safely taken into custody by the Dallas Police Department on Dec.19. On Jan.6, Contreras was extradited back to San José where he was subsequently booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for murder."
Alice Sharitz, an 84-year-old woman who lived alone, was found dead in her East San Jose apartment on Oct. 6, 1997, with a wooden-handled knife embedded in her chest and abrasions on both knees. A male DNA profile from the crime scene was developed and in 2021 submitted for advanced forensic genetic genealogy analysis. In October 2024 the sample pointed to Joe Contreras, 74. A DNA sample was obtained from Contreras in December 2024 and confirmed by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Crime Lab in February 2025. Detectives interviewed Contreras, obtained an arrest warrant, and he was arrested in Oregon, extradited to San José, and booked for murder.
Read at San Jose Inside
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]