BULLHEAD CITY, AZ — Authorities in California have arrested 64-year-old James Lawhead Jr. of Bullhead City, Arizona, in the 1991 kidnapping and killing of Cindy Wanner. Placer County officials said the arrest came after 34 years of investigative work and a DNA testing breakthrough.
How Detectives Identified Him
Investigators said earlier attempts to test evidence had not produced a usable result, but a final item submitted to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Lab did. Advanced DNA analysis linked Lawhead to the case, according to officials.
Detectives then worked to find him after finding no documented record of him since 2005. They believed he may have been living under a new identity and contacted agencies across areas where he might have resided.
The 1991 Crime
Wanner was 35 when she disappeared from a home in Granite Bay in the Sacramento area. Her 11-month-old baby was left behind in a high chair, and her shoes, coat and car were still at the residence.
About three weeks later, her body was found strangled in a remote area outside Foresthill, roughly 40 miles from the abduction site. Officials called the case one of Placer County’s best-known cold cases.
Arrest In Arizona
With help from the Scottsdale Police Department, a facial recognition comparison produced a match, investigators said. Detectives found Lawhead in Bullhead City on Friday, April 24, where he had been living as Vincent Reynolds.
He was taken into custody with assistance from the Bullhead City Police Department and booked into jail in Arizona. Authorities said he will be extradited to Placer County to face charges.
What Investigators Said
After the arrest, detectives interviewed Lawhead and served a search warrant at his Arizona home, collecting additional evidence. Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said the office had never stopped pursuing justice for Wanner and her family.
Woo said the case reflects the commitment of investigators to solve long-running crimes. He added that Lawhead will be brought back to Placer County to answer for the killing.
Possible Related Cases
Investigators are also looking into whether Lawhead could be tied to other crimes. The sheriff’s office is asking law enforcement agencies, especially along the West Coast, to compare cold cases for possible similarities.
Anyone with information is being asked to contact the Placer County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit at 530-889-7835.
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