“DNA Evidence Identifies Killer of Sherrie Bridgewater 30 Years After Her Murder in Las Vegas”

– Las Vegas cold case homicide DNA solved
– Colorado earlier victim identified in Las Vegas.

Accident – death – Obituary News : LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — In a major breakthrough, Las Vegas police have finally identified the killer of Sherrie Bridgewater, whose body was tragically found in a Las Vegas apartment over 30 years ago. Thanks to advancements in DNA evidence, detectives were able to solve the cold case and bring closure to Bridgewater’s family.

The horrific incident took place in May 1991, when officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to a distress call at an apartment near Martin Luther King Boulevard and Owens Avenue. Upon arrival, they were met by two women, who were friends and relatives of Bridgewater. They had discovered her lifeless body in the apartment. Bridgewater, only 30 years old at the time, had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death.

For decades, Bridgewater’s murder remained unsolved. However, in 2013, technological advancements allowed detectives to submit the sexual assault kit from the case for DNA examination. This examination enabled the police to develop a suspect profile. The profile was then submitted to CODIS, the Combined DNA Index System, which revealed a startling connection. The same suspect profile was linked to another unsolved murder in Westminster, Colorado.

The second victim was Teree Becker, who was found dead in a field in December 1975. Becker, just 20 years old, had also been sexually assaulted and strangled. At the time, local police were unable to identify a suspect. However, in 2013, both Las Vegas and Westminster police were able to confirm that the same person was responsible for both murders. The challenge then became identifying the killer.

Working in collaboration, the two police agencies decided to pursue forensic genealogy as a potential solution. The case was submitted to Parabon Nanolabs and Solves by DNA in Denver, Colorado, in 2018. It would take another five years before the suspect was finally identified as Thomas Martin Elliott.

Las Vegas police discovered that Elliott had been present in Colorado at the time of Becker’s murder and in Las Vegas at the time of Bridgewater’s murder. In fact, Elliott had been arrested in Colorado for a burglary charge around the time of Becker’s murder. He was subsequently taken to Carson City, where he served his sentence. However, shortly after his release in 1981, he committed a sexual assault on a 13-year-old girl and was once again arrested, remaining in prison until 1991 when he was granted parole.

Tragically, immediately after his release, Elliott took Bridgewater’s life. Just six months later, in November 1991, Elliott died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Las Vegas and was buried locally. While his identification as the suspect came in 2022, it was not until October 2023 that police were able to exhume his body and collect DNA samples from tissue and bone. These samples were then confirmed to be a match for both homicides, finally confirming Elliott’s guilt.

“It is unfortunate that it took such a long time to reach this point,” said LVMPD Lt. Jason Johansson. “These are the kind of cases that could not have been solved without the advancements in technology available to detectives.”

Furthermore, police revealed that Elliott may have met Bridgewater at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Sadly, Bridgewater’s parents had passed away before her killer was identified. However, police were able to notify her two adult sons, bringing some closure to her family.

This breakthrough in the Bridgewater case serves as a reminder of the importance of advancements in DNA technology and the tireless efforts of law enforcement to solve cold cases. While justice may be delayed, it is never completely denied, and the families of the victims can finally find some solace in knowing that the killer has been identified and held accountable for his heinous crimes..

– Las Vegas cold case homicide solved with DNA
– Earlier victim identified in Colorado.