– California cold case homicide solved
– 33-year-old victim’s sister grateful for answers.
Accident – Death – Obituary News : The sibling of a woman discovered brutally murdered in California in 1991 expresses gratitude after authorities reveal they have resolved the cold case homicide more than three decades later. The Ventura Police Department utilized advanced forensic genetic genealogy techniques to identify Larry Welch as the perpetrator in the killing of 42-year-old Danielle Clause. This breakthrough marks a significant moment in bringing closure to this long-standing mystery.
In a video released by the police, Marcie Forte, Clause’s sister, recalls the harrowing experience of seeing her sister’s unrecognizable body in the mortuary, following the brutal beating she endured. Forte explains how she prayed not just for justice, but for the opportunity to uncover the identity of the person responsible for her sister’s tragic death. After 33 years, her prayers have finally been answered, bringing a sense of relief and closure to the family.
Ventura Police recount the details of Clause’s discovery on July 16, 1991, on a hillside near downtown Ventura. An autopsy revealed that she had been sexually assaulted and succumbed to multiple blunt-force injuries to her head. Her husband reported her missing after she failed to return home the previous night, sparking an investigation that eventually went cold.
In 2021, authorities retested crime scene evidence for DNA, leading them to pursue forensic genetic genealogy and develop a family tree. Through phenotyping and collecting family DNA samples, they positively identified Larry Welch as the suspect. Interestingly, Welch passed away in 1999, eight years after the murder, with no known connection to Clause at the time of her tragic death.
Forte fondly remembers her sister as more than just a victim of a brutal crime – she was an artist, daughter, sister, mother, and wife. She describes Clause as a good person with a strong spirit, taken from this world far too soon. The police also revealed that Clause was last seen the night before her death conversing with a male driving a white pickup truck.
The Ventura Police Department acknowledges that there are over 25 cold cases still unresolved in their files, spanning from homicides to missing persons. However, they remain steadfast in their commitment to seeking justice for victims and their families, no matter the passage of time.
Greg Norman, a reporter at Fox News Digital, contributed to this report..
– 33-year-old California cold case homicide solved
– Victim’s sister says ‘prayers were answered’.
