{"id":129710,"date":"2024-11-25T00:18:49","date_gmt":"2024-11-24T17:18:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=129710"},"modified":"2024-11-25T00:18:49","modified_gmt":"2024-11-24T17:18:49","slug":"lewis-randolph-randy-williamson-named-as-suspected-killer-in-1979-murder-of-esther-gonzalez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=129710","title":{"rendered":"Lewis Randolph \u2018Randy\u2019 Williamson named as suspected killer in 1979 murder of Esther Gonzalez"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-editable=\"content\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-reorderable=\"content\">\n<p>\n    <cite class=\"source__cite\"><br \/>\n      <span class=\"source__location\" data-editable=\"location\"\/><br \/>\n      <span class=\"source__text\" data-editable=\"source\">CNN<\/span><br \/>\n        \u00a0\u2014\u00a0<br \/>\n    <\/cite>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3rrdlyq000k356mdiqck4t0@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            After 45 years, authorities in California were finally able to tell the Gonzalez family who they believe killed their loved one. The Riverside County Sheriff\u2019s Office used DNA and forensic genealogy to identify the suspected killer, who turned out to be the same man who reported finding Esther Gonzalez\u2019s body to authorities.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdj0011356ms2t4z445@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            On February 9, 1979, 17-year-old Gonzalez was walking to her sister\u2019s house in Banning, California, about 85 miles east of Los Angeles. She never made it home.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdj0012356m6dnqsd33@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The next day, her body was found in a snowpack off a highway near Banning, the Riverside County District Attorney\u2019s Office said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/rivcoda.org\/cold_case_solved_1979\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news release<\/a>. She was attacked during her walk, raped and bludgeoned to death, authorities said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdj0013356mffbqoc31@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Deputies described the unidentified man who found the body as \u201cargumentative,\u201d according to the news release. The man, later identified as Lewis Randolph \u201cRandy\u201d Williamson, called the county sheriff to report the body and said he didn\u2019t know whether it was a man or woman. Williamson was later asked by sheriff\u2019s investigators to take a polygraph test.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdj0014356mon9smo36@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The district attorney\u2019s office said he agreed to the test and passed, which \u201cat the time, cleared him of any wrongdoing,\u201d according to the release.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ue8jhp000i356m5xmq0bgo@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Nearly five decades later, the district attorney\u2019s office said a cold case homicide team used forensic genealogy to confirm Williamson is Gonzalez\u2019s suspected killer.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdj0016356misla7yra@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2018\/08\/03\/health\/dna-genealogy-cold-cases-trnd\/index.html\">Forensic genealogy<\/a> is surging across the country as investigators analyze DNA in addition to traditional genealogy research to generate leads for unsolved cases.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3rrcu1z0000356mdkprv4l5@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Jason Corey, the master investigator for the Riverside County Sheriff\u2019s Office, said the technique is a tremendous addition to an investigator\u2019s toolbox.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3rw8kk6001t356mijmr7xy5@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cI think it will be a great investigative tool moving forward in the future,\u201d Corey said. \u201cIt will help do a lot of good and not only identify victims, but it will help point the investigators in a direction with their investigative leads that will help bring those suspects to justice.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdj0018356mbeojost9@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Even as the Gonzalez case went cold, Riverside County detectives kept searching.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdj0017356mvm4dvyiu@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The homicide team continued to investigate the case for decades after Gonzalez\u2019s death. The team uploaded a semen sample from the crime scene into the Combined DNA Index System but there weren\u2019t any leads.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdk0019356mr65f2ik1@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            In 2023, detectives sent various items of evidence to a genetic lab in Texas that specializes in forensic genealogy and identifying victims in unsolved murders.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdk001a356m5gf1wlwf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Earlier this year, a crime analyst laid out all the facts of the case.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdk001b356mg04kso3m@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Then, the light bulb went off.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdk001c356m0ju3zipj@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cAlthough Williamson was seemingly cleared by the polygraph in 1979, he was never cleared through DNA because the technology had not yet been developed,\u201d the district attorney\u2019s office said.\n    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm3ugnl3q0003356mq8dnhz9b@published\" class=\"image portrait image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"Randy Williamson photo copy.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\" data-original-ratio=\"1.32875\" data-original-height=\"2126\" data-original-width=\"1600\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/randy-williamson-photo-copy.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\">\n       <picture class=\"image__picture\"><source height=\"2126\" width=\"1600\" media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/randy-williamson-photo-copy.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"2126\" width=\"1600\" media=\"(min-width: 960px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/randy-williamson-photo-copy.jpg?q=w_1015,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"2126\" width=\"1600\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/randy-williamson-photo-copy.jpg?q=w_1160,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"2126\" width=\"1600\" media=\"(max-width: 479px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/randy-williamson-photo-copy.jpg?q=w_680,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/randy-williamson-photo-copy.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\" alt=\"Lewis Randolph \u201cRandy\u201d Williamson\" class=\"image__dam-img image__dam-img--loading\" onload=\"this.classList.remove('image__dam-img--loading')\" onerror=\"imageLoadError(this)\" height=\"2126\" width=\"1600\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdk001d356mreydzc8o@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Conducting another polygraph was not an option, as Williamson died in Florida in 2014.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdk001e356mihu2dvrz@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            However, a blood sample had been collected during his autopsy.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdk001f356m6bbe56dd@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Authorities in Florida sent the sample to the California Department of Justice, which confirmed Williamson\u2019s DNA matched the DNA semen sample recovered from Gonzalez\u2019s body.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdk001g356mh0a1t22o@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Corey said this case was in Riverside County\u2019s cold case unit since it launched about five years ago. Over the years, multiple investigators have worked on the case. That all came to an end this Wednesday.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3rw7imj001m356mktlejl9c@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cI can\u2019t imagine what it\u2019s like for them,\u201d Corey said. \u201cThat whole family has just been devastated over the years. This is a day in and day in, day out thing. I don\u2019t think this is something that ever got easier for them as time went on.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3rw7imj001n356mclufi8tb@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cI don\u2019t know if you can say you\u2019re happy that it\u2019s done, because it\u2019s still, it\u2019s still a terrible tragedy, but I hope it can bring them some closure,\u201d Corey said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3rw7imj001o356mtw8g7rjk@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The latest development in the cold case does bring peace and closure to the Gonzalez family, Esther\u2019s older sister Elizabeth said. She was happy to hear her sister\u2019s suspected killer was finally identified.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdk001h356mlmw0fk13@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cWe are very happy that we finally have closure,\u201d Elizabeth Gonzalez, 64, wrote in an email to CNN. \u201cWe are happy about it but, since the guy has died, a little sad that he won\u2019t spend any time for her murder.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdk001i356m9m2s5vsx@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Esther and Elizabeth Gonzalez grew up very close as they were only one year apart in age. Esther is now remembered by her family for her shy yet funny and mild-mannered personality. She the fourth out of seven children.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm3ru9cdk001j356mhw7y0u0s@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Esther\u2019s oldest brother, Eddie, wrote on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/p\/18StkaKauk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a>, \u201cThe Gonzalez family would like to thank the Riverside County sheriff\u2019s department on a job well done after 40 years the Gonzalez family has closure.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/11\/24\/us\/esther-gonzalez-murder-dna\/index.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CNN \u00a0\u2014\u00a0 After 45 years, authorities in California were finally able to tell the Gonzalez family who they believe killed their loved one. The Riverside County Sheriff\u2019s Office used DNA &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=129710\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8629],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-u-s","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=129710"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129710\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=129710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=129710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=129710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}