Cold Case Solved: Man Arrested for 1979 Murder After Genetic Breakthrough

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A 82-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the 1979 murder of Kathryn Donohue, a case that remained unsolved for decades. According to the Prince George's County Police Department, Donohue’s body was discovered in Glenarden, Maryland, on March 3, 1979. She was tragically beaten, raped, and murdered, leaving her family without answers for over forty years.

In 2024, investigators utilized genetic genealogy, a method that compares unknown DNA from a crime scene to family members who voluntarily submit DNA to databases, to identify a relative of the suspect. This led to the identification of the suspect, Rodger Zodas Brown, who resided in Prince George’s County at the time of the murder. Brown was arrested at his home in Pinehurst, North Carolina, exhibiting no visible emotion during the arrest.

He faces charges of first-degree murder, rape, and related offenses and remains in custody while awaiting extradition to Maryland. Donohue's family expressed gratitude for the investigators' dedication, emphasizing that their relentless pursuit of the truth has provided a long-awaited sense of closure.

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