DNA helps thaw cold case, leads to arrest of Fairfield man
(Photo courtesy Solano County Sheriff’s Office; Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
A Fairfield man was arrested on Tuesday in connection with two homicides that date back several years, including one case from the 1980s.
On Thursday, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office said 76-year-old James Ray Gary was arrested in connection with the strangulation death of a woman in Union City four decades ago, as well as a similar death of an East Bay woman in 1996.
In July 1980, police in Union City opened an investigation into the death of 46-year-old Latrelle Lindsay, a resident of that city. A coroner determined Lindsay died of strangulation and blunt force injuries. Her body was discovered by police in her home.
Sixteen years later, police were called to Laurel Street in Vallejo after CalTrans workers discovered the body of 46-year-old Winifred Douglas laying in some bushes. An autopsy determined the case of death to be nearly identical to that of Lindsay.
In both cases, DNA was collected and submitted to state and federal law enforcement databases, but at the time, no suspect was identified from the evidence.
That was the case until last year, when Gary was under investigation by an unidentified law enforcement agency for an alleged sex crime. DNA was collected as part of that investigation, and detectives in Solano County soon learned that Gary’s DNA was an apparent match to the other two cases.
On Tuesday, deputies arrested Gary without incident. As part of his arrest warrant, deputies also searched his Fairfield home, though it was unclear if they located anything of interest tying him to the alleged crimes. He is being held in Solano County Jail on suspicion of homicide.
Law enforcement officials say all three cases are still being investigated, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Solano County Sheriff’s Office at 707-784-7050. Those with information about the Union City homicide are asked to contact detectives in that city at 510-675-5227.
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