More than 40 years ago, Lindy Sue Biechler was stabbed 19 times in her Pennsylvania apartment. This Monday, July 18, the New York Times reveals that the killer was arrested … thanks to a cup of coffee.
It was one of many “cold cases“, unsolved cases, of American history. Monday, July 18, the New York Times reveals that the murder of Lindy Sue Biechlerkilled in 1975, was finally able to be solved through DNA genealogy…and the killer glass of coffee. The case takes place at Manor Township, Lancaster County, the evening of December 5, 1975. A couple comes to visit his niece Lindy Sue Biechler, 19 years old. In the apartment, a horror scene awaits them. The young woman is found lifeless, in a bloodbath, a kitchen knife still stuck in his neck. The autopsy is without appeal: she died stabbed by 19 stab woundsand was probably raped, reports the New York Times.
For years, the authorities failed to identify the culprit. It was not until 1997, more than 20 years after the murderthat the experts manage to isolate dna thanks to the semen present on the victim’s underwear. But no match is present on Codis, the national DNA database managed by the FBI. New twist in 2020: the killer’s DNA is entrusted to CeCe Moore, a genetic genealogist. The investigation shows that the killer has Italian ancestry in the town of Gasperina, in Calabria.
The killer betrayed by a plastic cup
By refining the research, CeCe Moore discovers thata man who meets all the criteria had lived in the same building as Lindy Sue Biechler. It is David Sinopoli, 68 years old, still living in the region. A relentless hunt ensued until February 2022, when the man was spotted at Philadelphia International Airport, where he drank coffee before leaving. throw the cup in the trash. A harmless gesture that will betray him, since his DNA, found on the glass, turned out to be identical to that found on the bottom of the young victim.
David Sinopoli is charged with voluntary homicide. A preliminary hearing was held on July 25. “This case was solved through the use of DNA and, in particular, DNA genealogy”Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams told the New York Times. And to add: “Lindy Sue Biechler was on the minds of many over the years. Law enforcement never forgot her.”