Man arrested in 40-year-old murder case

Image
Press Trust of India New York
Last Updated : Feb 07 2014 | 8:05 PM IST
Forty years after a Massachusetts woman was fatally stabbed, DNA evidence has led to the arrest of a 69-year-old suspect.
Eileen Ferro was 21 when she was stabbed to death in her home in Shrewsbury.
Almost four decades to the day of her death, Lonzo Guthrie, a Georgia man was arrested and charged with murder.
A DNA match, officials said, turned the cold case into an active prosecution.
Guthrie was a furniture deliveryman who had a job at Ferro's home the day before she was stabbed, Worcester County, Massachusetts, District Attorney Joe Early said.
He was never on investigators' radar at the time of the killing, Early said.
Two seemingly unrelated events led to the DNA match, he was quoted as saying by CNN.
In Massachusetts, investigators resubmitted evidence from the 1974 crime scene to a lab to re-evaluate it for any traces of DNA.
Separately, Guthrie violated parole for a crime he committed in Los Angeles and was required to provide a DNA sample, Early said.
These two sources of DNA provided the break that had eluded investigators for years, he said.
Guthrie was being held without bond and was fighting extradition to Massachusetts, Sweat said.
Douglas County deputies began keeping an eye on Guthrie after Massachusetts officers contacted them in November. Guthrie was not unknown to authorities in Douglas.
Guthrie is a registered sex offender stemming from a rape conviction in California, also in 1974.
He had also been arrested for driving with a suspended license, Sweat said.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 07 2014 | 8:05 PM IST

Next Story