Current:Home > MarketsPolice arrest 75-year-old man suspected of raping, killing woman in 1973 cold case -WealthSync Hub
Police arrest 75-year-old man suspected of raping, killing woman in 1973 cold case
Rekubit Exchange View
Date:2025-04-10 21:28:49
DNA evidence has led California authorities to arrest a man linked to a cold homicide case that went unsolved for more than 50 years.
Michael Eugene Mullen, 75, was arrested for the murder of Nina "Nadine" Fischer, a Swedish national who was sexually assaulted and killed in her San Rafael, California, home while her husband was at work during the day in November 1973, according to the Marin County Sheriff''s Office.
Fischer's husband, Gunnar, discovered her naked body had multiple gunshot wounds, according to the AP and SFGate. In addition, the victim's hands were tied, and her mouth gagged.
Her 2-year-old was in the home with no injuries. The incident occurred amid the couple's plans to move back to Sweden. According to the reports, despite questioning movers and an assessor, the case went cold.
More cold cases:73-year-old ex-trucker faces 3 murder charges in 1977 California strangulations
New lead results in arrest
Decades later, in 2021, the investigation was revitalized. The Marin County Sheriff's Office investigations division transferred the case to the California Department of Justice’s Familial Search Program, and just months later, the agency provided a lead that prompted a three-year investigation.
Their findings led to Mullen's arrest for Fischer's murder on Wednesday, August 14. He was transported to the Lemhi County Jail in Idaho and is set to be extradited to California. Speaking to SFGate, Sgt. Adam Schermerhorn said that Fischer and Mullen didn't appear to know one another.
According to the Marin County Sheriff's Office, the case was solved using DNA. At the time, Mullen reportedly lived in Sonoma, which about about 27 miles from San Rafael.
"The Marin County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Idaho State Police, Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office, Marin County District Attorney’s Office, California Department of Justice, and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the countless investigative hours and perseverance to bring closure to this case," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
San Rafael is about 18 miles from San Francisco.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Vigils planned across the nation for Sonya Massey, Black woman shot in face by police
- Why Alyssa Thomas’ Olympic debut for USA Basketball is so special: 'Really proud of her'
- ‘A Repair Manual for the Planet’: What Would It Take to Restore Our Atmosphere?
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Team USA members hope 2028 shooting events will be closer to Olympic Village
- Allegations left US fencers pitted against each other weeks before the Olympics
- Katie Ledecky Olympic swimming events: What she's swimming at 2024 Paris Olympics
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Even on quiet summer weekends, huge news stories spread to millions more swiftly than ever before
Ranking
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Grimes' Mom Accuses Elon Musk of Withholding Couple's 3 Kids From Visiting Dying Relative
- Paris Olympics cancels triathlon training session because Seine too dirty
- Meet 'Bob the Cap Catcher': Speedo-clad man saves the day at Olympic swimming event
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- How deep is the Olympic swimming pool? Everything to know about its dimensions, capacity
- ‘A Repair Manual for the Planet’: What Would It Take to Restore Our Atmosphere?
- Allegations left US fencers pitted against each other weeks before the Olympics
Recommendation
Travis Hunter, the 2
Bette Midler talks 'Mamma Mia!' moment in new movie: 'What have we done?'
Watch this soldier's shocked grandparents scream with joy over his unexpected visit
Katie Ledecky wins 400 free bronze in her first Olympic final in Paris
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Meet 'Bob the Cap Catcher': Speedo-clad man saves the day at Olympic swimming event
Inside Tatum Thompson's Precious World With Mom Khloe Kardashian, Dad Tristan Thompson and Sister True
Chiefs' Travis Kelce in his 'sanctuary' preparing for Super Bowl three-peat quest