Suffolk DA: Decades-old killing and sexual assault solved by county's Cold Case Task Force

Suffolk law enforcement officials will announce Monday that a decades-old killing and sexual assault has been solved by the county’s Cold Case Task Force using forensic technology, the District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

A source familiar with the investigation told Newsday the victim in the case was a  69-year-old woman who was picked up outside of a state hospital in  1997, her body dumped elsewhere. The suspect in the case is a deceased serial sexual predator, the source said.

Suffolk investigators used DNA evidence from the sexual assaults of multiple women,  including an 82-year-old, to find the suspect they believe was responsible for the killing, according to the source.

The suspect is expected to be named at a 2 p.m. news conference in Hauppauge Monday, where additional details about the investigation will be disclosed. An announcement for the briefing said the long-unsolved case has "deeply affected the Suffolk County community."

Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney will be joined at the announcement by family members of the victim, Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine, Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina and members of the Cold Case Task Force, Tierney’s office said.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.