Her murder went unsolved for 30 years. The suspect vanished under a new alias until now

For more than 30 years after Cindy Wanner disappeared from a Northern California home, leaving everything behind, including her baby, the question of who killed Cindy Wanner remained a mystery to her loved ones and law enforcement.

Investigators said her sudden disappearance in 1991 shook residents of Granite Bay, a suburb of Sacramento where the 35-year-old mother of two had gone to clean her sister’s house. When a relative came home that day, Wanner’s 11-month-old baby was strapped to a high chair and crying without his mother.

The massive search for Wanner ended three weeks later when his body was found in a remote area about 40 miles from his sister’s home. Placer County Sheriff’s Office.

But many questions remain about who was behind Wanner’s death and why.

Over the years, law enforcement continued to test evidence without sufficient results until new DNA testing technology gave them new hope in finding Wanner’s killer.

Suspect flew under the radar for decades

Detectives recently “last evidence” The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said a match was uncovered from Wanner’s case to the neighboring sheriff’s office’s forensics laboratory, identifying 64-year-old James Lawhead Jr. as the suspect.

While the latest DNA match pointed them to Lawhead, finding him has become a challenge.

Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said investigators searching for Lawhead found no sign of him and “it appears he has disappeared since 2005.” a press conference earlier this week.

Woo stated that the sheriff’s office checked records in both the United States and Canada and asked, “Is he still living with a fake identity, has he left the country, or is he even dead?” “We investigated all possibilities,” he said.

Detectives sought assistance from other agencies and the Scottsdale Police Department, using assistance from the Arizona Department of Transportation. facial recognition systemWoo said he detected a match. The system is often used to flag fraudulent driver’s licenses, state IDs and suspected identity theft.

He was not known by his real name in Arizona. The sheriff’s office said Lawhead used the name Vincent Reynolds and lived in Bullhead City, near the state’s border with Nevada and about 600 miles from Placer County.

Authorities believe the suspect may be linked to other crimes

The man was arrested April 24 in the driveway of his home in Bullhead City, Woo said. After Lawhead’s arrest, investigators searched the home and found loaded firearms, a purse containing $15,000 and a dead phone, the sheriff said.

Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said Lawhead faces murder and kidnapping charges. he was returned Thursday to Placer County. CNN was unable to identify Lawhead’s attorney.

In his statement after the arrest, Gire said, “This arrest is a strong reminder that time does not eliminate responsibility and does not diminish our determination.” he said.

Lawhead’s Bullhead City neighbors tell CNN affiliate KPHO They were shocked to learn that the man was living among them. Investigators later learned the home belonged to Lawhead’s sister, who previously told authorities she hadn’t heard from her sister in “more than 20 years,” the sheriff’s office said.

The sister, Terry Lawhead Steele, 71, was arrested in South Carolina on accessory charges, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. CNN has reached out to the district attorney’s office for comment. CNN was unable to determine whether he has legal representation.

During a search warrant at his home in San Clemente, California, investigators said they found evidence showing that Lawhead owned the home where he lived and remained in contact with his brother over the years, despite telling authorities otherwise.

“These arrests represent a significant step toward justice for Cindy and her family, who have waited decades for answers,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.

Detectives are trying to trace Lawhead’s movements over the past 20 years, including states such as Washington, Oregon and Arizona. Woo said they were investigating whether he was linked to any other crimes.

Before Wanner’s kidnapping and murder, Lawhead had broken into a home in 1980 and was convicted of sex crimes involving a 71-year-old grandmother and a teenage girl, according to Woo and criminal records. Authorities said Wanner served 11 years of his 19-year sentence and was released months before Wanner was killed.

“We encourage law enforcement agencies, especially those on the west coast, to look into any cold cases that may be similar to this case and reach out to our team at 530-889-7835,” the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said.

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