Pa. man charged in teen’s 1975 chilly case killing after espresso cup DNA match | WTAJ

LANCASTER, Pa. (WHTM) — A Pennsylvania man has been charged within the 1975 chilly case killing of a 19-year-old girl after DNA on a discarded espresso cup appeared to match DNA left on the sufferer’s clothes.

Felony murder costs have been filed towards 68-year-old David Sinopoli, of Lancaster, within the homicide of Lindy Sue Biechler, of Manor Township, Pennsylvania. Lancaster County Det. Christopher Erb and Manor Township Police Division Det. Sgt. Tricia Mazur filed the fees.

Sinopoli was arrested with out incident at his dwelling round 7 a.m. Sunday. He was arraigned and remanded to Lancaster County Jail with out bail on costs of first-degree felony prison murder.

“Lindy Sue Biechler was 19 when her life was brutally taken away from her 46 years in the past within the sanctity of her own residence,” Lancaster County District Lawyer Heather Adams stated. “This arrest marks the start of the prison course of in Lancaster County’s oldest chilly case murder and we hope that it brings some sense of aid to the sufferer’s family members and to neighborhood members who for the final 46 years had no solutions.”

Biechler’s physique was found round 8:46 p.m. on the night of Dec. 5, 1975, by her aunt and uncle.

Investigators noticed blood on the skin of the entrance door in addition to on the wall on the entranceway and several other patches of blood on the carpet of Beichler’s dwelling. Biechler had returned dwelling from the grocery retailer between 6:45 p.m. and seven:05 p.m., and grocery luggage from John Herr’s market sat on the eating room desk. 

Investigators discovered Biechler mendacity on her again with a knife protruding of her neck. The knife, which had a tea towel wrapped across the picket deal with, matched the knives saved in Biechler’s knife block in her kitchen. Investigators additionally famous indicators of a wrestle contained in the condo.

Biechler had 19 stab wounds to her neck, chest, higher stomach and again. The Lancaster County Coroner’s Workplace dominated the reason for dying as large bleeding on account of a number of stab wounds and the style of dying as a murder. 

Detectives from Manor Township Police Division, with help from the Pennsylvania State Police, performed an in-depth investigation into the murder and adopted a number of leads through the years clearing dozens of individuals. The investigation spanned a long time with proof being despatched to a number of laboratories in addition to interviews of a number of topics. 

“I need to thank members of the Lancaster County District Lawyer’s Workplace and Sgt. Mazur for his or her onerous work and persistence in pursuing justice on this case,” stated Chief Todd Graeff, of the Manor Township Police Division. “Moreover, I thank all of the Officers, Detectives, Troopers, and forensics personnel which have labored on this case over the previous 46 years. Their onerous work by the years has paid off and hopefully, this arrest brings some aid to Lindy Sue Biechler’s household and the general public.”

In 1997, the Lancaster County District Lawyer’s Workplace submitted proof from the crime scene for DNA evaluation. In consequence, a male DNA profile was obtained from the right-side space of Biechler’s underwear and was decided to comprise semen. In 2000, this DNA profile was submitted to CODIS, a nationwide database that incorporates DNA profiles of people convicted of sure crimes. 

In January 2019, with the settlement of the Manor Township Police Division, the case was taken on by Lancaster County District Lawyer’s Chilly Case Unit. In June 2019, the unit enlisted the assistance of Parabon NanoLabs to research DNA within the case. In September 2019, investigators launched composites, additionally known as phenotypes, offered by Parabon primarily based on DNA proof left on the crime scene.  These composites revealed traits of the suspect, together with pores and skin tone, eye coloration, and hair coloration.

Parabon’s genetic family tree analysis in the end recognized Sinopoli by his Italian ancestry as a attainable particular person of curiosity.

On Feb. 11, 2022, investigators surreptitiously obtained DNA from Sinopoli from a espresso cup he had used and thrown right into a trash can on the Philadelphia Worldwide Airport. The espresso cup was submitted to DNA Labs Worldwide for testing and in April 2022, it was decided that the DNA on the espresso cup contained a mix of DNA with one male contributor. 

The digital knowledge recordsdata from DNA Labs Worldwide have been then forwarded to Cybergenetics, a Pittsburgh laboratory that makes a speciality of separating DNA mixtures. Cybergenetics’ pc evaluation concluded that the DNA on Sinopoli’s espresso cup and DNA recognized within the semen on Biechler’s underwear have been a attainable match. 

Detectives then consulted with a blood spatter knowledgeable to find out if any blood left behind on Biechler’s clothes can be per having been left behind by the suspect. The knowledgeable recognized two blood spots on the uncovered a part of the sufferer’s pantyhose, which have been additionally despatched to DNA Labs. In June 2022, the blood drops have been decided to be per the DNA profile obtained from Biechler’s underwear.  

“There was a endless pursuit of justice on this case that has led us to figuring out and arresting Sinopoli,” Adams stated. “Lindy Sue Biechler was on the minds of many all through the years.  Definitely, legislation enforcement by no means forgot about Lindy Sue, and this arrest marks step one to acquiring justice for her and holding her killer accountable.”

Anybody with data on this case or who had familiarity with David Sinopoli in the course of the December 1975 timeframe is requested to contact Lancaster County Det. Christopher Erb at 717-299-8100.