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| John Ernest Walsh |
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| Stefanie Sue Watson |
The
Prince George’s County Police Department’s Cold Case Unit charged a suspect in
connection with the 30-year-old murder of Stefanie Sue Watson of Laurel.
The
suspect is identified as 68-year-old John Ernest Walsh. He is currently
incarcerated at the Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover, MD on
unrelated charges.
Watson
disappeared the night of July 22,1982. The 27-year-old had left her
Laurel home and was due in to work for a night shift at Laurel-Beltsville
Hospital. She never arrived. A family member reported her missing
the next day. Watson’s car was found four days later in a parking lot on
4th Street in Laurel. Blood stains were found in the car and
collected for evidence. In September of 1982, a witness saw someone
throwing an unknown object into some woods in the 13000 block of Larchdale Road
in Laurel. That witness went to investigate and discovered what appeared
to be human remains. Those remains were tested and positively identified
as Stephanie Watson.
In
March of 2013, detectives with the Cold Case Unit had DNA evidence from
Watson’s case tested. On June 19, 2013 there was a positive match to
Walsh through the Maryland Combined DNA Index System. On June 21, 2013
detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Walsh, charging him with first degree
murder.
4 comments:
I was a co worker and friend of Stephanie's and I cannot thank the PG county cold case unit enough for following up on this case. Her family and friends has always wanted justice for her even after 31 years. Thank you.
I know Stephanie's father believed that her husband (estranged? former?) was the guilty party. I'm guessing this may give her former husband an objective proof of his innocence. It's too bad her father has passed away and thereby unable to know this.
There would not have been a dna match needed if this animal would not of been set free in 1980 when he was to already be serving a " life sentence ".. we can all shoot from the hip of speculations on this case and play csi detectives etc.. but the bottom line is...he was set free..sad...very sad..
I am so very sorry for the loss that Stephanies family feels. I was sickened to stumble accross this information today while on my computer. John Walsh is my sperm donor. He has not been a part of my life since my mother left and diorced him during the trial in 1970. I have never had a relationship with this man nor have I ever wanted to. He is pure evil in every sense. I do not want to ever read about him agai. My hope is they put him to death, he is a waist of of human skin that has no soul. My deepest sympathies to all this has affect. R.W.
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