{"id":129827,"date":"2026-04-29T09:00:48","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T13:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/dna-cracks-35-year-cold-case-mystery-as-accused-killers-new-name-melts-under-cops-heat-129827"},"modified":"2026-04-29T09:00:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T13:00:48","slug":"dna-cracks-35-year-cold-case-mystery-as-accused-killers-new-name-melts-under-cops-heat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/dna-cracks-35-year-cold-case-mystery-as-accused-killers-new-name-melts-under-cops-heat-129827","title":{"rendered":"DNA cracks 35-year cold case mystery as accused killer\u2019s new name melts under cops\u2019 heat"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

California<\/a> authorities have announced an arrest in a 35-year-old cold case in which a mother mysteriously vanished from her home, leaving behind her young child and all of her belongings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

James Lawhead Jr., 64, was arrested in Bullhead City, Ariz.<\/a>, on Friday and faces charges stemming from the 1991 kidnapping and murder of Cindy Wanner, according to the Placer County Sheriff\u2019s Office.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“This is one of the most notorious and heinous cold cases we have here in Placer County. We\u2019ve never given up pursuing justice for Cindy and her family, we hope this is a small step in the healing process,” Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Wagner was 35 years old when she disappeared from her home in Granite Bay, Calif., on Nov. 25, 1991. She left her 11-month-old alone in a highchair, along with her car, shoes and coat.<\/p>\n

PARTY PREP TALE FALLS APART AS HUSBAND CHARGED IN WIFE\u2019S DECADES-OLD COLD CASE MURDER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Three weeks later, her body was found in a remote area near Foreshill roughly 40 miles from her home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Authorities determined Wagner had been strangled.<\/p>\n

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The search for Wagner\u2019s killer ran cold, until authorities submitted a final piece of evidence to the Contra Costa County Sheriff\u2019s Office for DNA testing to name<\/a> Lawhead as a suspect, officials said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lawhead, who was 30 at the time of Wagner\u2019s alleged murder, had been released from prison in 1991 after serving 11 years behind bars for sex crimes<\/a> involving a child.<\/p>\n

SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Authorities noted that he had seemingly vanished, pointing to a staggering lack of documentation involving his whereabouts that had not been updated since 2005.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The revelation led authorities to determine Lawhead had likely assumed a new identity and, by working with local law enforcement agencies<\/a> in areas where he was believed to have been living, investigators used facial recognition to find a match.<\/p>\n

SEND US A TIP HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Detectives subsequently uncovered that Lawhead had been living in Bullhead City, Ariz., under the name Vincent Reynolds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He was subsequently taken into custody with assistance from the Bullhead City Police Department<\/a> and booked into an Arizona jail, according to authorities. He is expected to be extradited to Placer County to face charges.<\/p>\n

LISTEN TO THE NEW ‘CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO’ PODCAST<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The investigation also led to the arrest of Lawhead\u2019s 71-year-old sister, Terry Lawhead Steele, authorities added.<\/p>\n

Steele was arrested in South Carolina<\/a> on Saturday on an accessory charge.<\/p>\n

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

“Although Steele had spoken with law enforcement several times over the years, including with our detectives just weeks ago, and claimed she had not heard from her brother in more than 20 years, investigators discovered James Lawhead had been living in a home she owned,” authorities said. “Evidence also showed the two had remained in communication.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Authorities are now investigating whether Lawhead is responsible for similar crimes in the area, according to police.<\/p>\n

It is not yet clear whether Lawhead has retained an attorney.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“This arrest is a powerful reminder that time does not erase responsibility, and it does not diminish our commitment,” Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said. “Cold cases<\/a> are not forgotten cases \u2014 they remain urgent, they remain personal, and they remain a promise we intend to keep.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source – https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/dna-cracks-35-year-cold-case-mystery-accused-killers-new-name-melts-cops-heat <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

California authorities have announced an arrest in a 35-year-old cold case in which a mother mysteriously vanished from her home, leaving behind her young child […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_2902945987_2902945987":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[16563],"tags":[],"stock_ticker":[],"class_list":["post-129827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-market-news","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDNA cracks 35-year cold case mystery as accused killer\u2019s new name melts under cops\u2019 heat - Wall Street PR<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/dna-cracks-35-year-cold-case-mystery-as-accused-killers-new-name-melts-under-cops-heat-129827\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"DNA cracks 35-year cold case mystery as accused killer\u2019s new name melts under cops\u2019 heat - 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