A decades-old cold case in Boise, Idaho, has finally been solved thanks to advancements in DNA technology. The murder of 65-year-old Joyce Casper, who was found dead in 1987, remained unsolved for years. However, in 2017, the case was reopened, and detectives submitted DNA evidence to a private forensics lab. Through genetic analysis, investigators were able to identify Frank A. Rodriguez, a man who lived in Boise at the time of Casper's murder. Rodriguez died by suicide in 2007, but detectives were able to confirm his involvement in the case through DNA samples obtained from his sons. The breakthrough brought closure to Casper's family who had been seeking answers for decades.
Even after decades without leads, advances in DNA technology helped detectives solve the cold case and bring closure to Casper’s family. In 1987, the 65-year-old woman and business owner was found dead blocks away from her Vista Village business in Boise. Evidence showed Casper had been abducted, sexually assaulted, and then murdered. 'It can be frustrating.
I mean, going through a cold case, it's like looking through a needle in a haystack,' said Paul Jagosh, who is a violent crimes detective with the Boise Police Department. But police kept combing through evidence until decades later, Casper's unsolved murder was reopened in 2017. Police turned over DNA evidence collected at the scene to a private forensics lab. 'Back in the 80s and before we didn't understand DNA. We didn't know that it could be used to identify people,' said Lisa Lewis, a forensic genealogist with. 'The detectives in this case, when Joyce Caspar was murdered, were very forward thinking and they collected evidence and saved it and properly stored it.' The preservation of that DNA is what led Lewis, and detectives, to eventually find a lead that would identify the suspect.DNA evidence led detectives to two sons of a man who lived in the Treasure Valley. That man was Frank A. Rodriguez, who lived in Boise around the time of Casper's murder. 'In the spring of 2023, violent crimes unit detectives flew to southern California, where they were able to obtain DNA samples from Rodriguez's two sons. Those samples were later analyzed and proved to be a genetic match to the suspect,' said Ron Winegar, Boise's police chief, at aRodriguez lived in the area until he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2007, according to police.Jagosh was finally able to deliver the news to Casper's family about who killed their mother. 'It was kind of bittersweet, you know, because they knew what happened to their mom all of these years and they never knew who the suspect was, any kind of a motive,' said Jagosh. 'They didn't really have any closure.''You know, she was very gracious to people around her,' Paulene Casper said. They said they lost hope at times, but Roberta Casper Watson said it's a good feeling to finally get closure. 'To finally know for sure what happened and to be 100% sure, It's like when you read a book, you want to know how it ends. It's been an important aspect of our life, and I find great relief in knowing,' Casper Watson said.
DNA Technology Cold Case Murder Forensic Genealogy Boise Police Department
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Advances in DNA technology help solve Joyce Casper's decades-old murderDetectives never gave up on solving Joyce Casper's murder. Even after decades without leads, advances in DNA technology helped police solve the cold case.
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Advances in DNA technology help solve Joyce Casper's decades-old murderDetectives never gave up on solving Joyce Casper's murder. Even after decades without leads, advances in DNA technology helped police solve the cold case.
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DNA Breakthrough Solves Decades-Old Cold Case in BoiseA cold case from 1987 has finally found resolution thanks to advancements in DNA technology. Joyce Casper, a 65-year-old woman, was found murdered, and the case remained unsolved for decades until detectives reopened it in 2017. DNA evidence preserved at the crime scene was analyzed by a private forensics lab, leading to a genetic match with the two sons of Frank A. Rodriguez, who lived in the area at the time. Rodriguez died by suicide in 2007, but the identification brought closure to Casper's family after years of uncertainty.
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DNA Technology Solves Decades-Old Cold Case, Bringing Closure to FamilyAfter decades with no leads, advances in DNA technology helped Boise police detectives solve the cold case murder of Joyce Casper, bringing closure to her family. Casper was found dead in 1987, and her case remained unsolved until 2017 when police reopened the investigation. Through a private forensics lab, DNA evidence collected at the scene was analyzed, leading detectives to two sons of a man who lived in the Treasure Valley. Frank A. Rodriguez, who resided in Boise around the time of Casper's murder, was identified as the suspect. Rodriguez died by suicide in 2007. Detectives were finally able to inform Casper's family of the identity of her killer, bringing them a sense of closure after years of unanswered questions.
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