In 1973, while former President Richard Nixon’s administration was in damage control mode after the release of an existing Watergate scandal tape, the Fischer family was dealing with the brutal death of Nina “Nadine” Fischer, a loving wife and mother.
Finally, Marin County authorities identified Michael Eugene Mullen, 75, as the perpetrator.
“Do not have any indication that Mullen and Fischer knew each other. Mullen, who lived in the Sonoma area at the time of the attack had various manual labor jobs, but it is unclear if he used this as a cover to be in the area,” said Marin County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Adam Schermerhorn, according to SFGATE.
The 31-year-old Swedish national at the time was found dead in her San Rafael home in California. Fisher’s husband, Gunner Fisher, who was also a Swedish national, had returned home from work when he found his wife’s body, with hands tied and her mouth gagged. Their 2-year-old daughter was unharmed in another room.
Later, an autopsy report confirmed the victim had been shot three times after she was sexually assaulted. At the time, the couple had planned to return to Sweden and had commissioned the services of a moving company and a home assessor on the day of the incident. Though authorities questioned witnesses, they exhausted all leads, with no suspect of persons of interest. As a result, the case became cold.
38 years later, and with the breakthrough of advanced technology, the Marin County Sheriff's Department sent DNA material from the crime scene to California’s Department of Justice's Familial Search Program, reported ABC. The program is designed to search for a match in the state’s DNA database and compare it with family members who had voluntarily submitted their DNA in depositories across the country. They found a match with a relative, hence leading to the arrest of Mullen.
The defendant, who now resides in Idaho, is being held at Lemhi County jail as he awaits extradition to California to await trial.
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