(KRON) — Forty years after the beating death of a woman whose naked body was found in Rohnert Park, an arrest has been made, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday.
Investigators working on the 1983 cold case homicide of Noelle Russo identified one of the persons of interest developed over the years as a suspect. Alfredo Carretero Jr., 65, of Lakeport, was linked to the death based on DNA and other evidence, according to the sheriff’s office. Detectives with the Violent Crime Investigations (VCI) unit arrested Carretero Jr. on Oct. 2.
The arrest comes after a “significant amount of evidence” was collected and numerous interviews were conducted in the investigation, the sheriff’s office said. VCI detectives sent pieces of evidence to the Santa Clara County Crime Lab and the Serological Research Institute for DNA analysis between 2010 and 2023, which they said led to a positive identification of the suspect.
On June 27, 1983, Sonoma County deputies found Russo deceased and naked in an unincorporated area of Rohnert Park. Authorities said she was beaten to death. The family of Russo was notified of this week’s arrest.
Carretero Jr. was booked into the Sonoma County jail for murder and is being held without bail.
Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office at (707)-565-2185.
