Current:Home > StocksArrest Made in Cold Case Murder of Teenager Elena Lasswell 20 Years Later-InfoLens
Arrest Made in Cold Case Murder of Teenager Elena Lasswell 20 Years Later
View Date:2024-12-23 16:38:56
The family of Elena Lasswell is finally getting answers.
Two decades to the day after the 15-year-old was murdered in Phoenix, Arizona, Sergio Francisco Reyes has been arrested Phoenix Police Department said in a July 11 press release shared with E! News July 11.
Reyes was extradited from Mexico where he had been living on July 10 and booked into Maricopa County Jail on six charges, including sexual assault and first-degree murder, as well as criminal trespass, burglary and kidnapping.
The 37-year-old's arrest comes on a particularly poignant day as exactly 20 years ago on July 10, 2004 Phoenix police officers "responded to a house in the neighborhood of 2700 North 21st Drive" just after 8 p.m. and were directed to a room where they found Lasswell.
"Emergency lifesaving measures were attempted," the press release read, "but Lasswell did not survive her injuries and was pronounced deceased on scene."
At the time, detectives were unable to name a suspect, but in 2012, cold case detectives say they were able to use a DNA collection technique that identified a profile matching Reyes. The following year he was confirmed as the lead suspect and in 2014 he was indicted by the Maricopa County Grand Jury, although he was living in Mexico at the time.
But it wasn't until 10 years later that, with the help of U.S. Marshals, Phoenix Police were able to complete the extradition process and Reyes was arrested for the sexual attack and murder of Lasswell.
"It's been 20 years to the day 15-year-old Elena Lasswell was murdered inside her home," Phoenix Police Detective Dominick Roestenberg said in a video shared to the department's page on X, formerly Twitter, July 10. "So it's a big day not only for the Phoenix Police Department, but more importantly, Elena's family. They've been waiting 20 years for justice."
"It took a while," he continued. "But through perseverance, hard work and dedication, we were able to get Sergio Reyes back to Phoenix to face charges."
Following the arrest, Lasswell's aunt Katie Tourville spoke out about how her family was coping with the news.
"Knowing that someone is being held responsible feels awesome," she told Fox 10 Phoenix July 10. "It's been a long haul, and thank god for Phoenix PD. They have been absolutely amazing. I just really felt that they were on the right trail, and that they would get it. I just didn't know when."
Tourville also shared that while Lasswell's mother, Molly Lasswell, sadly passed away in the years since her daughter's murder, she knows her mother would be relieved by the arrest.
"She wanted him to be caught," Tourville explained, "so he couldn't hurt anyone else."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (43944)
Related
- As CFP rankings punish SEC teams, do we smell bias against this proud and mighty league?
- These 56 Presidents’ Day Sales Are the Best We’ve Seen This Year From Anthropologie to Zappos
- Greece just legalized same-sex marriage. Will other Orthodox countries join them any time soon?
- Teen Mom Alum Jenelle Evans and Husband David Eason's Child Protective Services Case Dropped
- Love Actually Secrets That Will Be Perfect to You
- Hyundai recalls more than 90,000 Genesis vehicles due to fire risk
- Prosecutors drop domestic violence charge against Boston Bruins’ Milan Lucic
- Amy Schumer calls out trolls, says she 'owes no explanation' for her 'puffier' face
- How to protect your Social Security number from the Dark Web
- Taylor Swift tickets to Eras Tour in Australia are among cheapest one can find. Here's why.
Ranking
- Get $103 Worth of Tatcha Skincare for $43.98 + 70% Off Flash Deals on Elemis, Josie Maran & More
- Robert Hur, special counsel in Biden documents case, to testify before Congress on March 12
- Taylor Swift Donates $100,000 to Family of Woman Killed During Kansas City Chiefs Parade
- Brian Wilson needs to be put in conservatorship after death of wife, court petition says
- Daniele Rustioni to become Metropolitan Opera’s principal guest conductor
- Bow Wow Details Hospitalization & “Worst S--t He Went Through Amid Cough Syrup Addiction
- WTO chief insists trade body remains relevant as tariff-wielding Trump makes a run at White House
- Body of deceased woman, 30 human cremains found at house after ex-funeral home owner evicted
Recommendation
-
Horoscopes Today, November 10, 2024
-
Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan hit the slopes in Canada to scope out new Invictus Games site: See photos
-
From Cobain's top 50 to an ecosystem-changing gift, fall in love with these podcasts
-
American woman goes missing in Madrid after helmeted man disables cameras
-
Man who stole and laundered roughly $1B in bitcoin is sentenced to 5 years in prison
-
A Liberian woman with a mysterious past dwells in limbo in 'Drift'
-
2024 NBA All-Star Game is here. So why does the league keep ignoring Pacers' ABA history?
-
US wholesale inflation accelerated in January in latest sign that prices picked up last month