Nearly 46 years after the bodies of two teenagers were found strangled and shot in Virginia Beach, a suspect has been identified.
Ernest Broadnax, 80, an Army veteran and convicted criminal, was arrested at a homeless shelter Monday and charged with two counts of murder and one of rape for the 1973 slayings.
Janice Pietropola and Lynn Seethaler were both 19 when their partially clothed bodies were found in an oceanfront cottage in Virginia Beach. Their deaths set off an extensive investigation that ended with no arrests until this week.
At a Wednesday press conference, Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera said Wednesday that a “strong lead” developed last year after retesting evidence in the case but would not elaborate further. A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told the Washington Post that Broadnax was linked to the deaths through DNA analysis.
Cervera said when the families of the two girls heard the news of Broadnax’s arrest there was a mix of pain and relief. “There’s a sense of closure,” Cervera said. “There’s a sense that we are reopening old wounds as we work with the families through the case.”
Broadnax, who was found in a New York homeless shelter for veterans, had a lengthy criminal record in New York that included burglaries and assault. He will be transferred to Virginia to stand trial for the murders.
