Context:

In San Jose, California, a murder case dating back to 1977 was reopened and solved using modern forensic technology. Jeannette Ralston, a young mother, was found strangled in her car, and the case went cold for nearly five decades until a thumbprint on a cigarette carton linked Willie Eugene Sims to the crime. Sims, who was an Army private at the time of the murder, was extradited from Ohio and charged with Ralston's murder. The breakthrough came after the FBI upgraded its fingerprint search algorithm, leading to a match that identified Sims. The arrest brought closure to Ralston's family, particularly her son, who had been unaware of ongoing efforts to solve his mother's murder.

Dive Deeper:

• Jeannette Ralston, a 24-year-old mother from San Mateo, California, was found strangled in her car in 1977 after leaving a bar in San Jose, never to return as promised to her friends.

• The case went unsolved for decades despite the initial collection of evidence, including fingerprints and a sketch of a suspect, largely due to limitations in forensic technology at the time.

• The crucial break in the case came when the San Jose police, leveraging an upgraded FBI fingerprint algorithm, matched a thumbprint found on a carton of Eve cigarettes to Willie Eugene Sims, an Army private stationed nearby in 1977.

• Sims, who had a past conviction for attempted murder and robbery, had moved out of California, evading DNA databases, but was finally located and extradited from Ohio to face charges.

• The arrest of Sims provided long-awaited justice and closure for Ralston's family, especially her son, who was only six at the time of her death and had recently received previously unseen photos of his mother.