A fatal police shootout led authorities to solve a 43-year-old Ohio mystery.
Police were serving James Vanest, 68, with an indictment on federal gun charges when he barricaded himself in a motel room and opened fire. One officer was shot in the arm, and Vanest was killed, according to the Associated Press.
DNA tests on Vanest later confirmed that he had murdered an 18-year-old woman 43 years ago, the AP reported.
Deborah Miller was murdered in 1981 in her apartment. Vanest was her upstairs neighbor at the time, WKYC-3 reported.
Police questioned Vanest in the case several times.
"Over the past 40 years, her (Miller) homicide has gone unsolved. During this time, the case has been reopened several times. One individual continued to draw investigators' attention, but not enough evidence could ever be provided to sustain an indictment," Mansfield Police Chief Jason Bammann during a press conference, according to the TV station.
The shootout with U.S. Marshals occurred Nov. 18. The station reported that Vanest fired multiple rounds and injured an officer before being shot by police.
"Today, this fugitive with an extensive violent criminal history dating back to the 1970's attempted to kill officers on scene during the arrest. Unfortunately, one officer was shot but all officers on scene responded with professionalism, commitment and dedication to safely resolve the situation," U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott statement, according to WKYC-3.
