Wulff’s mom identified

[95coug]

Not exactly football, but former player/coach news: police used DNA to identify remains as Paul Wulff’s missing mother. New development in a 40+ year old cold case.

Brutal 41-year-old Benicia cold case murder finally solved

A chilling Benicia cold case finally has a resolution 41 years later.

www.sfgate.com

 

[NMBRCRNCHR]

Not exactly football, but former player/coach news: police used DNA to identify remains as Paul Wulff’s missing mother. New development in a 40+ year old cold case.

Brutal 41-year-old Benicia cold case murder finally solved

A chilling Benicia cold case finally has a resolution 41 years later.

www.sfgate.com

I cannot imagine going through something like this, prayers for the Wulff family.

 

[Coug1990]

I read the story earlier. The body was found around a month after she went missing. Not sure why the police didn't put two and two together back then. Still, glad there is some closure for the Wulff family. The likely murderer is already gone. Now they will have a grave to visit. That is a bid deal.

 

[CougPatrol]

Really happy that he and his family finally have closure. What a terrible burden to carry around with you. I believe Wulff’s first wife died of brain cancer as well.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

Paul has had some real mountains to climb. I think he did the best he could in each situation, and I hold him no ill will whatsoever. Best of luck to a fellow Coug.

 

[walzuu]

Really happy that he and his family finally have closure. What a terrible burden to carry around with you. I believe Wulff’s first wife died of brain cancer as well.

She’s did. For as bad of a coach as he was, and all his quirks—those of us who have meet Paul know he is a great man with a good heart.

 

[chipdouglas]

Wow, what a find, 95. Hopefully this brings some closure to Paul and the family.

 

[Fab5Coug]

I read the story earlier. The body was found around a month after she went missing. Not sure why the police didn't put two and two together back then. Still, glad there is some closure for the Wulff family. The likely murderer is already gone. Now they will have a grave to visit. That is a bid deal.

Can't really "put 2 and 2 together" in terms of IDing a body. They didn't have DNA testing back then. Agree though that I hope this provides the family some closure.

 

[95coug]

Can't really "put 2 and 2 together" in terms of IDing a body. They didn't have DNA testing back then. Agree though that I hope this provides the family some closure.

The criticism I could see here is that DNA testing has been readily - and relatively cheaply - available for a decade, and for a second decade at a higher cost. Seems like this step could have been taken sooner.

I assume it's long gone, but it would seem pretty conclusive if the bloody blanket from the father's car was kept and could also be tested.

 

[dgibbons]

The criticism I could see here is that DNA testing has been readily - and relatively cheaply - available for a decade, and for a second decade at a higher cost. Seems like this step could have been taken sooner.

I assume it's long gone, but it would seem pretty conclusive if the bloody blanket from the father's car was kept and could also be tested.

Wulff's father died in 2005. Identifying the remains is obviously important to family and friends, but the prime suspect has already died. Remember there is or was a giant backlog of rape kits and other DNA tests (at least in Spokane that was the case, and I assume the same elsewhere).

 

[95coug]

Wulff's father died in 2005. Identifying the remains is obviously important to family and friends, but the prime suspect has already died. Remember there is or was a giant backlog of rape kits and other DNA tests (at least in Spokane that was the case, and I assume the same elsewhere).

Yeah, I can see it being a much lower priority after the prime suspect died.

DNA testing was available, and was being used in criminal cases, by the mid-1990s so there was a theoretical possibility that it could have been used in this case, while the suspect was still alive. But a significant unknown variable is the quantity of material available for testing - a much larger sample was required in 2000 than is necessary now.

Tangentially related - a few months back I watched a show that centered on the still ongoing attempts to identify victims of the 9/11 attacks. There have been a lot of significant advances in DNA testing that trace directly to that effort, both in terms of sample preparation and size. In many cases, the 9/11 remains being tested are often just bone fragments. When the identification effort started, there was no way to extract DNA from them, and they were too small to get a good sample. Over time, they've developed ways to test smaller and smaller pieces, and they keep making new identifications. It was interesting stuff. Combined with the advances in forensic genealogy, it really seems like we're not too far from the point where the chances of getting away with a crime are pretty slim.