A decades-long murder may have been solved thanks to a genealogy website.
Patrick Leon Nicholas, 55, was officially charged with the 1991 murder of 16-year-old Sara Yarborough, whose body was found in the bushes near her Washington state high school.
The teen had driven to the school on a Saturday morning to join her drill team for an event. Her remains were found not far from her car.
The long cold case was finally cracked after a sample of Nicholas’ DNA was uploaded to a genealogy website and matched to samples found at the crime scene, according to a report.
Cops also matched Nicholas’ DNA from a discarded cigarette to the murder.
“Few things are more satisfying in law enforcement than being able to tell a victim’s family that a suspect has been caught,” King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht told Q13 Fox after the arrest. “Last night, deputies were able to tell Sarah Yarborough’s family that.”