Key takeaways:
- Harold Carpenter, 63, was arrested after a rape kit from an alleged 1994 sexual assault in Spokane, Washington, was tested and his DNA was found to have matched evidence collected from the victim’s body.
- Patricia Carnahan was discovered strangled, beaten, and left for dead at the Lake Tahoe campground on September 28, 1979.
- This arrest marks a major breakthrough in a decades-old cold case, and is a testament to the power of DNA technology and the dedication of law enforcement.
After over 40 years, authorities have arrested a suspect in the murder of a woman at a South Lake Tahoe campground in 1979. Harold Carpenter, 63, was identified after a rape kit from an alleged 1994 sexual assault in Spokane, Washington, was recently tested and his DNA was found to have matched evidence collected from the victim’s body.
Patricia Carnahan was discovered strangled, beaten, and left for dead at the Lake Tahoe campground on September 28, 1979. The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office in California said that Carpenter is being held without bond in the Spokane County Jail on a fugitive charge, pending extradition to California on a murder warrant.
The El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office said that investigators had gathered evidence from the crime scene, including a rape kit, but had been unable to identify a suspect until now. The rape kit from the 1994 alleged crime was tested and Carpenter’s DNA was found to have matched evidence collected from Carnahan’s body.
This arrest marks a major breakthrough in a decades-old cold case. It is a testament to the power of DNA technology and the dedication of law enforcement to bring justice to victims of crime.
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