SAN ANGELO, TX — The San Angelo Police Department said it has nabbed a suspect in a 32-year-old cold case that has haunted detectives. In a press conference this morning, SAPD Chief Frank Carter said DNA evidence his department collected generated enough evidence using modern technology to secure a probable cause arrest warrant for the suspect who was located in Lewisville.
WATCH: Solving the Cold Case:
On the morning of July 11, 1986, San Angelo Police officers were dispatched to 1026 Culberson St. for the report of a deceased person, identified as Dovie Dykes.
Her body was found inside the residence by her niece, Belle Guess. Guess told Police that Dykes had recently expressed a concern for her own safety and that she felt a man in the neighborhood was going to “get her or rape her”.
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Above: A photo of the victim. Dovie Dykes and her headstone. (Contributed/SAPD)
A subsequent criminal investigation by detectives revealed that Dykes had been sexually assaulted by one or more suspects who forced their way into her home.
It is also believed that several personal items were removed from the residence by the assailant.
Autopsy results concluded that Dykes died as a result of cardiac arrhythmia she experienced during the assault
On Monday, police investigators arrested 61-year-old Adolfo Gonzales in Lewisville. The Texas Rangers assisted, Carter said. He was booked into the Denton County Jail and is awaiting extraditing to Tom Green County.
“Gonzales is charged with First Degree Felony Murder,” Carter said.
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Above: 1026 Culberson in San Angelo, Texas. (Contributed/SAPD)
Carter gave credit to SAPD’s Cold Case Detective Jim Coleman for breaking the case. He coordinated DNA testing with state authorities. As technology improved, Coleman was able to get a match in a national database of Gonzales, who had a previous federal conviction with his DNA in the law enforcement database, Carter said.
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Above: Detectives at the home where the murder of Dovie Dykes allegedly occurred taken in 1986. (Contributed/SAPD)
Carter said the investigation also revealed that Gonzales previously lived across the street from the murder victim at 1023 Culberson St. in San Angelo.
As the DNA evidence was analyzed at the Texas DPS crime lab, in 2017, Coleman retired before the evidence was returned as a “one in a billion” chance match to Gonzales.
Detectives Lynn Dye and Adrian Castro took over the investigation. A probable cause arrest warrant was obtained on March 1.
“This case sends a loud a clear message that we will never forget the victims and their family, and we will continue to work diligently on the remaining cold cases that we have,” Carter said.
The wife of a great grand nephew of the victim Charles Guess, Pam Guess, addressed the press conference after Carter’s remarks.
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Above: SAPD spokeswoman Tracy Piatt-Fox with the great grand nephew of the Victim, Charles Guess, and his wife Pam, who made remarks at the press conference. (LIVE! Photo/Sam Fowler)
She thanked God for the efforts of the detectives who were dedicated to solving the cold case.
“She was not forgotten by our family and I am so grateful she was not forgotten by our police department,” Guess said.
Adolph Gonzales is currently held in the Denton County Jail charged with murder. His bond is set at $500,000.
This case was listed as among the Top 5 Cold Cases in San Angelo by us in 2016. Here are the other four.
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Comments
SAPD, you did an awesome job! I think San Angelo has the best police department I have ever seen in my many travels! Do they get stuff wrong? Sure. They don’t have a lot of jerks as officers and they appear to like and want to do what they do, unlike so many other departments. Thank you Chief Carter for your great leadership and thanks to all the officers the worked this case both now and years ago. This is a good ending to a really sad story.
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Permalinknothing but the death penalty and be quick about it.
This is the opposite end of raping a one month old and just as vile.
Trust me, their has been lots of nasty crime committed by this low life sob.
Poor, poor Lady.
He had to have her.
He had to kill her.
SICK SICK SICK
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PermalinkThank you SAPD for all you do and never forgetting the victims and their families.
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