Greenville cold case solved: Jenny Zitricki killed by murderer Robert Brashers in 1990, police say

When 28-year-old Genevieve “Jenny” Zitricki was found crushed and stifled to death in her apartment's bath, nobody knew that almost thirty years would elapse before the killer would be unconcealed.

Greenville cold case solved: Jenny Zitricki killed by murderer Henry Martyn Robert Brashers in 1990, police say

"Everybody was trying to find patterns," aforesaid Bush Banton, a retired detective United Nations agency junction rectifier the Zitricki case in 1990.

Police in Greenville have cleared the cold case when advancements in polymer testing connected a "violent serial aggressor and murderer" to Zitricki's killing, a case that spurred a brutal path of crime across the country, policeman Ken Miller declared Fri.

The man was recently known as Henry Martyn Robert Eugene Brashers. He died in an exceedingly hospital from a self-inflicted shot wound on January. 19, 1999, six days when associate degree encounter with police in Kennett, Missouri.

Zitricki's death is believed to be {one of|one among|one in an exceedinglyll|one amongst|one in every of} the primary attacks in a series of murders and assaults Brashers committed on ladies and kids across four states, per Greenville police.

"He was attacked by bed time," Miller  of the Brashers. "He bludgeoned her, stifled her and sexually molested her."

Brashers initial came onto law enforcement's measuring system once he was charged with beating and shooting a girl in Port St. Lucie, Fla. He served 3 and a [*fr1] years in jail and was discharged in 1989. but a year later, he killed Zitricki in Greenville.

Authorities in Missouri determined Brashers was behind the double murder of Sherri Scherer and her 12-year-old female offspring, Megan, United Nations agency were shot to death in their point Portageville, Missouri on March twenty eight, 1998. Police aforesaid Megan was additionally sexually molested.

A few hours later and across state lines in Dyersburg, Tenn., investigators say Brashers shot another girl whereas he tried to force his method into her home. the lady fended him off and survived the tried murder.

From the Tennessee shooting, the survivor came up with an outline of the person and a sketch was created that was displayed across the country. That sketch, and therefore the string of cases, was featured on the tv show "America's Most Wanted" in 2009. Still, nobody came forward with associate degree identity.

More than one hundred fifty leads had yielded no leads to Greenville, per investigators. Despite the polymer match linking Zitricki's murder to the double murder in Missouri, investigators were unable to return up with someone behind the polymer.

Investigators aforesaid Fri that new polymer technology managed to uncover Bashers' identity.

The Greenville local department worked with authorities in Tennessee to use the help of Parabon NanoLabs, Inc., a vertically integrated polymer technology company that develops rhetorical product to advance polymer process. Parabon uses genetic kin group to trace relations to a polymer match associate degreed formally manufacture an identity of a private in question.

Investigators obtained polymer samples from Brashers' living relations. Last week his remains were exhumed in Arkansas by writ. extra polymer samples taken there once and for all matched Brashers to crimes across many states within the Nineteen Nineties, together with the murders of Sherri and Megan Scherer and therefore the 1997 sex offense of a 14-year-old close to Memphis. 

Zitricki was found in her bath a minimum of 2 days when her killing once a maintenance employee came in and discovered her. the bath was crammed with water. Authorities work the case aforesaid they believed the killer beat her to death in her bedchamber, then dragged her body to the lavatory wherever he submerged her in water to hide up any physical proof.

A path of blood went from the bedchamber to the lavatory, concerning twenty feet away. The killer additionally used leotards that was tied round her neck to tug her through the housing. Nothing was taken. The contents of Zitricki's purse were additionally drop in her sink, that was additionally choked with water.

Records show Brashers lived at associate degree housing currently referred to as The Park at Benito at twenty five bit Road in Greenville.

Zitricki was associate degree Ohio native and up to date woman United Nations agency was a systems engineer for Michelin. She lived in what was once the Hidden Lakes housing complicated on Villa Road. She lived alone, however was a social and outgoing "fireball," aforesaid her brother, Phillip Hegedusich.

"We had best to recollect her in life," Hegedusich aforesaid. "She was a force of nature, a firework, a bundle of infectious energy. associate degree intelligent, spirited and caring soul."

Hegedusich, United Nations agency lives in ny, attended Friday's announcement, voice communication it absolutely was one thing he would ne'er miss when waiting goodbye for answers.

"Twenty-eight years. Twenty-eight years. it has been a protracted time. it has been time enough for trails to travel cold," Hegedusich aforesaid, addressing members of the media and native and state enforcement leaders United Nations agency stuffed the space. "We many thanks for your persistence, your cooperation and your zeal to proceed."

Hegedusich aforesaid he was continuously unbroken abreast of of the Police Department's progress through the years, however began to grow weary.

"Over the course of twenty eight years, there have been some false starts," he said. "You begin taking things with a bit little bit of salt."

Miller, the policeman, aforesaid some investigators United Nations agency had already been retired were brought back in to figure the case. He aforesaid the local department worked indefatigably to search out a suspect.

Banton, the retired detective, delineate the news of Brashers' identity as a "relief."

"We ne'er gave up. everyone unbroken attempting and attempting and attempting to unravel this," he said. "It's one in all those cases you ne'er abandoning."

More: From the archives: Clues from decades agone hold key to catching killer in 1990 Villa Road homicide

With new polymer technology within the hands of enforcement, investigators in Greenville area unit reviewing alternative cold cases to see if proof will be place through identical tests.

The cost of the Parabon service was concerning $4,500, paid by enforcement in Memphis. The Greenville local department paid to dig up Brashers' remains from his grave website at a price of concerning $1,300, said Lt. Jason Rampey.

Parabon combines comparative polymer analysis with ancient kin group analysis referred to as pic polymer analysis. the kind of genetic kin group focuses on chromosome polymer single-nucleotide polymorphisms, or polymer SNPs, that verify however closely connected 2 people is also.

Cases that were once believed to own grownup cold, might have new life, Miller aforesaid. Authorities across state lines area unit taking a more in-depth explore Brashers. a number of his potential crimes should still be unsolved .

"It's extraordinarily doable there can be alternative cold cases or alternative sexual assaults," Miller aforesaid.

Miller aforesaid Brashers' identity highlights the importance for police agencies to expedite the testing of sex offense proof kits within the event there area unit polymer matches which will link suspects to victims.

An exact motive for Zitricki's killing continues to be undetermined, but Sgt. Tim Conroy aforesaid he believes Brashers might have preyed on her as a target as a result of she was outgoing. He aforesaid she would host pool parties at her housing complicated and sometimes would permit party-goers to use her unit to use the lavatory.

While Brashers' suicide suggests that he will not be command in command of his actions through the criminal justice system, Conroy aforesaid investigators area unit still "relieved to understand he hasn't injured anyone else" since his death.

"None of those efforts will bring Jenny back. we are able to solely hope that at the present time brings peace to her soul and peace to her family," Miller aforesaid.

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