A DNA match has led to the long-awaited identification of a woman who was found savagely murdered in Pacific Beach more than 40 years ago.
The body of 51-year-old Elaine Armstrong was discovered behind an office supply store in the 1700 block of Garnet Avenue on Oct. 16, 1981.
Armstrong, a former Kalamazoo, Michigan, resident who was homeless at the time of her death, had been beaten, stabbed and set on fire, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Armstrong's identity remained a mystery until a DNA profile recently developed by Othram, a private forensic biotechnology company, finally led to a major break in the case, SDPD Lt. Jud Campbell said.
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"Cold-case homicides, particularly those with unidentified victims, are a continuous priority for the (SDPD) and the San Diego County District Attorney's Office," the lieutenant said Tuesday. "Investigators have been working together on this case, exhausting all possible leads (and) hoping identification of the victim will assist with finding the identity of her killer."
