New DNA technology may solve the brutal 1994 murder of 14-year-old Castro Valley teen, says sheriff
June 22, 2022
A California sheriff said new DNA technology may help solve the 1994 murder of a 14-year-old Castro Valley teen.
Investigators used new DNA technology to reexamine evidence in the 1994 unsolved murder of Jennifer “Jenny” Lin, according to Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern.
Authorities previously spoke about the new technology in 2020 and suggested that the killer had left behind traces of previously undetected DNA.
The technology allowed investigators to extract new cells and discover new leads that may lead to a breakthrough, the sheriff added.
Lin, who was then 14 years old, was brutally stabbed to death in her home after returning from school on May 27, 1994. Her clothes were taken off, and her body was discovered by her father in their home’s bathroom. Authorities believe the killer had intended to sexually assault Lin but was scared off.
Authorities and Lin’s family continue their search for the killer to this day.
“We have a couple of possibilities that we are holding close to our vest,” Sheriff Ahern told ABC 7 News. “We want to make sure we don’t disclose too much to a potential suspect.”
Authorities have ruled out Sebastian Shaw, a convicted murderer who was once considered the prime suspect in the case. Shaw died in an Oregon prison last year while serving three life sentences for murder.
“We are still pretty frustrated that after all these years, the case is still not solved. However, we are encouraged,” Lin’s father John said.
“We think about her and we ask ourselves, ‘Is this what Jenny would want us to do?’ And that’s what keeps us going,” Lin’s mother Mei-Lian said. “It is very hard, but we have learned how to manage it. We know it’s sad. But we also know that we need to find justice for Jenny.”
Anyone with information regarding the case is urged to contact the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office at (510) 667-3622, or the FBI San Francisco Division at (415) 553-7400 or visit http://tips.fbi.gov.
Featured Image via ABC 7 News
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