Kathy Pinna
Cops: 30-year-old Fairfield cold case solved
. . . after suspect hangs himself
Police say Fairfield woman was sexually assaulted, brutally killed
By Sarah Heise KCRA 3
FAIRFIELD, Calif. (KCRA) —
A Fairfield mother was murdered more than 30 years ago, but when detectives finally thought they caught her killer, he committed suicide.
Fairfield police said Kyle Stracner, 15, left his house on Buchanan Street on August 31, 1983 to go to his friend's house. His mother, 40-year-old Priscilla Strole, was at home alone.
When Stracner returned around 9:45 p.m., he found his mother's naked body on the living room floor.
According to officers, Strole suffered a gruesome attack and was sexually assaulted. She had numerous injuries to her face and head from kitchen knives, a can opener and a piece of decorative wood.
It was determined that the person who raped and murdered Strole was likely let into the house because there was no evidence of a forced entry, police said.
A number of leads were followed, but no suspect was ever identified.
In January, cold case detectives gathered finger prints from the scene and were able to match them to Robert Hathaway, a 48-year-old Fairfield resident.
Hathaway was a friend of Stracner and was 17-years-old when Strole was murdered, officers said.
At the time of the murder, the alleged killer's fingerprints were only compared to those on file in 1983, but since then, thousands of fingerprints were uploaded into the Automated Fingerprint Identification System.
Hathaway did not have any fingerprints on file at the time of the murder, but was arrested for burglary in 1986 and his fingerprints were uploaded into the system.
A judge issued a search warrant to obtain DNA samples from Hathaway's house, and on Feb. 11, detectives interviewed Hathaway about Strole's murder and obtained DNA samples. According to detectives, Hathaway denied any involvement in the crime.
Officers said Hathaway committed suicide on Feb. 15 by hanging himself in his home. Hathaway left a short suicide note that said he "took the easy way out."
DNA collected at Hathaway's home matched the semen that was collected 30 years before at the murder scene, and the homicide case of Strole was closed.
Because Hathaway committed suicide, Strole's family will never know why Hathaway killed her.
The Fairfield Police Department is asking anyone who may have information about the case to call 707-428-7600.
Police say Fairfield woman was sexually assaulted, brutally killed
By Sarah Heise KCRA 3
FAIRFIELD, Calif. (KCRA) —
A Fairfield mother was murdered more than 30 years ago, but when detectives finally thought they caught her killer, he committed suicide.
Fairfield police said Kyle Stracner, 15, left his house on Buchanan Street on August 31, 1983 to go to his friend's house. His mother, 40-year-old Priscilla Strole, was at home alone.
When Stracner returned around 9:45 p.m., he found his mother's naked body on the living room floor.
According to officers, Strole suffered a gruesome attack and was sexually assaulted. She had numerous injuries to her face and head from kitchen knives, a can opener and a piece of decorative wood.
It was determined that the person who raped and murdered Strole was likely let into the house because there was no evidence of a forced entry, police said.
A number of leads were followed, but no suspect was ever identified.
In January, cold case detectives gathered finger prints from the scene and were able to match them to Robert Hathaway, a 48-year-old Fairfield resident.
Hathaway was a friend of Stracner and was 17-years-old when Strole was murdered, officers said.
At the time of the murder, the alleged killer's fingerprints were only compared to those on file in 1983, but since then, thousands of fingerprints were uploaded into the Automated Fingerprint Identification System.
Hathaway did not have any fingerprints on file at the time of the murder, but was arrested for burglary in 1986 and his fingerprints were uploaded into the system.
A judge issued a search warrant to obtain DNA samples from Hathaway's house, and on Feb. 11, detectives interviewed Hathaway about Strole's murder and obtained DNA samples. According to detectives, Hathaway denied any involvement in the crime.
Officers said Hathaway committed suicide on Feb. 15 by hanging himself in his home. Hathaway left a short suicide note that said he "took the easy way out."
DNA collected at Hathaway's home matched the semen that was collected 30 years before at the murder scene, and the homicide case of Strole was closed.
Because Hathaway committed suicide, Strole's family will never know why Hathaway killed her.
The Fairfield Police Department is asking anyone who may have information about the case to call 707-428-7600.
Daniel Pinna 
