Murder of Ali Berrelez has been solved with tDNA

http://abcnews.go.com/US/cold-case-year-murdered-1993-solved-dna/story?id=14510785


A cold case involving the unsolved murder of a 5-year-old girl in 1993 was finally closed today, but the suspect will not be arrested.

"It's been a long 18 years," said Richard Berrelez, grandfather of Alie Berrelez, who was killed in Englewood, Colo., 1993. "But Alie's not a victim, I don't want people to think of her as a victim. She's a hero, and she's been a hero for the past 18 years."

Englewood police said today what they had long suspected: the DNA of neighbor Nick Stofer, 41, was found on the girl's underwear when they recovered her body. Stofer, however, will not face charges. He died of natural causes in 2001, never having stood trial for the crime.

Alie Berrelez was kidnapped from her apartment complex where she was sitting eating pizza with other children in the parking lot, in Englewood on May 18, 1993. Following a massive search by police and fire workers and volunteers, and the use of scent-tracking dogs, the little girl was found four days later in a canvas bag near a creek 14 miles away from her home.

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Collins said that advancements in DNA technology had finally allowed authorities to confirm the match.

"Over time, DNA analysis has advanced," said Katie Featherston, forensic scientist at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. "In 1993 it was not available at the CBI lab, but over time we have been able to deal with samples that are smaller and smaller, and/or less pristine. Those advances allowed us to do the DNA analysis on this case."

Collins could not speculate on a motive for the crime, saying only that Stofer was known to have a problem with alcohol and drugs. He had a criminal record including alcohol and minor drug charges, but no history of sex offenses, Collins said.

Richard Berrelez said he wished Stofer was alive so he could confront him and ask him those questions, as well as see him stand trial.

http://unsolvedmysteries.wikia.com/wiki/Alie_Berrelez


Results: Solved. Investigators taking a new look at the unsolved 1993 kidnapping and murder of 5-year-old Alie Berrelez matched a DNA sample to neighbor Nick Stofer, ending a saga for the little girl's family. As advancements in technology emerged, evidence gathered in the case has been re-submitted for additional testing and comparison, police said. On Feb. 8, 2011, several items of evidence were submitted to the CBI for new DNA testing. A CBI agent developed a complete DNA profile from an area of Alie’s underwear and from the waistband of her underwear. That DNA profile matched the DNA profile of Stofer. "We had to wait 18 years for forensic science to catch up to the evidence we had on hand," said Englewood police Chief John Collins, announcing the end to the Berrelez case on Tuesday. "It was unequivocally his DNA in her underwear and it had no business being there." At the time of the abduction, Stofer lived in the Englewood apartment complex where Alie lived with her mother and two brothers. He had been there for three weeks prior to the abduction and abruptly moved to California just five days after Alie’s abduction and murder. He made the reservations for his flight on the morning of May 18, the day Alie disappeared. Nicholas Randolph Stofer was a focus of the investigtion within days when her 3 year old brother told the police "the old man" took her and then took them to Nick Stopher's apartment and said that was where "the old man" lived. Detectives traveled to Redlands, Calif. to take blood and hair samples from Stofer. However, DNA testing did not exist at that time. Detectives learned during the investigation that as a teenager Stofer frequently partied in Deer Creek Canyon. A friend who helped Stofer move into the Englewood apartment where he lived said that Stofer had in his possession a green military style canvas bag similar to the one Alie was found in. Stofer denied ever having such a bag. Stofer was a welder, and police said they found metal shavings in the duffel bag in which Alie's body was found. Stofer had also once expressed a fantasy about abducting a small girl, police said. Carpet fiber found on Alie’s blouse matched the carpet in Stofer's apartment and did not match any other carpet in the apartment complex, police said. Over the years, the investigation into Alie’s abduction and murder continued. Stofer remained a person of interest and a suspect but police could not arrest him because there wasn't enough evidence. On Oct 7, 2001, Stofer was found dead inside his Phoenix apartment of an apparent drug overdose. Police were called to Stofer's home on a welfare check after his family had not heard from him in some time. When Stofer's body was discovered, he had been dead for two days.
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If one was to take a character similar to that of Nick stofer-- One who would leave a note such as it was . One who worked in the Ramsey house and knew the house well, one who moved around from city to city like Stofer and Left Boulder shortly after the crime . That would be a POI. But there is so little information from BPD that JRC has no clue who might be responsible . They can't put any names out there least they defame the preps character .
In the case of Stofer there must be other crimes sexual in nature crimes that he was guilty of that could have led to an earlier determination of his guilt .
I am thanking there is other characters out there besides Chris Wolf , Randy Simmons, an the lot that have gone unnoticed by the public and maybe even LE.