An Ashtabula County man accused of killing a woman in California nearly 50 years ago is headed back to the West Coast to face charges.
According to the Ashtabula County Prosecutor's Office, 69-year-old Willie Eugene Sims of Jefferson, Ohio, is charged with murder out of the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office for allegedly strangling Jeanette Ralston to death on Feb. 1, 1977.
Sims was in the Army at the time of Ralston's death and assigned to Fort Ord. The prosecutor's office said Sims met Ralston at a bar on the night of her death. Her body was later found in her car at an apartment complex near the bar, and evidence showed she had been strangled with a shirt that was tied around her neck. An autopsy was performed, and evidence of sexual assault was found. Her car showed signs of having been unsuccessfully set on fire.
The following year, he was convicted of assault to commit murder in another county for a separate case. He later moved out of California before DNA was gathered to submit to the law enforcement database CODIS, the prosecutor's office said.
Ralston's case remained cold for 48 years until Sims was tied to it by a fingerprint found on one of her cigarette packs, the prosecutor's office said. Investigators collected Sims's DNA, which has since been found to be consistent with DNA found on Ralston's fingernails and the shirt used in the homicide.
Sims is in the process of being extradited back to California, where he faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
In a joint statement, Ashtabula County Prosecutor April Grabman and Sheriff Bill Niemi said, "We are extremely thankful and proud to be a part of the law enforcement partners that worked together across state lines to seek justice for Ms. Ralston and her family.”
