Nearly four decades after her death, a Colorado woman’s murder has been linked to a known serial killer through DNA evidence.
Rhonda Marie Fisher, 30, was found dead on April 1, 1987, along a rural highway about 35 miles south of Denver. Authorities said she had been sexually assaulted and strangled. In a rare forensic breakthrough, DNA recovered from paper bags preserved from the original investigation matched that of Vincent Darrell Groves, a prolific serial killer.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office noted that obtaining a viable DNA profile from evidence nearly 40 years old highlights the importance of careful evidence preservation and ongoing forensic review. Fisher’s case was reopened earlier this year, and in October, investigators linked the DNA from the paper bags on her hands to evidence from three 1979 homicides also committed by Groves.
Groves, who died in custody in 1999, is believed to be responsible for at least 12 known murders in the Denver area, as well as attempted murders and sexual assaults. Sheriff Darren Weekly said the case demonstrates the dedication of investigators and cold case specialists who work to bring closure to families after decades of uncertainty.