On March 9, 2022, Douglas Keith Krohne was identified as the lead suspect in the August 25, 1995, murder of 61-year-old Patricia Lorraine Barnes in the small town of Ollala, Washington. The case has been cleared by exception due to the death of Krohne.
Barnes’ body was found in a sleeping bag in a ditch. She was naked and had been shot twice in the head. Barnes, originally from Seattle, was indigent and known to be staying in various local shelters.
DNA was collected from several items found on Barnes’ body, including a cigarette butt. The case was reopened in April of 2018, and further DNA testing was performed. There was no match to the DNA profile in CODIS. The FGG investigation was conducted by Othram. The final confirmation was made to a tissue sample taken at Krohne’s post-mortem examination.
Krohne died in 2016 in Nogales, Arizona, in an accidental electrocution while installing a TV antenna. He had five felony convictions, including for robbery (in 1984) and kidnapping (in 1994). He was ordered to provide a DNA sample in Pierce County, but he did not comply. A photo of Krohne shows a close similarity to a police sketch made of the last person seen with Barnes before her death.
Sources:
Krell, Alexis. “Western Washington Cold Case Homicide Solved with DNA Evidence, Forensic Genealogy.” Bellingham Herald, March 9, 2022. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/state/washington/article259236015.html.
Lenthang, Marlene. “DNA from Cigarette Butt Used to Identify Suspect in 1995 Killing of Washington Woman.” NBC News, March 10, 2022. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://news.yahoo.com/dna-cigarette-butt-used-identify-165941979.html.
Lin, Peiyu. “Detectives Believe They Have Found the Man Who Killed Patricia Lorraine Barnes, 61, in 1995.” Kitsap Sun, March 9, 2022. Accessed March 12, 2022. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2022/03/09/cold-case-dna-ids-patricia-lorraine-barnes-unsolved-murder-kitsap-county-douglas-keith-krohne-id/9443480002/.