Frank Edward Wypych has been identified as the lead suspect in the July 10, 1967 murder of 20-year-old Susan Galvin in Seattle, Washington. The case has been cleared by exception due to the death of Wypych.
Galvin had worked for the Seattle police department as a records clerk. A search was initiated she failed to show up for her overnight shift on July 10. Her body was found three days later in an elevator by a parking attendant at the Seattle Center. Galvin had been sexually assaulted and strangled.
A DNA profile of the suspect was obtained from semen found on Galvin’s underwear. The FGG investigation was conducted by Parabon Nanolabs. Ancestry analysis performed by Parabon showed that the suspect was about 16% Native American. This assisted in the genealogical analysis.
Wypych passed away on April 7, 1987 at the age of 46 from diabetes complications. Investigators applied to exhume his remains, and his DNA profile was found to be consistent with the DNA sample taken from Galvin’s body. Fingerprints that had been collected from the elevator in the parking garage were also matched to fingerprints taken in 1971 when Wypych was arrested for larceny.
One man, who had worked as a clown at Seattle Center and was seen with Galvin shortly before her death, was long a suspect. Police obtained a search warrant to test his DNA in 2016, at which point he was finally cleared of suspicion in her murder.
Sources:
Find a Grave. “Frank Edward Wypych.” Find a Grave Memorial (No. 145262996). Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/145262996/frank-edward-wypych.
Johnson, Gene. “DNA, Family Tree Help Solve 52-Year-Old Seattle Murder Case.” Associated Press, May 7, 2019. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://apnews.com/article/a2f91cad86a9492cbcd1abb6b800ce8b.
Schlosser, Kurt. “52 Years After Seattle Woman was Killed, Police Use Family DNA and Latest Science to Identify the Killer.” Geek Wire, May 7, 2019. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.geekwire.com/2019/52-years-seattle-woman-killed-police-use-family-dna-latest-science-identify-killer/.
Sederstrom, Jill. “Police Identify Killer of 20-Year-Old Seattle Woman, 52 Years After Her Murder.” Oxygen, May 9, 2019. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/seattle-woman-susan-galvin-killer-frank-wypych-identified-after-52-years.