Michael Whyte was arrested on June 13, 2019 and charged in the March 17, 1987 murder of 20-year-old Darlene Krashoc in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Krashoc was an army specialist stationed at Fort Carson. She had left a local bar sometime around 1:00 am. Her body was found later that morning beside a dumpster in an alley by two soldiers on patrol. Krashoc had been raped and strangled and she was tortured for some time before she died. She may have been thrown from a moving vehicle, and her body then moved behind the dumpster.
A DNA profile of the suspect was obtained from semen found in her genital area, saliva on some nearby cigarettes, and an unspecified sample from her neck. In 2016, a more complete profile was obtained from semen found on her clothing. Investigators were assisted by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory. Forensic phenotyping was performed in December of 2016 with the Assistance of Parabon Nanolabs. This is reportedly the first time that the U.S. Army CID used forensic phenotyping and genetic genealogy as part of an investigation.
The FGG investigation was undertaken by Parabon Nanolabs. The initial confirmation was made through police surveillance followed by the surreptitious sampling of a cup Whyte had used at a fast food restaurant. White had also been stationed at Fort Carson at the time of the killing, as an Army signal operations manager.
Whyte was convicted after a jury trial. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole on June 25, 2021.
Sources:
Associated Press. “Michael Whyte Arrested in ’87 Cold Case Slaying of Soldier in Colorado.” CNS News Denver, June 14, 2019. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://denver.cbslocal.com/2019/06/14/michael-whyte-thornton-fort-carson-darlene-krashoc/.
Associated Press, and Daily Mail. “DNA Evidence Leads to the Arrest of a Colorado Man, 58, For the Murder of a Fort Carson Soldier 32 Years Ago After Police Trailed Him and Used a Sample from a Soft Drink Cup He Had Left Behind.” Daily Mail, June 15, 2019, last modified June 16, 2019. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7146409/DNA-evidence-leads-arrest-man-1987-killing-soldier-beaten-raped-strangled.html.
Benzel, Lance. “‘Homicide Hunter Star Joe kenda Testifies at Colorado Springs Murder Trial.” Gazette, June 16, 2021. Last modified June 25, 2021. Accessed December 31, 2021. https://gazette.com/news/courts/homicide-hunter-star-joe-kenda-testifies-at-colorado-springs-murder-trial/article_48517eb2-ceb5-11eb-b88b-730f9e02851f.html.
McKinley, Carol. “DNA Testing Leads to Break in Decades-Old Colorado Murder Case. But Privacy Questions Are Being Raised.” Colorado Sun, July 29, 2019. Accessed December 28, 2020. https://coloradosun.com/2019/07/29/colorado-cold-case-michael-whyte-darlene-krashoc/.
Weyland, Rona. “1987 Army CID Cold Case Solved, Suspect Convicted.” Defence Visual Information Distribution Service, July 13, 2021. Accessed July 17, 2021. https://www.dvidshub.net/news/400779/1987-army-cid-cold-case-solved-suspect-convicted?fbclid=IwAR2dme6KJHMWzIsmJnKpwA6SHH2UcQ9JZk89l6b5tZuPwz8liukSXjmyuvI.