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A man who was cleared by a polygraph test for the rape and murder of a teenage girl in 1979 has now been linked to the victim with newfound DNA evidence, authorities revealed.

17-year-old Esther Gonzalez had been walking from her home in Beaumont, Calif., to her sisters house in Banning, about 85 miles east of Los Angeles, on Feb. 9, 1979, when she was attacked.

The following day, the teen’s body was found dumped in a snowpack off Highway 243, with authorities determining she was raped and then bludgeoned to death, according to the Riverside County District Attorneys Office. 4 Esther Gonzalez, 17, was raped and murdered more than 40 years ago. Gonzalez family

An unidentified man, described by deputies at the time as argumentative, found the body and called the Riverside County Sheriffs Station, saying he didnt know if it was a male or female.

The man, later identified as Lewis Randolph Randy Williamson, was asked by sheriffs investigators to take a polygraph test, which he agreed to and passed, clearing him of any wrongdoing.

The case went cold for over four decades with no other leads or witnesses.

However, last week, the Riverside County District Attorneys Office said in a press release that the case had been solved using forensic genealogy, ending the over 45-year-long cold case.

The cold case homicide team of the Riverside County Sheriffs Department renewed the investigation in 2023. 4 Lewis Randolph Randy Williamson was later asked by sheriffs investigators to take a polygraph test, which he agreed to and passed, clearing him of any wrongdoing. Riverside County DA

Using the semen sample found on Gonzalez’s body 44 years prior and running it through genetic genealogy databases, investigators realized that Williamson had never been cleared through DNA testing because the technology didnt exist when he passed the polygraph test in 1979.

Williamson died in Florida in 2014, but during his autopsy, a blood sample was taken, which the team could use to test if his DNA was a match. 4 The Riverside County District Attorneys Office said in a press release that the case had been solved using forensic genealogy, ending the over 45-year-long cold case. Othram

The sample was sent to the California Department of Just ice with the assistance of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

The cold case team then confirmed that Williamsons DNA matched the DNA recovered from Gonzalezs body.

The master investigator for the Riverside County Sheriffs Office, Jason Corey, told CNN that the murder had been in Riverside Countys cold case unit since the units launch about five years ago, and multiple investigators have worked to solve it. 4 The sister and brother of Gonzalez, Liz Gonzalez, and Eddie Gonzalez. KCAL/KCBS

I cant imagine what its like for them, Corey told the outlet. That whole family has just been devastated over the years. This is a day in and day in, day out thing. I dont think this is something that ever got easier for them as time went on.

I dont know if you can say youre happy that its done, because its still, its still a terrible tragedy, but I hope it can bring them some closure, he said.

Corey shared that forensic genealogy “will be a great investigative tool moving forward in the future to help investigators generate leads for unsolved cases.

It will help do a lot of good and not only identify victims, but it will help point the investigators in a direction with their investigative leads that will help bring those suspects to justice, Corey told the outlet.

The Riverside County Regional Cold Case Homicide Team encourages anyone who knew Williamson or may have information about the case or other potential victims to contact them at 951-955-277 or coldcaseunit@rivcoda.gov.

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Oilers forward Hyman injured in 1st, exits Game 4

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Oilers forward Hyman injured in 1st, exits Game 4

EDMONTON, Alberta — Edmonton Oilers‘ top-line forward Zach Hyman was ruled out for the rest of Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday against the Dallas Stars after taking a hit from forward Mason Marchment, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported on the game broadcast.

The first-period collision appeared to immediately rattle Hyman, who dropped his stick and seemed to favor his right arm or wrist. Hyman went directly to the Oilers’ dressing room and did not return.

Hyman has been a key member of the Oilers’ postseason success, registering a league-leading 119 hits in 14 playoff games and scoring five goals and 11 points. He’s a fixture on the team’s top forward unit with Connor McDavid and is part of both the Oilers’ power play and penalty kill.

Edmonton was already down a forward going into Game 4 with Connor Brown sidelined after a hit from Dallas defenseman Alexander Petrovic in Sunday’s Game 3. Viktor Arvidsson returned to the lineup as Brown’s replacement on the fourth line.

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Referee Rooney returns, 11 days after high stick

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Referee Rooney returns, 11 days after high stick

EDMONTON, Alberta — NHL official Chris Rooney was back on the ice Tuesday night for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals between the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars.

It was the veteran referee’s conference finals debut, and a fitting return for Rooney given the circumstances. It was Rooney’s first game since he took a high stick to the face on May 17 during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference second-round series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.

Rooney was injured 13 seconds into the second period when Panthers’ defenseman Niko Mikkola caught him with the end of his stick while fighting for a puck. Rooney fell to the ice and was tended to by trainers from both teams.

While bloodied, he was able to leave under his own power. Rooney sustained a black eye and received stitches for his injury but had no lasting damage. He was replaced at the time by Garrett Rank, in the building on standby in case on injury.

It was clear even the day after his injury that Rooney, 50, hoped to resume duties at some point in the playoffs. The Boston native was finally able to step in for Game 4 with fellow referee Dan O’Rourke.

The pair was joined by linesmen Ryan Gibbons and Matt MacPherson. Referee Graham Skilliter and linesman Ryan Daisy were in the building as alternates.

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Hintz (leg) back in action, joins Stars’ top line

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Hintz (leg) back in action, joins Stars' top line

EDMONTON, Alberta — Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz is back in the lineup for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Tuesday.

The club’s top skater, sidelined since Game 2, when he took a slash to the left leg from Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, was placed on the top line, alongside Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen after taking warmups and line rushes prior to puck drop.

Hintz also took part in warmups before Game 3 on Sunday but exited early and was ruled out. He was back on the ice for Dallas’ optional practice Monday and told reporters he was “feeling good” and “trying to do everything I can” to get back in for Game 4.

It was early in the third period of Game 2 when Hintz — parked in front of the Oilers’ net — shoved Nurse from behind, and the Oilers’ blueliner responded by swinging his stick at Hintz’s leg. Hintz went down to the ice for several minutes before being helped off by Lian Bichsel and Mikael Granlund.

Nurse received a two-minute penalty for the slash but no supplementary discipline from the league. The blueliner addressed the incident publicly for the first time Tuesday, saying it didn’t come with malicious intent.

“I was backing up to net and I got shot in the back. And I think it was just a natural reaction [to respond],” Nurse said. “It’s probably a play that everyone in this room, whether you’re a net-front guy or D man, probably happens a dozen, two dozen times in a year. It’s unfortunate that I must have got [Hintz] in a bad spot. You don’t want to go out there and hurt anyone. But it was just one of those plays that happens so often.”

Having Hintz unavailable hurt the Stars in Game 3, a 6-1 drubbing by the Oilers that put Dallas in a 2-1 hole in the best-of-seven series. Hintz is the Stars’ second-leading scorer in the postseason, with 11 goals and 15 points through 15 games. He was hopeful when taking warmups Sunday that he’d feel good enough to get back in, but a quick discussion with the training staff made it clear he wasn’t ready.

Before Tuesday night, coach Peter DeBoer had since classified Hintz’s status as day-to-day.

“Of course you want to go every night, but sometimes you just can’t,” Hintz said. “I don’t know how close I [was to playing]. But I have played many years [and I] know when it’s good and when it’s not. I should be good to know that [when] it comes to that decision.”

The Oilers will have some lineup changes of their own to sort through in Game 4. Connor Brown, who is out after taking a hit from Alexander Petrovic in Game 3, will be replaced by Viktor Arvidsson. Calvin Pickard, injured in Edmonton’s second-round series against Vegas, will return to back up Stuart Skinner. And Edmonton continues to wait on defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who is getting closer to returning from a lower-body injury.

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