Man Arrested in 40-Year-Old Cold Case After DNA Links Him to the Murder

Noelle Russo, 37, was found murdered in 1983, near Sonoma State University in northern California

Police in California have made an arrest in a 40-year-old cold case after DNA allegedly linked him to the murder of a 37-year-old woman, authorities said.

On June 27, 1983, deputies were dispatched to a report of a deceased, naked woman in Rohnert Park, near Sonoma State University, the Sheriff’s Office said in the statement. The woman, identified as Noelle Russo, had been beaten to death.

On Oct. 2 of this year, Alfredo Carretero, Jr., 65, of Lakeport, was arrested and charged with the murder of Russo, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Dominique Espinosa, whose mother, Laura Serbin, was close friends with Russo, told told ABC affiliate KGO that Russo vanished after a night out in 1983.

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"They kind of liked to bar hop a little bit and just like anybody in the area have a little bit of fun, and that's what they were doing the night that she went missing,” Espinosa told KGO.

“Somehow they got separated,” she told the outlet “She couldn't get ahold of her the whole next day and then they of course found her.”

Detectives with the Violent Crime Investigations (VCI) Unit began an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Russo’s murder.

“Deputies and detectives collected a significant amount of evidence during this investigation, and numerous interviews were conducted,” the sheriff’s office said.

Detectives developed certain persons of interest over the years, but no arrests were made.

Through the years, VCI detectives continued to work the case. From 2010 through 2023, authorities submitted several items of evidence for DNA analysis to the Santa Clara County Crime Lab and the Serological Research Institute, the sheriff’s office said.

One of the original persons of interest, Carretero Jr., was positively identified as a suspect in Russo’s murder based on DNA and other evidence.

VCI detectives obtained a warrant to arrest Carretero Jr. in connection with Russo’s murder, the sheriff’s office said. On October 2, detectives arrested Carretero Jr., who was booked into the Main Adult Detention Facility on a charge of murder. He is being held without bail.

It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

“The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office are both dedicated to justice for murder victims, whether the case is new or old,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “The VCI Unit continues to investigate many cold cases and relentlessly pursue justice for the victims of violent crime.”

Russo’s family has been notified of the arrest and asks for privacy.

Anyone with information related to this case, any other cold case, or current violent crime is asked to contact the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office at 707-565-2185 or submit an anonymous tip at SonomaSheriff.org/silent-witness/.

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