West Mifflin man arrested 41 years after Lottie Jo Gunn, 16, was found dead in North Huntingdon, Westmoreland County
NORTH HUNTINGDON, Pa. —
An arrest has been made 41 years after the stabbing death of 16-year-old Lottie Jo Gunn.
James Kruczek, 61, of West Mifflin, is charged with criminal homicide in the Ohio teen’s death, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office said Thursday.
Gunn’s body was found on Turney Valley Road in North Huntingdon in May 1985.
Investigators said DNA helped identify Kruczek as a suspect.
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“An acquaintance of Kruczek’s told investigators that in the spring of 1985, Kruczek picked up a female, killed her and dumped her body in the Coulter area of North Huntingdon Township,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement. “Clothing from the victim was sent to the Pennsylvania State Police Crime Laboratory and a DNA profile was created on the victim’s profile. Investigators obtained a search warrant for a sample of Kruczek’s DNA and submitted the sample to the lab which returned a match with the DNA found on the victim’s clothing.”
Kruczek was set to be arraigned on Thursday evening.
“Lottie Jo’s family waited an excruciating four decades for answers. While her parents are no longer with us to hear those answers, I am proud of the groundwork our detectives poured into this case in an effort to pursue justice,” District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said in a statement announcing arrest of Kruczek.
This is a developing story. Stay with Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 for updates.
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