Police identify murderer of 2 young women in Pennsylvania almost 5 decades later

PITTSBURGH —

After nearly five decades, Pennsylvania State Police say they’ve identified the man responsible for the murders of two young women.

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Investigators say DNA evidence has linked two cold cases in the Pittsburgh area.

21-year-old Susan Rush disappeared in 1976 on her way to a Thanksgiving Eve dinner. She was later found dead in the trunk of her car.

In 1977, 18-year-old Brenda Ritter disappeared after leaving her boyfriend’s house. Her body was found on a hillside in South Strabane.

Police say both women had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

Investigators have now identified James Richard Clark Senior as the killer. He died of natural causes in 2023.

State police say Clark had never previously been a suspect in either case. Investigators are now looking into whether he may have been responsible for other murders.