1997 Texas cold case solved after DNA testing leads to arrest in Midland sexual assault
These sources document the 2026 arrest of James Lee Woodard for a violent 1997 cold case involving a sexual assault at the Midland Park Mall. The breakthrough occurred nearly thirty years after the crime through the application of advanced genetic genealogy and the dedicated efforts of the Texas Rangers’ Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. Investigators successfully linked the suspect to the attack by using modern DNA testing to identify family connections that traditional databases could not find. This resolution highlights the critical role of forensic evolution and inter-agency collaboration in…
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