An unidentified woman who was fatally beaten, stabbed and set on fire in 1981 has been identified, and San Diego police are hoping tips from the public will revive the search for her killer.
Elaine Armstrong
(San Diego Police Department)
The 51-year-old victim, Elaine Armstrong of Kalamazoo, Mich., had been living homeless in Pacific Beach at the time of her slaying, said police homicide Lt. Jud Campbell.
Her body was found on Oct. 16, 1981, behind Vic’s Office Supply on Garnet Avenue near Kendall Street. Residents and business owners in the area knew her, but her actual identity was unknown. The case went cold.
With financial help from Project Justice, a nonprofit that helps law enforcement solve cold cases through DNA technology, evidence in the case was given to Othram, a private forensic biotechnology company, for re-evaluation, Campbell said. A DNA profile was then developed, leading to her identification. The Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the identity, police said.
“Cold Case homicides, particularly those with unidentified victims, are a continuous priority for the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office,” Campbell said in a statement. “Investigators have been working together on this case exhausting all possible leads hoping identification of the victim will assist with finding the identity of her killer.”
Anyone with information was asked to call the homicide unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
