Suspect Identified in Unsolved Murder of Margaret Anselmo

Spokane Police confirmed Brian J. Anderson as the suspect in the 1997 murder of Margaret Anselmo, utilizing Forensic Genetic Genealogy to make the identification. Anselmo was found dead on January 3, 1997, in an alley, with evidence indicating severe head trauma and sexual assault. The Spokane County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide due to blunt force trauma. Detectives struggled for years to link a suspect to the case until they received assistance from a genetic genealogy firm, Othram.

The investigation advanced when family members of Anderson provided DNA, revealing their relationship to him, which helped establish him as the suspect. The kinship analysis showed one family member was Anderson's child and another his half-brother. If he were alive today, Spokane Police would charge Anderson with 1st Degree Murder and 1st Degree Rape. This development highlights the evolving role of genetic technology in solving cold cases.