LYNBROOK, NY – After more than 40 years, investigators have used DNA evidence from a smoothie straw to solve the brutal murder of a 16-year-old Long Island girl, bringing closure to a case that had haunted the community for decades and led to wrongful convictions.
Theresa Fusco was fired from her job at the snack bar of Hot Skates roller skating rink in Lynbrook on November 10, 1984. Witnesses say she left in tears at 9:45 p.m. to walk home, a journey of just four blocks. She never arrived.
Nearly a month later, on December 5, 1984, Fusco’s nude body was discovered in a wooded area near the skating rink. The teenager’s body had been covered with leaves and debris in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime. An autopsy determined she died from ligature strangulation and had been sexually assaulted.
The breakthrough in the case came when investigators were able to recover DNA evidence from a smoothie straw found at the crime scene. Modern forensic technology allowed investigators to process the decades-old evidence and identify a suspect, though authorities have not yet released the name of the person arrested.
The case had previously resulted in a miscarriage of justice, as three men were wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for the rape and murder they did not commit. Those men have since been exonerated, though the years they lost cannot be returned.
The wrongful convictions highlight the limitations of forensic technology in the 1980s and the devastating consequences of false prosecutions. DNA testing, which was not widely available at the time of Fusco’s murder, has proven to be a powerful tool in both solving cold cases and clearing the innocent.
Fusco’s family has waited more than four decades for justice. While the arrest cannot bring back the teenager whose life was cut short, investigators hope it will provide some measure of closure to those who have lived with the tragedy for so long.
The case has been featured on true crime podcast “Body Bags with Joseph Scott Morgan,” which has helped keep public attention focused on unsolved cases. The hosts, Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack, have discussed the details of Fusco’s murder and the investigation.
Law enforcement officials say the case demonstrates the importance of preserving evidence from unsolved crimes, as advancing technology may one day provide the tools needed to identify perpetrators who have evaded justice for decades.
