SC SC - Jessica Gutierrez, 4, Lexington, 6 June 1986

[watcher9]

"It's one step closer to answers and justice for my sister," David Gutierrez, Jessica's brother, said.

David and his family are breathing a sigh of relief now that Thomas McDowell has been denied bond after being arrested and charged for the kidnapping and murder of Jessica Gutierrez.

The bond denial is just for the kidnapping charge. Under South Carolina law, the murder charge bond needs to be determined by a circuit court judge in the coming weeks.

Bond denied for Thomas McDowell in Jessica Gutierrez case | wltx.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The case had gone unsolved since Jessica disappeared from her home June 6, 1986. Federal and South Carolina law enforcement officials arrived in Lexington County in September to continue investigating the case. Debra Gutierrez, Jessica’s mother, said Friday that she felt relief when she found out that someone had finally been charged in her daughter’s disappearance. ”I’m glad God brought me to see it,” she said. “I prayed he would bring me through it, and we’ve waited for this a long time.” Thomas Eric McDowell, 61, was taken into custody Thursday at 7:50 a.m. at his North White Street home in Wake Forest, N.C., by Wake Forest police officers. He is charged with murder, kidnapping and first-degree burglary in connection with Jessica’s disappearance, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article257109997.html

Missing Jessica Gutierrez: North Carolina man arrested in 35-year-old cold case of girl taken from her home - News Nation USA

 

[imstilla.grandma]

THE UNFINISHED: Lexington investigator reveals details of solving cold case of missing child - ABC Columbia

The Unfinished started in 2017 to investigate these kinds of cases for families at no charge.

www.abccolumbia.com

 

[spartanx]

I'm glad that this scum has been accused of kidnapping Jessica. I hope they give him the death penalty, hopefully I don't know due to mechanical asphyxia or something like that... Jessica's mother still believes that the ex-boyfriend had something to do with her kidnapping since The guy quickly found out where the girls were... and Rebbeca was not wrong about the hat, besides, everything was dark... although I still have a doubt, didn't the mother hear anything? And why did she clean the windows every night? Because of a footprint, they were able to find that sick guy who kidnapped her... because she's a 5-year-old baby, her entire life lost because of these two trash guys from society...
rest in peace little jessica

 

[John/Jane Doe]

Jessica Suzanne Gutierrez – The Charley Project

 

[John/Jane Doe]

173DFSC - Jessica Suzanne Gutierrez

 

[StarryStarryNight]

‘I don’t even have a grave to visit’: Trial set for man arrested in connection with 1986 cold case

A man charged in connection with one of the most notorious cold cases in state history is expected to go to trial early February.

www.wistv.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

"We took a fresh look at this case in September when FBI special agents and analysts assigned to its specialized Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team and prosecutors with the South Carolina Attorney General's Office came to Lexington," Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said at the time of McDowell's arrest. "SLED agents also joined us in reviewing initial reports and interviewing more than 125 people. Because of the work we did, coming together as a team, we were able to sort and connect more pieces of the puzzle about what happened to Jessica all those years ago."
The case will be handled by the Attorney General's Office, which has held the case since 2015.

Trial begins this week in Jessica Gutierrez kidnapping and murder

Thomas Eric McDowell to be tried in Lexington County Court, beginning February 5

www.wltx.com

 

[StarryStarryNight]

"We took a fresh look at this case in September when FBI special agents and analysts assigned to its specialized Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team and prosecutors with the South Carolina Attorney General's Office came to Lexington," Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said at the time of McDowell's arrest. "SLED agents also joined us in reviewing initial reports and interviewing more than 125 people. Because of the work we did, coming together as a team, we were able to sort and connect more pieces of the puzzle about what happened to Jessica all those years ago."
The case will be handled by the Attorney General's Office, which has held the case since 2015.

Trial begins this week in Jessica Gutierrez kidnapping and murder

Thomas Eric McDowell to be tried in Lexington County Court, beginning February 5

www.wltx.com

Does anybody know if this trial will be televised or streamed?

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Now he will face trial in the little girl’s death beginning the week of Feb. 5. She vanished from her home in the Edmund community overnight on June 6, 1986. The only clue to what happened to her came from Jessica’s then-6-year-old sister, Becky, who said she saw “the man with the magic hat and the beard” take Jessica from their shared bedroom the night before. Jessica has never been found.

https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article283839548.html

Jessica’s mother, Debbie Gutierrez, said she’s mentally preparing herself to face McDowell during the trial.

Trial underway for man charged in connection with one of the most notorious cold cases in S.C. history

A trial is underway for a man charged in connection with one of the most notorious cold cases in state history.

www.wistv.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

On Feb. 8, after three days of testimony at the Lexington courthouse, the jury deliberated for about two hours and found the 63-year-old guilty of murder, kidnapping and first-degree burglary. Circuit Judge Debra McCaslin sentenced him to life in prison.

“This is horrific,” McCaslin said. “I believe the jury got it right.”

While the case is closed, her mother, Debra Gutierrez, said she has one more hope: to bring her baby back home

“It’s a mother’s worst nightmare and a nightmare that a sister does not wake up from,” Abee, a prosecutor with the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, said during closing arguments.

Thomas McDowell sentenced to life in prison, closing 1986 kidnap-murder case

Thomas McDowell was sentenced to life in prison for breaking into a Lexington County home to kidnap and kill 4-year-old Jessica Gutierrez in the 1986 cold case.

www.postandcourier.com

 

[StarryStarryNight]

I am so happy that this man is finally behind bars, but it is a travesty it took this long.
Since the trial wasn’t televised and the coverage wasn’t particularly detailed, it seems that McDowell was convicted pretty much with the same evidence LE had years ago. Did I miss something new that was vital for the case? The article said the fingerprint on the window was the key piece of evidence, and I’m pretty sure they had identified that fingerprint within months of Jessica’s disappearance. Please correct me if I’m remembering wrong.
Back then, if I remember correctly, the Sheriff’s department said they had enough evidence for an arrest and the solicitor said they did not. It was a very contentious and public feud. Looks like the sheriff was right.

edit: typo

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Following the trial, Jessica's mother, Debbie Gutierrez spoke to WACH about how good it felt to finally have justice.

We took a bad man off the streets, one down and we're coming for the rest of em." said Gutierrez

Man gets life for 1986 kidnap and murder of 4-year-old South Carolina girl

A South Carolina man has been sentenced to life in prison after abducting and killing a 4-year-old girl in 1986.

dayton247now.com

 

[Richard]

38 years is a long time to wait for justice. But at last it has come.