DNA evidence has identified James Vanest, 68, as the suspect in the 1981 murder of 18-year-old Debra Miller in Mansfield, Ohio.

Miller was fatally beaten with an oven grate in her apartment, and Vanest, who lived above her, was questioned but not considered a suspect at the time.

Advanced DNA analysis in 2021 linked Vanest to evidence from the crime scene.

After fleeing to West Virginia and later returning to Ohio, Vanest was killed in a shootout with authorities at a Canton hotel on November 18, following an attempted arrest, NBC News has reported.

Authorities hope this resolution brings closure to Miller’s family after 43 years.

Written by B.C. Begley