The suspected killer of a California woman who was found strangled to death in her bedroom has finally appeared in court more than three decades later.
Alfredo Hernandez, 66, is accused of killing his on-again off-again girlfriend Terri Bistodeau, then 39, at her home in the Emerald Hills neighborhood of San Diego on August 4, 1991.
Prosecutors said he was arrested 3,000 miles away from the crime scene in El Salvador in 2021 after the country accepted an extradition request from the US.
He was arraigned in California court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to murder.
Hernandez was connected to the killing by DNA and fingerprint evidence left at Bistodeau’s home on Geneva Avenue, according to police.
The suspected killer of California woman Terri Bistodeau (pictured), who was found strangled to death in her bedroom in 1991, has finally been arrested more than three decades later
Alfredo Hernandez (pictured), 66, is accused of killing his on-again off-again girlfriend Terri Bistodeau, then 39, at her home in San Diego
BIstodeau was discovered strangled to death at her home (pictured) on Geneva Avenue in the Emerald Hills neighborhood of San Diego in August 1991. A suspect has finally been arrested
Deputy District Attorney Chris Lindberg said Hernandez had been a suspect at the time of the killing, but there was insufficient evidence to arrest him.
The case went cold for three decades as subsequent attempts to refresh the investigation in 2002 and 2006 hit dead ends.
But the use of modern DNA testing in 2019 led to a breakthrough, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s office.
Lindberg said Hernandez twice admitted to killing Bistodeau when interviewed by investigators following his arrest, according to NBC San Diego.
The suspect could face life behind bars in state prison if convicted.
He remains in custody without bail following Thursday’s court appearance.
BIstodeau was discovered strangled to death at her home on Geneva Avenue in the Emerald Hills neighborhood of San Diego in August 1991. A suspect has finally been arrested
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan released a statement about the long-awaited arrest this week.
‘The family and friends of Terri Bistodeau have waited 33 years for the moment when her killer was linked to the crime through DNA evidence and returned to San Diego to finally face justice,’ she said.
