By Stephanie V. Siek, The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Nearly 24 years after Dorothy Fisher was found strangled in her apartment, authorities believe they have solved the case.
Jackson County prosecutors have charged Dawud K. Abdelmalik, 43, after matching his DNA with a profile taken from material found under Fisher’s fingernails. He was scheduled to make his first court appearance Friday afternoon.
Police discovered Fisher’s body on Nov. 9, 1980, shortly after her family asked them to check on her because they hadn’t been able to reach her. She was 22.
Police had reached a dead end in the case until advancing technology made extracting a DNA profile possible.
The Kansas City Police Department’s cold case squad reopened the case about two months ago, said squad supervisor Sgt. John Jackson.
Abdelmalik has prior convictions for felonious restraint, sex crimes and aggravated assault, Jackson said. He was released in June 2002 after serving time for those convictions.
Jackson said Fisher and Abdelmalik knew each other, but were not close. Police have not identified a motive for the killing.
DNA evidence played a part in most of the 22 cases that the cold case squad solved last year, Jackson said.