Shocking twist in the cold case murder of a 17-year-old girl found dead in the snow in 1979

California officials say yes identified the man they say he is responsible for the brutal rape and murder of a teenager in 1979.

In February of that year, Esther Gonzalez, 17, was attacked as she walked from her parents’ home to her sister’s home in Riverside County, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles.

The next day, the teen’s body was found dumped in a pile of snow near a highway. Authorities at the time determined that she had been raped and bludgeoned to death.

The case lingered for more than 45 years until officials were able to use forensic technology to find her killer. In a news release issued Wednesday, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office said a man named Lewis Randolph “Randy” Williamson is now connected to the case.

Williamson died in 2014. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and moved to Florida, according to the Los Angeles Times. He had a history of assault charges but had no convictions for violent crimes, the outlet reported.

Following Esther murderWilliamson called the Riverside County Sheriff’s Station to report he had found a body. He told police he did not know if the person was male or female. Officials noted that the man was “argumentative.” Once investigators were able to identify the caller, they brought him in for a polygraph test five days later.

Williamson agreed and passed the test, effectively clearing him of wrongdoing. A semen sample was recovered from Gonzalez’s body, but DNA testing was not available at the time. The sample was eventually uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a national DNA database widely used by law enforcement.

Detectives continued to investigate the case for years.

In 2023, members of the county’s cold case homicide team sent several items to a Texas laboratory for testing. Officials were later able to use a sample of Williamson’s blood from an autopsy to determine that his DNA matched DNA found on Gonzalez, bringing closure to the girl’s family.

Jason Corey, a county investigator, told the newspaper, “This murder still haunts them,” speaking of Gonzalez’s family. But Esther has never been forgotten by us all these years.”

Authorities are asking that anyone with information about the case or potential victims contact county officials.