45-Year Cold Case Solved: DNA Identifies Killer of California Teen.
The brutal 1979 murder of 17-year-old Esther Gonzalez in Riverside County, California, has finally been solved with the help of advanced DNA technology, offering long-awaited closure to her grieving family.
Esther was last seen on February 9, 1979, when she left her family’s home in Banning, California, intending to visit her sister. The following day, her body was discovered in a snow-covered area near a highway. Authorities revealed that she had been raped and beaten to death.
Despite early investigative efforts, the case went cold for decades.
Among those initially involved in the investigation was Lewis Randolph “Randy” Williamson, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who had called the authorities upon discovering Gonzalez’s body.
Williamson was questioned but passed a polygraph test, which, combined with the lack of forensic technology, led to his clearance as a suspect. He had no criminal convictions, though he had faced assault allegations in the past.
Crucial evidence came in the form of a preserved semen sample from the crime scene, but it remained unmatched in the national DNA database for years. In 2023, the Riverside County cold case team partnered with a Texas-based forensic genealogy lab to revisit the evidence.
Using Williamson’s autopsy DNA from 2014, investigators finally confirmed that he was responsible for the rape and murder. Williamson had died in Florida a decade earlier, in 2014, meaning he would never face prosecution for his crime.
The Gonzalez family expressed a mix of relief and sadness upon learning the identity of the killer. Esther’s brother, Eddie Gonzalez, praised the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for their dedication in a Facebook post:
“The Gonzalez family would like to thank the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department on a job well done. After 40 years, the Gonzalez family has closure.”
Esther was remembered by her family as a kind, shy, and funny young woman. Her sister, Elizabeth, stated, “We are happy that we finally have closure, but sad that he won’t face any punishment for her murder.”
