SHAFTSBURY, Vt. -
There are finally answers to a 25 year old murder mystery that's haunted Vermonters. A man has been charged with killing Manchester native, Sarah Hunter. But get this, he's already been behind bars for nearly 23 years.
"It's incredible, it really is," Lieutenant Tim Oliver of the Shaftsbury, Vermont State Police Barracks said.
Vermont State Police say it's incredible to finally be closing a case that's been open for 25 years. September 19th, 1986 the 36 year old golf pro, Sarah Hunter was reported missing. Two months later, her body was found in nearby woods. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Now almost 26 years later, Police say 52 year old David Allan Morrison is responsible for her death.
"On June 29th, an arrest warrant was issued," Lt. Oliver said.
Hunter's car was found at a gas station, very close to where Morrison had been working the night she vanished. "That's about 170 feet from where he worked," Bennington State's Attorney Erica Marthage said.
Evidence collected was never enough to make an arrest, but with new DNA technology, investigators were finally able to prove their suspicions. "The hair from Morrison's vehicle matched the mitochondrial DNA obtained from Sarah Hunter's sister's saliva."
Since day one, Morrison has been a suspect in this case. He was interviewed once back in 1986 and again in 1987. Police are now working with the state of California to have him extradited back to Vermont.
Just two years after Hunter's death, Morrison plead guilty to kidnapping, attempted murder and sexual assault in Southern California and is serving a 20 year to life sentence. During more recent interviews with police, Morrison hinted at the fact that he wanted to clear his conscience and give Hunter's family closure.
Police believe that Morrison may be linked to other unsolved murders, but they don't believe he's the Connecticut River Valley Killer. The State's Attorney hopes to have Morrison back in Vermont by October.
