"Chewing Gum DNA Leads to Conviction in 1980 Cold Case Murder"

DNA from a discarded chewing gum led to the arrest and conviction of Robert Plympton for the 1980 murder of Barbara Tucker in Oregon. Tucker, a college student, was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and beaten to death. Genetic genealogy and a "snapshot phenotype prediction" helped identify Plympton as the suspect. Swabs from Tucker's autopsy and DNA from the gum matched, leading to Plympton's arrest. Witnesses had seen a distressed woman around the time of the murder. Plympton's attorneys intend to appeal his convictions, and his sentencing is scheduled for June.