‘Nice Fella,’ 72, arrested in brutally cold murder of the woman, 23

The Florida authorities have arrested a suspect in the 34-year-old cold case for a single mother who was brutally stabbed and left to die on the side of the road.

St. Cloud Police Department announced the arrest of Gene Stuller, 72, who is now accused of the murder of 27-year-old Julia Wilbanks in 1991.

Police Chief Douglas Goker said at a news conference that progress in DNA technology – in this case genetic genealogy – allowed the police to match DNA found on Wilbank’s body to Stuller.

Wilbanks died after “brutally stabbed about 17 times, including deadly wounds in her heart,” said the head Goerke.

She had been dead on the side of the road for over 24 hours before a group of motorists noticed her body and then flagged down a passing police, Goerke said.

The news of Stuller’s arrest for this crime shocked a number of its neighbors in Apopka, a city located about 20 miles northwest of Orlando.

“Nice Fella … I don’t know what happened,” Gerald Lamm said in an interview with Wriggle.

Lamm continued to call Stuller “Outgoing” and “Jolly” before he added: “” I like the guy, he has always been a good guy … I will miss him. ”

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Manager Goker said that the case had been reopened in 2012, but it was not until this year that the police found a possible match to DNA found on Wilbank’s body.

Officier then conducted surveillance at Stuller and was able to get a straw he used, giving them enough DNA to make a match, said Choef Goerke,

Stuller is now accused of murder at second degrees and disturbing a body.

He will make his first court appearance this week. It was not immediately clear whether he has retained a lawyer or left a foundation.

“The St. Cloud Police Department has undertaken to seek justice for Wilbanks and her family, as well as other unsolved cases,” said Chief Goerke. “When science becomes more advanced, it gives us the opportunity to solve cases that could not be resolved earlier.”