'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On Friday, Robert Lanoue, a 70-year-old man from Reno, Nevada, was arrested in connection to the 1982 murder of Anne Pham. The case, which remained unsolved for forty years, was reopened by investigators in 2020. They obtained a warrant for Robert Lanoue's arrest in July of this year, and he is currently awaiting an extradition to California.
Five-year-old Anne Pham, a resident of the city of Seaside, California, was abducted on her way to school on January 21, 1982. Despite searches, she was never seen again. Two days later, her remains were found in the area of Fort Ord, east of Seaside.
According to authorities, the decades-old cold case was solved with the help of new methods of DNA testing which were not available back in the day. Based on brand new pieces of evidence submitted to the court, Seaside police were able to identify Robert Lanoue as the suspect in the cruel assault and murder of Pham.
Who is Robert Lanoue? Family receives answers forty years after the death of their child
In January of 1982, five-year-old Anne Pham disappeared on her way to Highland Elementary School without a trace. A couple of days later, her body was found at Fort Ord, a former U.S. Army base near Seaside. Police confirmed that she was sexually assaulted and killed by asphyxiation. At the time, no arrests were made, and for forty years the case remained unsolved.
It was only after the establishment of the district attorney's Cold Case Task Force that evidence was sent for DNA testing. Lanoue, 29 years old at the time, was Pham's neighbor.
Robert Lanoue has a criminal history of being charged with another case of assault. He spent 20 years in prison for sexual assault and was in Nevada's Washoe County Detention Facility for violating a condition of parole.
Prosecutors charged Lanoue with one count of first-degree murder and special circumstances allegations of kidnapping and committing a lewd act on a minor child under 14.
Astrea Forensics, credited with aiding in the search for Lanoue, wrote in a statement:
"Breaking news for what will be a ground-breaking case using genomic methods for forensic identification. We admire the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Task Force and the Seaside Police Department who never gave up on Anne Pham and are still fighting for her justice."
Interim Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges called the case a "very strong" one and stated the significance of the role played by DNA and genealogy. He further told Monterey County Weekly that the day of the arrest was:
"...One of the happiest days of my professional career."
Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni said that there were over 400 unsolved cases in Monterey County, and that any help or information regarding them would be welcomed by the police force.
