Trigger warning: This article mentions graohic details about the crime. Reader discretion is advised.
The family of 23-year-old victim Claudia Guevara can finally rest easy after her killer was finally caught. The case that went cold for 30 years has finally come to a fitting conclusion thanks to cutting-edge DNA technology.
Guevara was last seen at an El Monte bus stand in February 1996. After she went missing, authorities immediately began the hunt for the missing woman. Unfortunately, Guevara was found in a drainage ditch in Los Angeles.
She was discovered without clothes and with a stab wound in her neck. Her body also showed signs of severe s—– assault and violence. This strongly indicated the violent nature of the crime. Police immediately began investigating every possible lead in the brutal killing.
However, without advanced technology like high-tech surveillance cameras back in the day, and primitive forensic methods, cops had their work cut out for them. The killer was previously nabbed back in 1996. But because he reportedly had no connection to the victim and because there was insufficient solid evidence against him, he was let go.
CHARGES FILED IN 30-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE‼️
63-year-old Brian Walton of Los Angeles was charged today with murder for the 1996 fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old woman. pic.twitter.com/6KihXtZmAh
— Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (@LADAOffice) February 10, 2026
However, thanks to modern DNA advancements, the case finally gave Guevara’s family the answer they needed and confirmed the killer’s identity: Brian Walton. The criminal is now 63 years old and faces both a prison sentence and possibly the death penalty for his crime.
According to the New York Post, Walton was charged with one count of murder. His murder charge includes two special circumstance enhancements: r— and sodomy.
LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman addressed the brilliant solve, ending the 30-year manhunt. The DA highlighted the family’s emotional pain during their wait for justice. In a press conference, Hochman said, “The victim’s family has waited 30 agonizing years to get that call…”
As mentioned earlier, apart from the tireless efforts from dedicated investigators over the years, DNA became the smoking gun to implicate Walton with the crime. So how does that work exactly? Using DNA to solve crimes began back in the 1980s, but it was limited because databases weren’t digital like they are today.
For over 40 years The Golden State Killer case was considered a cold case, until police put his DNA through a genetic ancestry website. pic.twitter.com/7rzMF4YgYd
— Crime & Investigation on A&E (@AETVCrime) May 11, 2018
Today, DNA samples can be collected from almost any material that the victim or suspect came in contact with on a crime scene. However, this is purely circumstantial and depends on the specifics of each case.
The new cutting-edge DNA tech can identify suspects through distant relatives by constructing a family tree from the sample it gets. This technology is exactly what prompted investigators to revisit the case and nab the real killer.
According to the official website of the LA County District’s DA office, advanced DNA profiling was conducted to find out Walton’s link to Guevara’s murder. But, they did not confirm whether they got a DNA match from a national criminal database or a genealogy website.
Details about a trial deciding Walton’s fate is yet to be revealed. Whether or not the court would consider the death penalty, given the special circumstances, remains to be seen. Hopefully, Guevara’s case won’t be the only cold case that gets solved.
