Crime and Courts

Victor man arrested in 1996 Washington murder 'cold case'

Posted: Dec 4, 2012 8:31 AM by MTN News

SEATTLE - A man from the Bitterroot has been arrested in connection with a 1996 murder that happened in Washington State.

The King's County Sheriff's Office reports that their Cold Case Unit arrested a 59-year-old man, who's suspected in the killing a mother of two in 1996.

Sandi Johnson was 28 when she disappeared on April 26, 1996, and her body was later found along a Washington highway.

The Kirkland Patch reports that the man was arrested in Victor on Monday by detectives from the King County Sheriff's Office. The Seattle Post Intelligencer has identified the suspect as Clifford Reed, 59, on its website.

The suspect was arrested at his home without incident, with the sheriff's office saying in a news release that the suspect was a co-worker of Johnson's at the time of her disappearance.

"This proves what can be done with a dedicated cold case unit that follows-up on leads and conducts thorough investigations," said King County Sheriff John Urquhart. "The Sheriff's Office remains committed to finding ways to seek justice in murder cases, no matter how much time has passed."

"This case shows the true value of a cold case detective squad," said King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg. "The families of victims of unsolved murders need to know that we will never give up seeking justice for them," he added.

The suspect will be extradited to King County to face the charges against him.