30-year Cold Case Solved through Genetic Genealogy: Justice Served for Danielle Clause’s Family and Friends

After more than three decades, the brutal murder of Danielle Clause in California in 1991 has finally been solved thanks to advanced forensic genetic genealogy techniques. The Ventura Police Department has identified Larry Welch as the perpetrator, bringing closure to Clause’s family and friends. Clause’s sister, Marcie Forte, expressed gratitude and relief, stating that her prayers have been answered. Forte remembered Clause as a “good person with a mighty soul, and she was taken way too young.” Clause’s body was discovered on a hillside in Ventura in July 1991, having suffered sexual assault and multiple blunt-force injuries to the head. Her husband reported her missing the previous night. Despite the case going cold, police retested crime scene evidence for DNA in 2021, resulting in Welch’s identification. Welch passed away eight years after Clause’s murder, and there was no known connection between them at the time of her killing. The Ventura Police Department maintains an ongoing commitment to achieving justice for victims and their loved ones, even in cases that have lapsed significantly in time. They currently have over 25 cold cases on file, including homicides and missing persons.