DNA Solves 40-Year-Old Murder Mystery

In a significant breakthrough, Michigan authorities have identified Roni Collins, a 75-year-old Grand Blanc resident, as the perpetrator in the 1983 murder of 16-year-old Sheri Jo Elliott. The case, which had remained unsolved for four decades, was cracked using advanced DNA technology and genetic genealogy. Elliott vanished on November 16, 1983, while walking to a bus stop in Flint and her body was discovered four days later in a ditch in Saginaw County.

The investigation was reopened in 2023 by the Michigan State Police in collaboration with the Western Michigan University Cold Case Program. Students from the program helped digitize and reorganize decades of evidence, which provided critical support for the renewed inquiry. This re-examination led investigators to Collins, who died by suicide in January of this year before authorities could obtain a voluntary DNA sample.