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In a breakthrough development, California officials have made an arrest in a baffling cold case that has lingered unsolved for 35 years. The case involves a mother who mysteriously disappeared, leaving her young child and personal belongings behind.
James Lawhead Jr., now 64, was apprehended in Bullhead City, Arizona, last Friday. He is now facing serious charges linked to the 1991 abduction and murder of Cindy Wanner, as reported by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
“This case remains one of the most notorious and chilling cold cases in Placer County’s history. We have never relented in our quest for justice for Cindy and her family,” stated Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo. “We hope this arrest marks the beginning of a healing journey for those affected.”
At the time of her disappearance, Cindy Wanner was 35 years old. On November 25, 1991, she vanished from her Granite Bay, California home, inexplicably leaving her 11-month-old child unattended in a highchair. Her car, shoes, and coat were left untouched, adding to the mystery of her sudden vanishing.
Cindy Wagner disappeared from her home in Granite Bay, Calif., on Nov. 25, 1991, at age 35. (Placer County Sheriff’s Office)
Three weeks later, her body was found in a remote area near Foreshill roughly 40 miles from her home.
Authorities determined Wagner had been strangled.
James Lawhead Jr., 64, was arrested in Bullhead City, Ariz., on Friday and faces charges related to the 1991 kidnapping and murder of Cindy Wanner, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. (Placer County Sheriff’s Office)
The search for Wagner’s killer ran cold, until authorities submitted a final piece of evidence to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office for DNA testing to name Lawhead as a suspect, officials said.
Lawhead, who was 30 at the time of Wagner’s alleged murder, had been released from prison in 1991 after serving 11 years behind bars for sex crimes involving a child.
Cindy Wagner was found strangled three weeks after she vanished from her home in Granite Bay, Calif., on Nov. 25, 1991. (Placer County Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities noted that he had seemingly vanished, pointing to a staggering lack of documentation involving his whereabouts that had not been updated since 2005.
The revelation led authorities to determine Lawhead had likely assumed a new identity and, by working with local law enforcement agencies in areas where he was believed to have been living, investigators used facial recognition to find a match.
Detectives subsequently uncovered that Lawhead had been living in Bullhead City, Ariz., under the name Vincent Reynolds.
Authorities found Cindy Wagner’s 11-month-old child abandoned in a highchair after she disappeared from her home in Granite Bay, Calif., on Nov. 25, 1991. (Placer County Sheriff’s Office)
He was subsequently taken into custody with assistance from the Bullhead City Police Department and booked into an Arizona jail, according to authorities. He is expected to be extradited to Placer County to face charges.
The investigation also led to the arrest of Lawhead’s 71-year-old sister, Terry Lawhead Steele, authorities added.
Cindy Wagner disappeared from her home in Granite Bay, Calif., on Nov. 25, 1991, leaving behind her shoes, coat, and car. (Placer County Sheriff’s Office)
Steele was arrested in South Carolina on Saturday on an accessory charge.
“Although Steele had spoken with law enforcement several times over the years, including with our detectives just weeks ago, and claimed she had not heard from her brother in more than 20 years, investigators discovered James Lawhead had been living in a home she owned,” authorities said. “Evidence also showed the two had remained in communication.”
Authorities are now investigating whether Lawhead is responsible for similar crimes in the area, according to police.
It is not yet clear whether Lawhead has retained an attorney.
“This arrest is a powerful reminder that time does not erase responsibility, and it does not diminish our commitment,” Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire said. “Cold cases are not forgotten cases — they remain urgent, they remain personal, and they remain a promise we intend to keep.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.