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After nearly 30 years, justice may finally be served in a cold case out of Azusa, California, where a young woman’s life was tragically cut short. This Monday, prosecutors announced that a 63-year-old man faces charges in connection to the long-unsolved murder, thanks to a breakthrough in DNA technology.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has charged Brian Walton with murder, citing special circumstances that allege he raped and sodomized the victim, 23-year-old Claudia Guevara, before her death.
“For three decades, the family of the victim has endured the pain of waiting for the news that their loved one’s murderer had been identified and held accountable,” stated Nathan Hochman, the Los Angeles County District Attorney.
Hochman continued by emphasizing that although the case had gone cold, investigators and prosecutors remained steadfast in their determination to seek justice, underscoring their dedication to ensuring that those accused of such heinous acts face the consequences.
During a news conference in Los Angeles on February 3, 2026, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna stood beside District Attorney Nathan Hochman as they discussed this significant development. (Photo by Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Guevara, who was reported missing by her brother on Feb. 20, 1996, was last seen at a bus stop in El Monte. She had been dropped off by two co-workers and was never seen again.
Her nude body was found the following day in a drainage ditch near Encanto Parkway, where investigators determined she had been sexually assaulted and stabbed in the neck.
Sunshine lights up Bunker Hill and Los Angeles’ financial district after morning showers, seen from a rooftop along Spring Street on Sept. 10, 1996. (Ken Lubas/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Hochman’s office said DNA evidence linked Walton, who did not know the victim, to the crime.
Jail records from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reviewed by Fox News Digital show that Walton was arrested on Feb. 5 and is being held without bail.
His next court appearance is scheduled for March 18 at 8:30 a.m.
If convicted, Walton faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, or the death penalty, though prosecutors said a decision on whether to seek capital punishment will be made later.