Mansfield police have closed a cold-case homicide that haunted the community for more than forty years and brought closure to a grieving family.
During a news conference Monday afternoon, the department announced that it positively identified the killer of 18-year-old Debbie Lee Miller as James Vanest.
You can watch the full news conference in the player below:
Vanest died last month after police shot him during a standoff in Jackson Township.
RELATED: Fugitive fatally shot by police during standoff in Jackson Township
Miller was killed on April 29, 1981, at her apartment on West Third Street. She had been beaten to death by several household items, including pots and pans and a stove burner grate.
According to police, Vanest lived in an apartment above Miller and had been interviewed by police several times, but in the early years of the investigation, there wasn't enough evidence to positively tie him to the murder.
In 2021, Detective Terry Butler reopened the case and, together with a DNA analyst, looked at the homicide as if it had just happened, taking a look at evidence that had been collected.
"A lot of the DNA profiles that came back to match Mr. Vanest were mixed with Debbie Miller's DNA," Mansfield Police DNA analyst Dawn Fryback said.
It was through that evidence that Vanest's DNA was obtained from various items collected at the crime scene.
"With the continual progress in DNA technology, and some innovative techniques, a firm DNA profile began to show itself on numerous pieces of evidence," Mansfield Police Chief Jason Bammann said.
Police said Vanest was interviewed in 2021 and again in June of 2024. Following the second interview, Vanest sold his house and traveled to West Virginia but was arrested on weapons charges after guns were found during a traffic stop. Vanest — who had a criminal rap sheet going back to the 1970s, was forbidden by law to own any firearms.
Vanest went back to the Canton area after posting bond on state charges and was ultimately killed in a standoff with the ATF and U.S. Marshals service on Nov. 18 in the 6800 block of Sunset Strip NW.
"I think he knew the walls were closing in on him," Mansfield Police Detective Terry Butler said.
Mansfield police said they had obtained enough evidence to present to a grand jury, but those plans were canceled when Vanest was killed.
Authorities now consider the case closed.
