More than 40 years after a 15-year-old girl was brutally murdered, her family and community finally have justice.
Gary Ramirez, a 78-year-old man from Maui, Hawaii, was sentenced to life in prison today. He will be able to ask for parole after 25 years. He was found guilty of killing Karen Stitt, a high school student from Palo Alto, in 1982. Ramirez had earlier said he would not fight the charges in court by pleading “no contest” on February 24 this year.
The sentencing happened in a courtroom in Santa Clara Country, where Judge Hanley Chew announced the punishment. Karen Stitt’s family and friends were there, and many were emotional. Some shared how they still feel deep sadness and anger over her tragic death, even after all these years.
Justice Served After Four Decades in Cold Case Murder of Teen Girl
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said, “Over 40 years ago, Karen Stitt lost her life, but she was not forgotten. Today, thanks to a dedicated detective, a persistent prosecutor, and our Crime Lab, the person responsible is behind bars.”
Brutal 1982 Murder
Karen Stitt’s murder shocked the Bay Area in the early 1980s. On the night of September 2, 1982, she took a bus from her home in Palo Alto to visit her boyfriend in Sunnyvale. Around midnight, she started walking back to catch a bus home near El Camino Real and Wolfe Road.
The next morning, her body was found about 100 yards from the bus stop, next to a wall with blood stains. She had been sexually assaulted and stabbed more than 50 times.
Even though the killer left behind blood and other evidence, police were not able to identify him for many years. The case remained unsolved for decades, despite many attempts to find out who did it.
How the Case Was Solved
The big break in the case came in 2019, when Detective Matt Hutchison from the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety got a tip that pointed to a group of four brothers from Fresno. After a detailed study of their DNA, Gary Ramirez was found to be the likely match to the DNA found on Karen Stitt’s body. In April 2022, the Santa Clara County Crime Lab confirmed it was a match.
Today’s sentencing is the culmination of years of relentless effort,” said one prosecutor involved in the case. “This was a crime that could have faded into history, but it never did, thanks to the persistence of our team and the memory of a young girl whose life was stolen far too soon.”
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