After 20 Years, Arrest Made in Teen Elena Lasswell’s Cold Case Murder
The family of Elena Lasswell is finally receiving answers.
After two decades, Sergio Francisco Reyes has been arrested for the murder of the 15-year-old in Phoenix, Arizona. The Phoenix Police Department announced this on July 11 in a press release shared with E! News.
Reyes, who had been living in Mexico, was extradited on July 10 and taken into custody at Maricopa County Jail. He faces six charges, including sexual assault, first-degree murder, criminal trespass, burglary, and kidnapping.
The arrest of the 37-year-old is significant as it marks exactly 20 years since the tragic event on July 10, 2004, when Phoenix police officers found Lasswell at a house on 2700 North 21st Drive and pronounced her deceased.
Despite being unable to identify a suspect at the time, cold case detectives utilized DNA analysis in 2012, leading to a match with Reyes. He was then identified as the lead suspect in 2013 and indicted by the Maricopa County Grand Jury in 2014, even though he was residing in Mexico.