ALBAWABA - In the state of Oregon, police have finally made a breakthrough in a murder case that had remained unsolved for over 40 years, and a piece of gum was the key behind it, as was reported by CNN.
Last week, authorities arrested a man Dean Robert Plimpton, aged 60, on charges related to a murder that took place all the way back in 1980. Plimpton faces charges of first-degree murder and four counts of second-degree murder.
How a piece of gum solved a 44-year-old crime
The victim, Barbara Tucker, was a student at Mount Hood Community College. The Multnomah County District Attorney's office disclosed this information in a press release.
Details of the crime revealed that Tucker, only 19 years old at the time, was kidnapped and fatally beaten. Her body was discovered near a parking lot close to the college campus, shocking the community back then.
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The key to solving this sad case came from an unexpected source: a piece of gum. Plimpton unknowingly left behind DNA evidence when he discarded gum while under observation more than three years ago. This DNA was matched to autopsy samples taken from Tucker's body.
Thanks to this DNA evidence, authorities were able to make the arrest, bringing closure to a long-standing mystery. Plimpton now faces legal proceedings as the case moves forward, shedding light on a tragic event that had remained unresolved for decades. This also shows how amazing technology is and how far it has come since the 1980s, as without it the chances are this crime would have never been solved.
