Almost 50 years after two young women were assaulted and murdered in Pennsylvania, police say DNA evidence has finally identified their killer.
Unfortunately, the man investigators believe was responsible died three years ago. Even more troubling, authorities in Pennsylvania believe he may have killed other women.
Pennsylvania State Police announced Wednesday that DNA evidence linked James Richard Clark Sr. to the murders of Susan Rush in 1976 and Brenda Ritter in 1977.
Clark, who was 19 and 20 years old when the homicides occurred, was never considered a suspect during the original investigations. He died of natural causes in July 2023 at age 66, according to WPXI.
DNA Evidence Finally Solves Two Cold Case Murders From Nearly 50 Years Ago
On November 24, 1976, 21-year-old Susan Rush disappeared after leaving her job at G.C. Murphy’s in the Washington Mall.
She was supposed to meet her family for a Thanksgiving Eve dinner but never arrived. Police later discovered her body in the trunk of her car. She had been physically assaulted and strangled.
Six months later, on May 18, 1977, 18-year-old Brenda Ritter disappeared after leaving her boyfriend’s home during a thunderstorm.
Investigators eventually found her abandoned car on Rankin Road in Washington County. Investigators discovered her body nearby. She had also been assaulted and strangled.
Despite numerous leads, both homicides remained unsolved for decades.
In 2008, investigators recovered an unidentified male DNA profile from evidence in Ritter’s case. Additional testing in May 2025 finally connected the two homicides, and subsequent forensic work identified Clark.
“The testing identified the same offender murdered both,” Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. James Petrosky said. “This testing confirmed there was a serial killer in Washington County during that time.”
Police Believe The Serial Killer May Have More Victims
According to ABC News, authorities are now investigating whether James Richard Clark Sr. was responsible for additional unsolved homicides.
One reason for their concern is that Clark worked as a long-haul truck driver, traveling throughout the country. So far, however, no additional victims have been publicly linked to Clark.
“I believe that once you’re a serial killer, you’re always a serial killer,” Petrosky said. “I believe there could potentially be more victims out there.”
The announcement in Pennsylvania comes as advances in DNA technology continue helping investigators revisit decades-old cold cases. Last week, DNA testing also linked notorious serial killer Ted Bundy to a Utah teenager’s 1974 murder, according to CBS News.
“This case demonstrates the importance of preserving evidence,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera.
Last year, two discoveries raised fears about possible serial killers, including human remains found near Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island mansion and bodies discovered in Houston-area bayous. Earlier this year, there were concerns that a serial killer was on the loose in one of Mexico’s World Cup host regions. None of those cases resulted in anyone being charged with multiple homicides.
For the families of Rush and Ritter, the DNA breakthrough finally answers many questions after nearly five decades. Now, with their suspected killer already dead and investigators concerned there may be more victims, the case isn’t necessarily over.