Murrietta Cold Case Murder Comes To A Close

MURRIETA (CBS) — A cold case more than 31 years old has come to an end.

Shelby Shamblin, now 48, is accused of killing 67-year-old Elizabeth Crossman on Jan. 17, 1980. According to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office, Crossman was sexually assaulted and strangled in her home, but Hemet police investigators had few leads in the case.

Shamblin was identified as a possible suspect because the then-17-year- old had been hired to do odd jobs around the property, said District Attorney's Office spokesman John Hall. Detectives were unable to gather enough evidence to connect Shamblin to the murder.

Forensic technicians took evidence samples from Crossman's body, storing it until 2002, when Hemet police detectives submitted it to the California Department of Justice for analysis, according to Hall. The samples finally found a match last month, he said.

Hall said a sample of Shamblin's DNA was collected after he was arrested on a drug charge last year.

Because Shamblin was a teenager when the crime occurred, his case will be handled initially by a juvenile court judge, according to Hall. A hearing is scheduled for Monday.

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