Overview

• Jeanette Ralston, a 24-year-old mother, was found strangled in her Volkswagen Beetle in San Jose in 1977 after leaving a bar with an unknown man.
• A fingerprint on a pack of Eve cigarettes found in Ralston's car was matched to Willie Eugene Sims in August 2024, providing a major lead in the cold case.
• DNA collected from Sims earlier this year matched samples found on Ralston's fingernails and the shirt used to strangle her, confirming his connection to the crime.
• Sims, a former Army private stationed at Fort Ord at the time of the murder, had a prior 1978 conviction for an assault to commit murder and moved out of state before his DNA was entered into CODIS.
• Sims was arrested in Ohio on May 6, 2025, and is awaiting extradition to California, where he faces a potential sentence of 25 years to life if convicted.