Police said Friday they finally have a suspect in a murder case that is 30 years old, 10TV'sAngela An reported.
Generations have come and gone at an apartment building on Wilson Avenue, but photos from Dec.9. 1980 reveal a crime scene that was hard to forget.
Wanda Zellner, 23, who worked at a nursing home as an aide, was found murdered.
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Zellner's 2-year-old son was clinging to her side. "I remember climbing out of my crib and goingto my mom's bedroom and laying with my mom," Quwante Zellner Leftwich said.
Police found Zellner and her son at a bloody crime scene.
"She was stabbed multiple times and the knife was actually still in the victim when she wasfound," said Columbus Police Detective Ralph Taylor.
Leftwich, said 30 years is a long time to wait, but he has new hope thanks to technology thatwas not available decades ago.
Untested DNA from 1980 was submitted to a statewide database, and came back with a match.
James Preston Martini, also known as James Hughes, was already serving time for obstruction in arape and murder case in Reynoldsburg, An reported.
Columbus police obtained a second DNA sample to confirm their findings, but by the time testresults came back, Martini was already a free man.
"By the time we got our test back, he was already released, so he's a free man now," Taylorsaid.
Zellner's murder at the apartment 30 years ago may not be the only one tied to the suspect,detectives said.
At least four other African-American women, all in the nursing home industry, were all raped bya man, wielding a knife, An reported.
Detectives said Martini's job as a van driver gave him access to stalk his victims.
"His job at that time he would drive a van to these nursing facilities pick up elderly patients,take them to hospitals, and bring them back to the facilities, so that's how we think he met hisvictims," Taylor said.
For now, Leftwich just wants answers.
"Sometimes I worry a bit, because I think, ok, he's out there, who else is he doing thisto?"
Detectives believe Martini travels between Columbus and Atlanta.
Crime Stoppers is now offering a reward up to $5,000 for any information that can help catchMartini. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers 614-461-8477.
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