San Rafael Cold Case Solved After 50 Years with DNA Evidence
- Idaho man arrested for the 1973 sexual assault and killing of a woman in Marin County.
- Investigators used DNA evidence to track down and apprehend the suspect this week.
- The cold case murder from 1973 has finally seen a breakthrough with the arrest.
SAN RAFAEL – In a significant breakthrough, investigators have arrested a suspect in the 1973 sexual assault and murder of Nina "Nadine" Fischer, a Swedish national, at her home in Marin County. Michael Eugene Mullen, 75, was apprehended in Idaho on Wednesday, as confirmed by the Marin County Sheriff's Office. Fischer was attacked during the day while her husband was at work, and the case had remained unsolved for decades due to a lack of leads. The investigation into Fischer's death went cold for many years, but in 2021, the Marin County Sheriff's Office sought assistance from the California Department of Justice's Familial Search Program. This initiative aimed to leverage DNA technology to generate new leads in cold cases. After several months of analysis, the program provided crucial information that ultimately pointed investigators toward Mullen as a suspect. Following a thorough investigation spanning three years, authorities from the Marin County Sheriff's Office, the district attorney's office, and law enforcement in Lemhi County, Idaho, collaborated to take Mullen into custody. He is currently being held at the Lemhi County Jail, where he awaits court proceedings related to his extradition to California. This arrest marks a pivotal moment in a case that has haunted the community for half a century, highlighting the advancements in forensic science that can bring justice to long-unsolved crimes.