The Ventura County Police have cracked a cold case murder that has puzzled authorities for over 33 years, tracing it back to a suspect through state-of-the-art forensic genetic technology. According to a statement obtained by KTLA, detectives leveraged advancements in DNA testing to finally put a name to the man responsible for the 1991 murder of 42-year-old Danielle Clause, a case that once seemed destined to remain an unresolved enigma.
An autopsy of Clause's body, located on a Ventura hillside on July 16, 1991, indicated she had been sexually assaulted and died from multiple blunt-force injuries to her head. Despite extensive initial investigation, the case went cold after the leads dried up. It wasn't until 2021 that retesting of the crime scene evidence provided a break in the case that led to the identification of one Larry Devon Welch as the perpetrator, as reported by KTLA.
Welch, who died in 1999 and had no known connection to Clause, emerged from the shadowy past thanks to what Ventura Police Chief Darin Schindler described as an "extensive collaboration with local and national law enforcement agencies and nonprofits." The police chief expressed his pride in the tireless work of the detectives involved in the case. Schindler's sentiments were echoed in a press release by City of Ventura, highlighting the commitment of the police department to resolving such mysteries, no matter the passage of time.
Clause's sister, Marcie Forte, paid heart-rending tribute to her sibling who was "so much more than a victim of a brutal murder," emphasizing her multi-faceted life as an artist, mother, and wife. "I didn't really believe that the police were going to solve this, because there are other crimes being committed all the time," Forte told KTLA. "I’m so grateful that I lived to see at least a meter of justice and that they found out who did this." Her relief and gratitude resonate with a family that has waited over three decades for answers.
In a bid to enlighten the public on the intricacies of the case and to honor the memory of Clause, the Ventura Police Department has released a detailed video outlining the dedicated efforts of the original investigators, current detectives, and family members. The video can be found on the city's official website. Moreover, the department has urged anyone with information on this or any other cold cases to reach out at [email protected].
