DNA match fingers suspect 14 years after murder

A DNA match led to the arrest of a man accused of murdering a teenaged New York girl 14 years ago in what had been an unsolved case, city prosecutors said Thursday.

James Martin, 44, was charged with murder, rape and sodomy in the February 1998 assault on a 14-year-old runaway. DNA samples were collected from the scene, but technology at the time was unable to provide a profile of the killer.

However, last year, the Bronx District Attorney's office began to reexamine evidence in cold cases and used new technology to create a DNA profile in the 1998 murder. The DNA matched that of Martin, who was imprisoned for the 2005 killing of his wife, the DA's office said.

Martin was arraigned Thursday and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.

(c) 2012 AFP