Police said Monday that DNA from under the fingernails of a Las Vegas woman killed in 1980 led to the arrest of a suspect in the long-cold murder case.
Sandra DiFelice, 25, was “brutally raped and murdered” on December 26, 1980, in a home she shared with a roommate, according to Las Vegas Police Lt. Jason Johansson.
After detectives re-examined her case, DNA collected from under her fingernails was tested using new technology, and the suspect, Paul Nuttall, was arrested Thursday, police said.
“I am hopeful that this provides some sort of closure for the family in some way, shape, or form,” Johansson, of the department’s homicide section, said at the time.
DiFelice’s daughter prompted a review of her mother’s case last year when she called the police in February 2021 and asked for an update.
He said the daughter was three years old at the time of the murder and was staying with her grandparents on the night of the crime.
“They were able to determine that there was additional evidence that could be submitted for processing using new DNA technology,” Johansson said after police and the DNA lab reexamined the case.
According to police, this led to the arrest of Nuttall, now 64. According to police, he was arrested on murder, sexual assault, and burglary charges and was still living in Las Vegas.
According to reports, Nuttall was being held without bail on Monday night.
Nuttall’s attorney is listed as a public defender in court records, and the office could not be reached after business hours Monday. His home phone number could not be located.
Nuttall was a person of interest at the time of the murder, and his fingerprint was discovered in DiFelice’s home, Johansson told reporters Monday.
But there was another explanation at the time, he said, and police believe Nuttall knew DiFelice’s roommate and may have known DiFelice casually.
