Authorities arrested Steve Sylvester, 57, at left, for the 1992 killing of Robert Dennis, 52, at right. (San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department) |
AMARILLO, TX., (KTLA) -- Authorities have arrested a homeless man in Texas after linking him to an unsolved homicide that languished in detectives' cold case files since 1992.
A Victorville woman, Thelma Dennis, found her son, Robert Dennis, dead about 12:10 a.m. on Nov. 5, 1992. He was lying in the hallway of their home in the 13200 block of High Desert Road.
He was 52.
San Bernardino County sheriff's homicide detectives began investigating Dennis' death. There were no signs of forced entry into the Dennis home but property was missing from inside.
The most obvious of the items missing was Dennis' 1983 Subaru Station Wagon, which was not in its normal spot in the garage when detectives went through the house, San Bernardino County sheriff's officials said.
Though the case had gone unsolved since 1992, detectives named a suspect almost immediately after the murder, they were just unable to find him for almost 20 years.
When they went through Dennis' room, detectives found photos depicting him and another man, Steve Sylvester, now 57, a transient from Amarillo, TX, who had arrests in San Bernardino County in 1992.
Investigators working the case could not find Sylvester who hadn't been seen since Dennis' mother discovered his dead body. When Sylvester couldn't be found, the case went cold.
Sheriff's cold case investigators re-opened the case in 2010, flying to Amarillo to search for Sylvester. Though they didn't find him, the investigation led detectives to Shamrock, a town northeast of Amarillo, near the Oklahoma border.
Investigators visited homeless shelters there and told employees to contact police if Sylvester was spotted.
A judge issued a warrant for Sylvester's arrest in March 2011.
Everything changed when San Bernardino County sheriff's cold case investigator Greg Myler received information that Sylvester was spotted at a homeless shelter near Amarillo. Myler's contact also supplied a home address where Sylvester might be staying, authorities said.
Myler contact Amarillo police on Jan. 11 and gave them the address. Within hours, Amarillo officers called Myler back, informing him that they had Sylvester in custody.
Detectives flew to Amarillo on Jan. 12 and interviewed Sylvester. He gave up information tying himself to the killing of Robert Dennis, according to a new release issued by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
Sylvester waived an extradition hearing Jan. 13 and detectives returned him to San Bernardino County a day later.
He is being held on suspicion of murder at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. His bail was set at $1 million. He is scheduled to appear Wednesday in court.
A Victorville woman, Thelma Dennis, found her son, Robert Dennis, dead about 12:10 a.m. on Nov. 5, 1992. He was lying in the hallway of their home in the 13200 block of High Desert Road.
He was 52.
San Bernardino County sheriff's homicide detectives began investigating Dennis' death. There were no signs of forced entry into the Dennis home but property was missing from inside.
The most obvious of the items missing was Dennis' 1983 Subaru Station Wagon, which was not in its normal spot in the garage when detectives went through the house, San Bernardino County sheriff's officials said.
Though the case had gone unsolved since 1992, detectives named a suspect almost immediately after the murder, they were just unable to find him for almost 20 years.
When they went through Dennis' room, detectives found photos depicting him and another man, Steve Sylvester, now 57, a transient from Amarillo, TX, who had arrests in San Bernardino County in 1992.
Investigators working the case could not find Sylvester who hadn't been seen since Dennis' mother discovered his dead body. When Sylvester couldn't be found, the case went cold.
Sheriff's cold case investigators re-opened the case in 2010, flying to Amarillo to search for Sylvester. Though they didn't find him, the investigation led detectives to Shamrock, a town northeast of Amarillo, near the Oklahoma border.
Investigators visited homeless shelters there and told employees to contact police if Sylvester was spotted.
A judge issued a warrant for Sylvester's arrest in March 2011.
Everything changed when San Bernardino County sheriff's cold case investigator Greg Myler received information that Sylvester was spotted at a homeless shelter near Amarillo. Myler's contact also supplied a home address where Sylvester might be staying, authorities said.
Myler contact Amarillo police on Jan. 11 and gave them the address. Within hours, Amarillo officers called Myler back, informing him that they had Sylvester in custody.
Detectives flew to Amarillo on Jan. 12 and interviewed Sylvester. He gave up information tying himself to the killing of Robert Dennis, according to a new release issued by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
Sylvester waived an extradition hearing Jan. 13 and detectives returned him to San Bernardino County a day later.
He is being held on suspicion of murder at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. His bail was set at $1 million. He is scheduled to appear Wednesday in court.
