Executive Summary
- Elizabeth Wasson, 82, was found murdered in her Hillsboro home in September 1992.
- Hillsboro Police reopened the cold case in 2023, submitting old evidence for new DNA testing.
- Forensic analysis by the Oregon State Police Laboratory linked the DNA to serial killer Cesar Barone.
- Barone, who was convicted of four other murders, died on death row in 2009.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office has definitively linked the 1992 unsolved murder of Elizabeth Wasson to the deceased serial killer Cesar Barone, closing a decades-old cold case through advanced forensic testing. Investigators confirmed the findings following a renewed review of evidence originally collected at the crime scene more than 30 years ago.
Elizabeth Wasson, 82, was found murdered in her Hillsboro, Oregon, home on September 23, 1992. According to the District Attorney’s office, Wasson was a prominent member of her community, known locally as the "Avon Lady" and the widow of a pastor. For decades, her death remained unsolved, although Barone had been considered a potential suspect during the initial investigation.
The breakthrough in the case came after Hillsboro Police Detective Megan Townsend reopened the file in 2023. Officials stated that Detective Townsend submitted physical evidence from the original crime scene to the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory for modern DNA analysis. Technicians successfully isolated male DNA from the material, which forensically matched the profile of Cesar Barone.
"For years, this family lived without answers. Today, we’re finally able to give them the truth they deserved from the beginning," Detective Townsend said in a statement released by the agency.
Cesar Barone was a known serial offender who was convicted of murdering four women in the Pacific Northwest. He was sentenced to death for those crimes and was also accused of sexually assaulting and strangling three other women who survived their attacks. Barone died in prison in 2009 while awaiting execution. Because he is deceased, he cannot be prosecuted for Wasson’s murder, but officials have communicated the findings to Wasson’s surviving family members.
Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton highlighted the importance of cold case units in providing resolution to long-standing inquiries. "With every cold case solved, we are sending a message to victims and their families that they are not forgotten," Barton stated.
Investigative Outlook
The resolution of the Elizabeth Wasson case underscores the critical role of evolving forensic technology in clearing the backlog of unsolved homicides. By applying modern DNA profiling to preserved evidence, law enforcement agencies can now identify perpetrators even decades after the fact, or—as in this instance—after the suspect has died. This case highlights a shift in prosecutorial strategy where the primary objective transitions from courtroom conviction to providing investigative closure for the community and surviving families. It is important to note that while forensic evidence has linked Barone to the crime, all individuals are formally presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
