MONTPELIER, Vt. —
An arrest has been made in a 37-year-old murder in Antioch, California, and a student at the Vermont College of Fine Arts is being credited with helping the investigation.
Jennifer Kathleen Gibbons' blogging about the case sparked investigators to open the file once again.
“I just knew this was a story that chose me and I had to see it to the end,” Gibbons said.
Since 2013, Gibbons has been researching and writing about 14-year-old Sauzanne Bombardie's murder that happened in 1980.
Gibbons became interested in the case after visiting her grandparent's grave site. That’s when she stumbled upon Suzanne’s headstone.
“This is hard to talk about. She had been raped and murdered in 1980. I just felt horrified. I was so sad. I went home and wrote a blog called ‘Lost Girl,’” Gibbons said.
Suzanne’s case had gone cold, no leads had been made in decades and no attention was put on the murder.
“About two months later, one of her relatives contacted me through Facebook and thanked me for writing it. She said the case has been cold for so long and she can’t get anyone interested in it,” Gibbons said.
As Gibbons blogging became more popular, it grabbed the attention of former Antiock, California, police Detective Anthony Glod.
“He never let it go. He was the first person who saw her body. He said, ‘I cant let this go, can we meet? Can we do something?’” Gibbons said.
The two were able to revive the case, and recent advancements in DNA testing led to a major turn in the case just last week.
Police arrested Mitchell Lynn Bacom, 63, last Friday in connection with the murder.
The arrest of Bacom, a registered sex offender, could put the case to rest. Police said they are also investigating to see if he had killed any other women.
“I don’t think it's really hit me yet. It was just utter relief, utter joy,” Gibbons said.
Gibbons college thesis this spring will be about the case. She later hopes to publish a book and plans on being in court for Bacom's trial.