Cold Case Murder Of Janet Stallcup Solved 44 Years Later In OC

GARDEN GROVE, CA — The rape and murder of 19-year-old nursing student Janet Stallcup remained an unsolved mystery for 44 years after she was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery in Cypress. It turns out her killer was there all along, buried under a headstone not so far away in the same cemetery.

The case has finally been solved, the Orange County District Attorney's Office reported Wednesday. A genealogical DNA database linked Terry Dean Hawkins, 23, to the crime, according to District Attorney Todd Spitzer. Hawkins died in the Orange County Jail in 1977, a year after he killed Stallcup, said Spitzer.

Stallcup was just 19 and a nursing student in 1976 when disappeared and was later found dead in Garden Grove.

On Dec. 19, 1976, the young student with a bright future failed to show up for a party, Spitzer says. It took eight days to find her body, located in her car a mere 2½ miles from her apartment.

Just over 26 years later, in 2002, investigators were able to create a DNA profile of her killer from evidence taken from the crime scene. At that time, they were unable to match the DNA to anyone in a law enforcement database CODIS (Combined DNA Index System), according to Spitzer.

Garden Grove Police Chief Tom DaRe has never forgotten Stallcup's murder. Neither have the generations of cops who have worked the case. Watching other cold case murders solved in Orange County and across California, the pull to close Janet's case remained strong for police, family and advocates.

In 2020, Garden Grove police urged prosecutors to use genetic genealogy to help match the DNA they had on file to a suspect using familial DNA. That investigation, which included DNA testing of biological tissue from Hawkins’ autopsy, ultimately led to Hawkins being identified as the perpetrator, prosecutors say.

"We know who killed Janet Stallcup because generations of law enforcement officers refused to give up on finding her killer," Spitzer said.

"Advances in technology and DNA are breathing life back into cases that have grown cold over the years," he said. "Justice that had been evasive for decades is now at our fingertips hidden away in DNA. Loved ones who have spent years wondering if they will ever have the peace of mind of knowing who killed their daughter, their sister, their friend now know who is responsible. I want to thank the Garden Grove Police Department and the Science and Technology Unit at the Orange County District Attorney's Office for their never-ending dedication to the pursuit of justice."

DaRe discussed how gratifying it was to solve the case. Still, the details of what happened to Stallcup in her final hours and how Stallcup and Hawkins' paths crossed remain unknown. To DaRe, the important part is identifying her killer.

"Advances in DNA technology have not only assisted in identifying Janet Stallcup's murderer but have become a valuable tool for law enforcement," he said. "We are thankful that through our partnership, we are finally able to bring closure to Janet Stallcup's family and loved ones."

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