Man Arrested In Cold Case Murder Of Helene Pruszynski

DOUGLAS COUNTY, CO — A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of 21-year-old Helene Pruszynski in 1980, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office announced Monday. The college student was found stabbed to death and sexually assaulted in Highlands Ranch.

James Curtis Clanton, 62, faces murder charges, the sheriff's office said. He was extradited from his home in Lake Butler, Florida over the weekend.

Pruszynski, a KHOW Radio intern, moved from Massachusetts to Colorado to live with her aunt. She was walking from a Union Avenue bus stop on Jan. 16, 1980, when she was abducted, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Her body was found in a field near Daniels Park Road.

In 1998, a DNA profile was uploaded for the murder case, but no suspects were identified. Advancements in forensic genealogy helped with a renewed effort to solve the case in 2017, and investigators were able to obtain a DNA sample that linked Clanton to the case.

Clanton was being held at the Douglas County Jail. He was scheduled to appear in court Monday.