In a significant development in a long-unsolved case, authorities in Michigan have charged Jason Cabello, 47, with the murder and sexual assault of Jeanette Wilton, whose body was found in the Flint River back in 2003. According to a CBS News report, the charges include first-degree premeditated murder, felony murder, and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Initially discovered near her Saginaw home, the autopsy of Wilton, then 57, revealed she was strangled and stabbed multiple times. According to WNEM, Wilton had also suffered from blunt-force trauma to the head and face along with postmortem injuries. The case had gone cold, but the Michigan State Police's dedication led to the reinvestigation in 2021, drawing also from advancements in DNA technology.
The breakthrough came after Western Michigan University's Cold Case program and the MSP laboratory collaborated on reexamining the evidence. As WOODTV reported, a private lab, funded through a cold case grant, was instrumental in developing new leads that pointed to Cabello, who had been in a previous relationship with a relative of Wilton's.
Ahead of his court appearance set for December 17, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel praised the perseverance of the investigative team, saying, as per WOODTV, "For more than a decade, Jeanette's loved ones have lived without answers, but with these charges, we are now one step closer to delivering long-awaited justice."
