San José Police Department has identified a suspect in the 1997 cold case homicide of 34-year-old Karen Gevorkov, bringing a haunting mystery closer to resolution. Through the prowess of modern DNA technology, deceased Kansas resident Victor Lamont Ferguson has been posthumously recognized as the perpetrator of the crime that went unsolved for nearly three decades, as reported by the San José Police Department.

In the initial investigation, detectives were called to Boynton Avenue on July 16, 1997, where they discovered Gevorkov, who suffered from blunt force trauma. Efforts to solve the case were stymied back then due to a lack of conclusive evidence. However, the recent analysis connected Ferguson's DNA to the clothing of the victim, "made possible through advances in DNA technology," as per the San José Police Department. Ferguson had become a person of interest early on after interviews with residents, but it wasn't until now that the link was scientifically affirmed. Ferguson, who relocated to Kansas after the incident, died in 2022 before he could be held to account for his alleged involvement in Gevorkov’s death.

Chief of Police Paul Joseph, as cited by SJPD's news release, said, "While justice may be delayed, the victim is never forgotten," expressing the department's commitment to seeking the truth no matter the time passed. Furthermore, Joseph hoped the breakthrough would offer closure to Gevorkov's family and remind them that justice is an unrelenting pursuit.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan commented on the weight of the findings, stressing that even though the suspect is deceased, resolving the case brings answers and closure to the family of the victim. In an expression of gratitude, "I want to thank our police department for never giving up in the pursuit of justice — no matter how long it takes, we can all feel safer knowing that those who harm our community will always be found," Mahan told SJPD's release.