After more than four decades, the 1982 murder of 15-year-old Karen Stitt has finally seen justice served. Gary Ramirez, a 78-year-old man from Hawaii, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 25 years for the brutal slaying of the Palo Alto girl. As reported by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, this outcome follows the relentless efforts of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety's detectives and the DA's Crime Lab.
On a fateful night in September 1982, Ramirez assaulted and stabbed Karen Stitt over 50 times after she embarked on a bus journey from Palo Alto to Sunnyvale. Her body was discovered the next morning near a bus stop, a grim reminder of violence that had shattered a community and a family. District Attorney Jeff Rosen articulated the weight of the resolution, stating, "Over 40 years ago, Karen Stitt lost her life, but she was not forgotten." He hailed the detective work and persistence that led to Ramirez's apprehension and conviction, as per the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.
Key to solving the case was Detective Matt Hutchison of the Sunnyvale DPS, who, using a tip and public genealogy information, identified Ramirez as the likely source of DNA evidence at the crime scene. Hutchison, familiar with the case since his youth, has been quoted by Hoodline expressing the significance of being able to deliver news of the arrest to the victim’s remaining relatives. "That was the biggest moment for me," said Hutchison. "To be able to speak with them and tell them that it's finally done."
David Woods, the boyfriend who had seen Karen Stitt for the last time before her murder, expressed his enduring heartache and hope for closure following the long-awaited verdict. "For 40 years, I have suffered heartache from the horrific loss of a beautiful girl whom I was falling in love with," Woods shared in an email to Bay Area News Group, detailing the burden of regret he has carried. In contrast, Gary Ramirez's older brother expressed shock at the allegations, remembering Ramirez as nonviolent—hardly one who "wouldn't hurt a fly," according to a statement he gave to Bay Area News Group, per Hoodline.
