Who is Fred Cain III? New arrest made in decades-old murder case of 6-year-old Vallejo boy Jeremy Stoner
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VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA: Fred Cain III, a 69-year-old Oregon resident, was recently arrested and charged with the 1987 murder of 6-year-old Vallejo boy Jeremy Stoner, more than 36 years after he was found dead.
While another man was initially charged for Stoner's murder, the case was eventually dismissed and the investigation remained for decades.
However, the case was reopened after District Attorney Krishna Abrams was elected in 2014 and prioritized reinstating Solano County's Cold Case Unit to "hold offenders accountable, see long-awaited justice, and bring closure to victims' families," Fox KTVU reported.
"I am so thankful to have such dedicated cold case investigators that no matter how much time goes by they remain steadfast in their commitment to solving these horrific cases," Abrams said in a statement following Cain III's arrest.
Fred Cain III was identified as a suspect in Jeremy Stoner's murder using DNA test
On Friday, September 22, Abrams annouced that a new suspect was taken in custody over his connection to the 1987 Stoner murder cold case.
It was later revealed that Cain III, a 69-year-old man from Oregon, was arrested from his Central Point home on charges of Stoner's murder after being identified using DNA technology, as per Fox KTVU.
According to The Mercury News, Cain III is a former Martinez resident who had a history of prior arrests on suspicion of rape.
After being identified through a DNA match, he was charged on September 18 with one count of murder. As per Fox KTVU, Cain III is also accused of kidnapping and sodomy.
The 69-year-old was reportedly transferred to Solano County jail to face charges over Stoner's assault and murder, The Mercury News reported.
The publication also mentioned that the case was not solved through just a cold DNA hit but via a process of investigative work that led officials to identify Cain III as a person of interest.
The investigation reportedly cleared the way for officials to obtain a sample of Cain III's DNA, which ultimately led to his arrest.
Jeremy's Stoner's disappearance and murder
On February 21, 1987, 6-year-old Stoner was reportedly abducted near his family's Vallejo, California home. His last confirmed sighting was at a relative’s place that same day.
Days later his body was found on Sherman Island in Sacramento County. Officials said that the boy was reportedly strangled and stabbed to death. Autopsy results also indicated that he was sexually assaulted, authorities mentioned.
A man named Shawn Melton was named as a suspect due to the details he knew about Stoner's murder that supposedly only the killer would know, authorities said at the time.
While Melton was charged with murder and kidnapping, the case was dismissed after the jury deadlocked on their decision, as per Fox KTVU.
Authorities revealed that Melton was eventually exonerated with the help of advance DNA technology. Stoner's murder case went cold for decades after Melton’s acquittal.
However, last year, Solano County District Attorney’s cold case unit decided to reopen the case, which ultimately led to Cain III's arrest.
"Having prosecuted these, they are just horrific cases especially for the families," Jim Hammer, a former San Francisco assistant district attorney, told ABC7 News.
"The second level is, think about the guy who was wrongly accused of this, a man who is falsely accused of rape and murder of a young boy, I can't imagine a worse false accusation," he continued.
"If DNA is collected properly and everyone follows procedure, there is in my mind no better evidence in the world that can prove conclusively who committed this crime," Hammer added.
Officials said no other details will be released at the moment in order to avoid jeopardizing the case.