PASQUOTANK Co., N.C. - Genetic geneaology led to an arrest in connection with an Elizabeth City murder that happened nearly five years ago.
According to the Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office, on March 24, 2016, 74-year-old George Washington Price was found stabbed to death in his Elizabeth City home.
The case lacked leads until October 2020, when investigators sought the services of Parabon NanoLabs, a Virginia-based DNA technology company.
According to the sheriff's office, PSCO officers and agents from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation's Northeastern District used Parabon's Snapshot DNA analysis service to generate "highly informative" leads as to who the offender was, then used traditional police work to continue the investigation.
On Tuesday, officers arrested 55-year-old David Lee Blair in connection with this homicide. He was charged with murder and booked into the Forsyth County Detention Center without bond.
“The SBI is always looking for innovative ways to serve the people of North Carolina. We understand the role of technology in solving cases and bringing closure to families who’ve suffered tragic losses. We commend the hard work of the investigators with the Pasquotank Sheriff’s Office and the SBI agents who never gave up,” said SBI Director Robert Schurmeier.
