After 28 years, Spokane police say forensic genetic genealogy identified the suspect in the 1997 rape and murder of florist and mother Margaret Anselmo. Evidence sent to Othram in 2022 produced a DNA profile that led investigators to relatives whose tests matched Brian James Anderson, who died by suicide in 2009 and would have been about 20 at the time of the crime. Authorities say Anderson would face first‑degree rape and murder charges if alive; no motive has been established.
DNA Breakthrough Solves 1997 Spokane Cold-Case: Floral Designer Margaret Anselmo’s Killer Identified
DNA Breakthrough Solves 1997 Spokane Cold-Case
Nov. 13 — After nearly three decades without answers, investigators say DNA and forensic genetic genealogy have identified the suspect in the 1997 rape and homicide of Spokane floral designer and mother Margaret Anselmo.
The discovery
On the afternoon of Jan. 3, 1997, a delivery driver found 45-year-old Margaret Anselmo lying face down beneath an abandoned semitruck trailer in a snowy alley at 714 E. Pacific Ave., on the edge of downtown Spokane. Anselmo had been raped and died of blunt force trauma to the head. Evidence recovered at the scene initially produced no leads.
Cold-case progress
In 2022, the Spokane Police Department and the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab submitted the preserved evidence to Othram, a Texas-based laboratory that specializes in forensic genetic genealogy. Othram scientists used genome sequencing to develop a detailed DNA profile from the evidence, then conducted genetic genealogy research to identify relatives of the unknown suspect.
Identifying the suspect
Detectives contacted the relatives identified through the genealogy work and requested DNA samples. Laboratory testing showed one relative was a child of the killer and another was a half-sibling—matching a single individual identified by investigators: Brian James Anderson. Police say Anderson died by suicide in 2009 and would have been about 20 years old at the time of Anselmo’s killing. According to his obituary, he later had two children and worked at a hardware store.
Case status and legal notes
Spokane police said that if Anderson were alive today he would be charged with first-degree rape and first-degree murder. Investigators have not established a motive for the crime.
Victim background and community reaction
Anselmo was a lifelong Spokane resident who graduated from Marycliff High School and attended Spokane Community College to study banking. Her daughter, Lisa Anselmo, described her as “a beautiful, loving mom.”
“This case is a powerful reminder that time and persistence, combined with advances in forensic DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy, can bring long-awaited answers even decades after a crime.” — Othram
Wider impact
Othram’s website notes this is the 41st case in Washington in which law enforcement has identified a suspect using the company’s investigative services. Authorities said the resolution provides long-sought answers for Anselmo’s family and highlights advances that can help solve other cold cases.
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