Robert J Hathaway - DNA Evidence Proved Murderer 31 years later

Robert J. Hathaway was the murderer of Priscilla Strole, who he sexually assaulted and beat to death in her Fairfield home on Aug. 31, 1983 when Robert was 17 years old. He was let into Priscilla's home as her son, Kyle Stracner was visiting other friends. It is believed Robert was known to Priscilla as a friend of Kyle. Hathaway had been identified by police as the suspected killer of Priscilla Strole after investigators connected Hathaway to the crime when they re-opened the cold case and matched his fingerprints to those collected at the scene. On Feb. 11 2014, detectives Dave Hoen and Mel Ferro visited the suspect's home in Fairfield, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento, with a warrant to obtain a DNA sample. Hathaway provided the sample but denied any involvement in the crime, police said. Four days later, he committed suicide. Robert was married around 2000 to an unknown woman, and 14 years later, at the age of 47, hung himself when DNA evidence concluded that Robert was the rapist and murderer of Priscilla. Hathaway left a short suicide note that said he "took the easy way out.". Robert lived most of his life in Fairfield California.