College students help police make arrest in 1991 cold case murder investigation

A group of criminology student sleuths helped police in Texas make the first arrest in a cold case murder investigation that had puzzled detectives for 34 years

A group of criminology student sleuths helped police in Texas make the first arrest in a cold case murder investigation that had puzzled detectives for 34 years.

Arlington Police Department said Monday that U.S. Marshals arrested Janie Perkins, 63, on Nov. 6 in the town of Axle, Texas, on one count of capital murder in connection with the investigation into the death of 25-year-old Cynthia Gonzalez in 1991.

Gonzalez, who police said worked as an "adult entertainer," was last seen leaving her home on Sept. 17, 1991, to meet a client. Her ex-husband reported her missing, and her car was found abandoned hours later, prompting officers to investigate whether she had been kidnapped.

On Sept. 22, her body, which had been shot multiple times and was decomposing, was found on private property in a rural part of Johnson County.

Despite several leads, no arrests were made — until local college students stepped in.