(WWJ) — A Saginaw man could spend the rest of his life behind bars after being charged in cold case murder from more than two decades ago.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Wednesday announced 47-year-old Jason Cabello was arraigned in 70th District Court for the 2003 murder and sexual assault of 57-year-old Jeanette Wilton of Saginaw.
Cabello has been charged with one count each of first-degree premeditated murder, felony murder and first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Each count carries a potential life sentence.
Wilton was found dead in the Flint River near her Saginaw home on Feb. 22, 2003. An Autopsy at the time concluded she died of strangulation and multiple stab wounds to the neck, according to the AG’s office. She also sustained blunt force trauma to the head and face, contusions, and postmortem abrasions.
Cabello — who had previously been in a relationship with a relative of Wilton but was not otherwise known to be associated with her — was linked to the case earlier this year following further DNA evidence analysis.
The Michigan State Police Third District Cold Case Team reopened the investigation in 2021, nearly 20 years after Wilton’s murder, to “further analyze evidence in the case following advancements in DNA testing capabilities,” Nessel’s office said.
Through collaborative investigative efforts with Western Michigan University's Cold Case program and the MSP laboratory, authorities were able to submit reanalyzed evidence to a private lab, using a cold case grant to fund the reexamination. That helped police develop new leads and in September MSP referred the case to the AG’s office to review it for possible charges.
“For more than a decade, Jeanette’s loved ones have lived without answers, but with these charges, we are now one step closer to delivering long-awaited justice,” Nessel said, per a press release. “I want to thank the Michigan State Police, whose incredible efforts made this breakthrough possible. Their work proves that no case is too cold to be solved, and no victim is forgotten."
Authorities are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim of assault by Cabello to to contact MSP D/Sgt. Bill Arndt at 989-615-6257 or email MSP-ColdCase@michigan.gov.
Cabello’s next court appearance has been scheduled for Dec. 17.
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