UPDATE: Investigators Have a New Lead on the Golden State Killer

By Michelle McNamara

Will 37-year-old paint flakes lead to his capture?

Santa Barbara Sheriff's investigators have released information to the public about a new lead in the Golden State Killer case: Traces of paint were evident in three crime scenes in Irvine and Sacramento previously tied to the killer, sheriff's spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said over the weekend. It's a detail that has led Santa Barbara detectives to believe the suspect, who is linked to as many as four murders in Goleta between 1979 and 1981, may have traveled to that area to work on a construction site, possibly as a painter. That the killer might have a background in construction or real estate development has long been theorized, as many of his victims lived near construction sites, among other clues. The discovery that a Sacramento developer was constructing part of a strip mall in Goleta near the time Dr. Robert Offerman and Alexandria Manning were murdered warrants closer examination, and I'm happy investigators are asking the public to search their memories for who might have worked on the project. It's always been my feeling that the combination of old-school, shoe-leather detective work and cooperation from the public is what's going to break this case wide open. The Golden State Killer was organized, careful and very, very lucky. Thirty-seven year old paint flakes might be where his luck runs out.