Suspect Charged in 48-Year-Old Cold Case Thanks to Pack of Cigarettes

An arrest has been made in a decades-old murder case after a fingerprint is found on a cigarette pack, finally bringing answers to the 1977 killing of Jeanette Ralston.

Left: Image of Jeanette Ralston. Right: 2025 booking photo of Willie Eugene Sims via da.santaclaracounty.gov

SAN JOSE— An Ohio man has been charged in connection with the 1977 murder of Jeanette Ralston, a 24-year-old woman whose body was found in her car after a night out in San Jose. The breakthrough comes nearly five decades after the crime, thanks to advancements in forensic technology and the persistent efforts of the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Cold Case Unit.

Ralston was last seen on the night of January 31, 1977, leaving the Lion’s Den Bar in San Jose with an unidentified man. The following day, her body was discovered in the back seat of her Volkswagen Beetle, which was parked in the carport of a nearby apartment complex. Investigators determined she had been sexually assaulted and strangled with a long-sleeve shirt. An attempt had also been made to burn the vehicle, but the fire failed to ignite.

At the time, no suspects were identified and the case eventually went cold. However, in August 2024, a crucial piece of evidence resurfaced. A fingerprint found on a pack of Eve cigarettes left at the crime scene was matched to Willie Eugene Sims, a former U.S. Army private who had been stationed at Fort Ord in 1977.

Sims had a prior conviction for assault with intent to commit murder in Monterey County in 1978. He served his sentence and later moved out of state. Because his DNA had never been entered into a national database, he was not previously connected to Ralston’s murder.

Earlier this year, investigators obtained a DNA sample from Sims, who was living in Ohio. That sample matched DNA found under Ralston’s fingernails and on the shirt used to strangle her. This forensic confirmation allowed authorities to formally charge Sims with her murder.

Sims, now 69 years old, was arrested in Ohio and has waived his right to fight extradition. He will be transported to California to face charges. If convicted, he could face 25 years to life in prison.

Ralston’s son, who was six years old at the time of her death, expressed deep gratitude to law enforcement officials who never gave up on solving the case. Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen emphasized the role of forensic science in solving cold cases and reiterated the office’s commitment to justice, stating, “We don’t forget and we don’t give up.”

If anyone has any additional information about this case, please call (408) 792-2466 or email coldcasetips@dao.sccgov.org.