DNA used to create image of suspect in 1988 Mahoning County cold case murder
The Mahoning County Sheriff's Office is asking the public for information on a cold case murder.
According to the release, the murder of 29-year-old Eileen Zarlenga happened on the night of January 25 or the morning of January 26, 1988.
Investigators believe Zarlenga was lured or abducted from her apartment at 1082 Patricia Drive in Girard, leaving her three-year-old daughter alone inside. After being missing for a few days, Zarlenga's body was found in a wooded area off of Gladstone Road just east of State Route 45 in Jackson Township on January 30, 1988.
She was found with multiple stab wounds and there were some indications of sexual assault.
Investigators have released a rendering of the suspect based on DNA Phenotyping.
DNA Phenotyping is the prediction of a person's appearance based on DNA collected through the investigation. The rendering comes from Parabon NanoLabs, who have helped law enforcement identify more than 315 persons of interest since 2018.
Parabon NanoLabs helped solve other cases in the Mahoning Valley, matching Joseph Norman Hill to the murders of Bradley Bellino and David Evans in Boardman and identifying the burned body of Edwin Rodriguez in Wolf Creek Township, Mercer County.
Below is a rendering of what the suspect may have looked like at the time of Zarlenga's murder and one that shows age progression.
If you have information on the case, call 330-480-5028.