By: Richard L. Smith
Authorities have made a significant breakthrough in a decades-old homicide case involving a New Jersey woman, announcing the arrest of a suspect more than 35 years after the crime.
Investigators say new DNA evidence has linked Robert McCaffrey, 54, to the 1990 killing of Lisa McBride in Vernon Township.
McCaffrey was recently taken into custody in North Carolina and is awaiting transfer to New Jersey to face charges.
According to investigators, McBride disappeared in 1990, and her remains were discovered approximately four months later by a hunter in a wooded area, a case that remained unsolved for decades despite ongoing efforts by law enforcement.
Officials say advancements in forensic technology, particularly modern DNA testing and database comparisons, ultimately helped reopen the case and identify McCaffrey as a suspect.
Similar breakthroughs have been seen in other cold cases across the country, where genetic genealogy and improved lab techniques have allowed authorities to revisit evidence that once yielded no results.
Law enforcement sources familiar with cold case investigations have noted in recent years that cases from the late 1980s and early 1990s are increasingly being solved as preserved evidence is reanalyzed using newer methods.
These developments have played a key role in bringing long-awaited answers to victims’ families.
McCaffrey is also under scrutiny in connection with the disappearance of his wife, Marjorie McCaffrey, who vanished roughly 12 years ago.
While no charges have been announced in that case, family members have expressed hope that the recent arrest could lead to further developments.
The investigation into McBride’s death remains active and ongoing as authorities work to extradite McCaffrey and continue reviewing evidence tied to both cases.
Officials have not yet released additional details regarding the circumstances of the homicide.