A man who was cleared by a polygraph test in the rape and murder of a teenage girl in 1979 has been linked to the victim with newfound DNA evidence, authorities revealed. Esther Gonzalez, 17, had been walking from her home in Beaumont,

Riverside, California, cold case homicide investigators used DNA technology to link a man who passed a lie detector in connection to a 1979 murder, to the crime.

After 45 years, authorities in California were finally able to tell the Gonzalez family who they believe killed their loved one. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office used DNA and forensic genealogy to identify the suspected killer,

Authorities reported Gonzalez was attacked and murdered while walking from her parent's home to her sister's house in Banning.

Authorities have revealed that newfound evidence has helped them solve the rape and murder case of Esther Gonzalez, 17, which had detectives stumped for more than 45 years