In a remarkable breakthrough in forensic science, Washington police have officially charged 65-year-old Kenneth Kundert with the murder of Dorothy Silzel, a case that had remained unsolved for more than 40 years. The arrest, announced on August 28, 2024, comes after years of persistent DNA surveillance and advances in forensic genetic genealogy, which eventually led investigators to the suspect.
The 1980 Cold Case: The Murder of Dorothy Silzel
On February 23, 1980, 30-year-old Dorothy Silzel was last seen leaving her job at a local restaurant in Kent, Washington, between 10 and 10:15 p.m. When friends and family had not heard from Silzel after a few days, they contacted the authorities for a welfare check. On February 26, 1980, police discovered Silzel’s lifeless body in her condominium. The cause of death was determined to be strangulation, and investigators also noted that she had been sexually assaulted.
Despite collecting DNA evidence from the crime scene, the technology at the time was not advanced enough to narrow down a suspect. As the years passed, the case grew cold, leaving Silzel’s family and the Kent community without answers.
Advances in DNA Technology Reignite the Case
It wasn’t until March 2022 that Kent Police revisited the DNA evidence from the crime scene. With the assistance of forensic genetic genealogy, a cutting-edge technique that combines DNA analysis with genealogical research, police were able to narrow down a suspect list to 11 potential individuals. This breakthrough was part of the broader Sexual Assault Initiative, which helped fund the necessary forensic testing.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson highlighted the importance of this initiative in a social media post, noting that it played a crucial role in advancing the case.
Surveillance and the Critical DNA Match
As investigators focused on the suspect list, they eventually zeroed in on Kenneth Kundert, who was living in Van Buren County, Arkansas. Kundert had lived and worked in the Seattle area at least until 1987 and had a family member residing near Silzel at the time of the murder. Despite limited records, these connections raised suspicions about Kundert’s involvement in the crime.
When police approached Kundert to obtain a DNA sample, he declined, taking an extinguished cigarette and a plastic drink bottle with him. Undeterred, police initiated surveillance and ultimately recovered a discarded cigarette butt that Kundert had dropped.
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This cigarette butt proved to be the key to solving the case. The DNA from the cigarette matched the DNA collected from the crime scene, providing the evidence needed to move forward with Kundert’s arrest.
Arrest and Charges
On August 20, 2024, Kenneth Kundert was officially charged with premeditated first-degree murder. The Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office, along with the 20th Judicial District Drug Task Force and detectives from the Kent Police Department, executed the arrest, securing Kundert on a $3 million bail.
This arrest marks a significant achievement in the realm of forensic science and cold case investigations, demonstrating the power of DNA testing and forensic genetic genealogy in solving decades-old crimes. The resolution of this case brings long-awaited justice to Dorothy Silzel’s family and highlights the continued advancements in forensic technology.
