Genetic Genealogy Nabs Suspect in 22-Year-Old Murder Case
Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief John Zebrowski of the Sayreville Police Department announce a Barnegat man has been arrested after being indicted by a Middlesex County Grand Jury for the 1999 murder of Nancy Noga, 17, of Sayreville.
On Jan. 7, 1999, Ms. Noga, who was then a senior in high school, was reported missing after she did not return home from work. Five days later, on Jan. 12, 1999, at approximately 8:57 A.M., Noga’s body was discovered in a wooded area behind what was then a shopping plaza. An autopsy later determined Noga died from blunt force trauma after being struck with a blunt object. For more than two decades, the case remained open and active as investigators continued to investigate Ms. Noga’s death.
Late last month, Bruce A. Cymanski, 49, of Barnegat was indicted for first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree aggravated sexual assault, first-degree kidnapping, and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in connection with the killing of Nancy Noga. Assistant Prosecutor Scott Lamountain, who serves as the section chief of the Major Crimes Unit, presented the case to the Grand Jury.
Following the return of the indictment by a Middlesex County Grand Jury, Cymanski was arrested near his home by members of the Sayreville Police Department, Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Barnegat Police Department after a brief foot pursuit. Cymanski is presently lodged at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center where he is detained pending a pre-trial detention hearing in Superior Court.
The arrest was made possible by a joint investigation conducted by Detective Mark Morris and Sergeant Deon McCall, both of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, in conjunction with Sergeant Daniel Ellmyer of the Sayreville Police Department and retired Detective Sergeant Richard Sloan, formerly of the Sayreville Police Department.
Cymanski was in part identified through the use of genetic genealogy conducted by the Chief Genetic Genealogist of Parabon NanoLabs, CeCe Moore.
“In the decades since Nancy Noga’s death, law enforcement has relentlessly pursued justice on her behalf. The advancement of modern scientific tools has allowed that endeavor to enter a new chapter,” said Ciccone.
“This arrest is the result of decades of hard work by so many detectives and officers. We never stopped following up on leads, and today with the arrest of Bruce Cymanski, we are one step closer to bringing a degree of justice and closure to the family. I want to thank Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and her office for their tireless efforts and partnership in bringing justice to the family of this young girl,” said Zebrowski.
Source: Middlsex County, NJ.
