DNA Identifies 1979 Murder Suspect Cleared by Polygraph Decades Ago

Lewis Randolph Williamson, who passed a lie detector test in 1979, has been linked to the rape and murder of 17-year-old Esther Gonzalez through forensic genealogy.

Esther Gonzalez, 17, was raped, bludgeoned, and killed while walking to her sister's home in Banning, California, in February 1979.
Lewis Randolph Williamson, who reported finding Gonzalez's body, was initially cleared after passing a polygraph test but is now identified as her rapist and killer through DNA evidence.
Forensic genealogy and advanced DNA testing in 2023 matched Williamson’s DNA, collected during his 2014 autopsy, to evidence from the crime scene.
Williamson, who had a history of assault allegations but no violent crime convictions, lived a normal life until his death in Florida in 2014.
Investigators are seeking information about Williamson’s potential other victims and have urged the public to come forward with any relevant details.