Overview
- Hampden County prosecutors announced Wednesday that DNA from preserved bloodstains on Celestina Perez’s clothing matched Joseph J. Ceravolo Jr., who died in 2013.
- The Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory developed a major male profile and entry into the federal CODIS database produced a hit that was independently confirmed by DNA Labs International.
- Investigators relied on preserved evidence collected at the June 2, 1995 crime scene, including bloodstained underwear and jeans, and documented a violent struggle and autopsy findings of manual strangulation with blunt-force head trauma.
- Because Ceravolo is deceased, prosecutors said there can be no arrest or courtroom verdict, but they briefed Perez’s family before making the identification public and called the finding a measure of closure.
- The case highlights how long‑term evidence preservation and advances in DNA testing enable cold cases to be revisited and resolved even decades later, and officials said the district attorney’s cold‑case unit will continue reviewing other unresolved investigations.