DNA on Discarded Cigarette Solves 1981 Cold Case Murder

Gregory Thurson arrested for the murder of John Blaylock after a detective's persistent investigation.

John Blaylock was found beaten to death in his Griffith, Indiana apartment in 1981, with the case going cold for over 40 years.
Detective John Mowery Jr. reopened the case in 2018, collaborating with his retired father, who was part of the original investigation team.
DNA from a cigarette discarded during a traffic stop in Illinois led investigators to Gregory Thurson, excluding his brother as a suspect.
Thurson, 64, was living in Eugene, Oregon at the time of his arrest on October 29, 2024, and has been extradited to Indiana.
Thurson is facing murder charges and is scheduled to appear in court on November 20, 2024.