SAN RAFAEL — An Idaho resident in custody awaits extradition to Marin County for a murder that happened more than 50 years ago. A young mother was raped and murdered inside her home in San Rafael while her husband was away at work.
The victim 31-year-old Nina Fischer was killed November 15, 1973. Her husband found her body when he returned home. She had been sexually assaulted and shot three times. The couple’s 2-year-old was found unharmed but upset in another room.
The murder investigation that followed went cold due to lack of investigative leads. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office investigations division reactivated the case using a California Department of Justice DNA database.
Michael E. Mullen, a 75-year-old resident of Idaho, was identified as the suspected murderer. Idaho State Police and the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mullen on August 14, with help from Marin County investigators. Mullen remains in custody at Lemhi County Jail (Idaho), pending proceedings for his extradition to Marin County.
DNA evidence from the unsolved murder was matched with California’s Convicted Offender Database, which led to identifying Mullen as the suspect. Genetic information is used to develop leads. The FBI assisted law enforcement agencies in California and Idaho.
It took months for investigators developed a possible lead on the suspect. An extensive investigation conducted over a period of three years confirmed the identity of the suspect. Mullen formerly lived in Sonoma County.
