Cold case investigators from the Roseville Police Department and the Placer County District Attorney’s Office have announced the arrest of 59-year-old Richard Moore in Los Angeles on homicide charges related to a decades-old cold case. The arrest pertains to the 1984 murder of 69-year-old Madeline Garcia on the 300 Block of Atlantic Street in Roseville. Evidence collected at the scene indicated that Garcia was attacked and dragged into an alley where she was subsequently murdered.
Since the initial investigation, Roseville Police Department detectives have diligently pursued all leads to identify Garcia’s killer. Despite the retirement of many officers and detectives who first handled the case, the investigation remained a priority for successive generations of detectives. In recent years, the Placer County District Attorney’s Investigations Unit joined the efforts to solve the case. Together with Roseville PD, District Attorney Investigators reviewed available evidence and submitted samples to forensic laboratories for testing.
Advancements in forensic techniques, combined with persistent investigative work, led to the identification and apprehension of Richard Moore, who was residing in Los Angeles at the time of his arrest. With the assistance of the Los Angeles Police Department, Moore was taken into custody in Los Angeles. He will be transported to Placer County for arraignment on the charges at a later date.
This successful outcome is attributed to the collaboration and continued efforts of the Placer County District Attorney’s Investigations Unit, the Roseville Police Department, and the FBI Sacramento Field Office.
