A California jury has convicted 66-year-old James Oliver Unick of murdering 13-year-old Sarah Geer in a 1982 killing that remained unsolved for more than four decades. Jurors found Unick guilty of murder on Feb. 13 and determined the crime occurred during the commission of a sexual assault — a special circumstance that makes him eligible for life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The case was prosecuted by the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Carla Rodriguez described it as “the coldest case ever presented to a Sonoma County jury.”
Brutal Killing in Cloverdale Alley
Prosecutors said Geer left a friend’s home in Cloverdale on May 23, 1982, intending to walk downtown when she was attacked near an alley off a residential street. Authorities said she was dragged behind an apartment building and fence, where she was raped and strangled with her own shorts.
Her body was discovered the next morning by a firefighter walking home after his shift. At the time, forensic technology was limited, and although investigators collected evidence, the case eventually went cold.
DNA Breakthrough and Genetic Genealogy
A major development came in 2003, when a criminalist with the California Department of Justice developed a male DNA profile from evidence in the case. However, the profile did not match anyone in law enforcement databases, and the investigation stalled again.
The case was reopened in July 2021. Using investigative genetic genealogy, authorities narrowed the possible source of the DNA to one of four brothers, including Unick. FBI agents later conducted surveillance and collected a discarded cigarette butt he had been smoking. Testing confirmed that the DNA matched the profile developed in 2003 and additional DNA found on Geer’s clothing.
Unick was arrested in July 2024 at his home in Willows, California.
Jury Rejects Defense Claim
During the month-long trial, Unick testified in his own defense, claiming that Geer had approached him at a Cloverdale arcade and that they had consensual sex near the Russian River. He suggested she was later attacked by someone else.
After approximately two hours of deliberations, jurors rejected his account and returned a guilty verdict. Prosecutors said the conviction brings long-awaited justice to Geer’s family and the community, ending a 44-year wait for accountability.
