<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A US police department said they have solved the 1975 </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/murder" rel="" target="_blank" title="homicide"><span>homicide</span></a><span> case of Ann Sturtz.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The breakthrough wasn't because of new DNA technology, armchair detectives or a podcast, though. It was solved by old-fashioned detective work.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Like any close family, they still grieve her senseless death. She was loved and continues to be loved," said Howard County police Chief Gregory Der.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-trade-war-eu-retaliates-against-us-trade-moves-and-hits-beef-whiskey-motorcycles-with-targeted-tariffs/4aa62117-1875-41f4-988f-e7024c32de81" target="_blank"><strong><span>Canada and EU retaliate against Trump, hitting beef, whiskey, motorcycles</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sturtz disappeared after a night out at a Eutaw Street club in August 1975. Her body was discovered in December 1975 in a wooded area off of Route 108 in Columbia.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police announced Tuesday she was killed by a serial killer named Charles William Davis Jr. Davis has been in prison since 1978, serving three life sentences for three other homicides.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police suspected in 1981 that Sturtz was Davis' fourth victim. However, knowing Davis was already never going to leave prison, they gave him immunity in exchange for information.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/ann-sturts-murder-1975-serial-killer-charles-william-davis-confesses-but-wont-be-charged-us/d19af4c6-a0cc-42e0-90e9-a6df2212d3c6" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/russia-ukraine-ceasefire-plan-more-details-needed-says-vladimir-putin/9bf4bbba-1be7-414c-9c3a-0bce2120561e" target="_blank"><strong><span>Ukraine calls Putin's bluff, so how will he react?</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The case went cold until five decades later when cold-case detectives pulled at it and found Davis eager to talk.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He wanted to give closure to the family," said Howard County police Detective Corporal Wade Zufall.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He said that several times that he thought it was the best thing to do."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Police said Davis confessed during a recorded sit-down.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/donald-trump-billionaires-lost-money-supporters-in-pictures/2f25bcae-f0ff-4de9-b45a-4a24c86c5f76" target="_blank"><strong><span>All the billionaires who have lost money by supporting Donald Trump</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2023/02/27/10/31/el-salvador-new-terrorist-prison-opens-human-rights-criticisms-first-prisoners-arrive"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/vFhGRUt8jahRGWvc5DEOw09Il3M=/0x380:5624x3543/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F7acc8ac3-f34f-45d1-9c1e-93c275e58e81" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/vFhGRUt8jahRGWvc5DEOw09Il3M=/0x380:5624x3543/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F7acc8ac3-f34f-45d1-9c1e-93c275e58e81 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/p9ohLNZmco9Ef0Sv__2zil9f83E=/0x380:5624x3543/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F7acc8ac3-f34f-45d1-9c1e-93c275e58e81 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Inside the notorious foreign prison offering to take US criminals</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2023/02/27/10/31/el-salvador-new-terrorist-prison-opens-human-rights-criticisms-first-prisoners-arrive">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He met Ann at a local bar, and they left the bar, and they got into an argument, and then that's when physical confrontation had occurred," Zufall said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He ended up strangling her, and that was the cause of death."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Despite the confession, Davis' immunity was reaffirmed last year, which means he won't be charged with Sturtz's homicide.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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