In a significant breakthrough, authorities have arrested a 44-year-old man in connection to the 2001 cold-case murder of a Maryland mother.
Decades after the crime, DNA evidence has led to the identification of her suspected killer.
Leslie J. Preer, then 50 years old, was discovered dead by a coworker on May 2, 2001, in an upstairs bedroom of her residence on Drummond Avenue in the Chevy Chase area of Montgomery County.
The crime scene was horrific, showing clear signs of a violent struggle.
An autopsy concluded that she had succumbed partly to blunt-force trauma.
Despite initial efforts, the case went cold with no suspects identified due to a lack of substantial leads.
This changed dramatically when Eugene T. Gligor was recently arrested in Washington D.C. by the US Marshals Service’s Fugitive Task Force.
At the time of Preer's murder, Gligor was 21 years old and dating Preer's daughter.
His connection to the crime was established after blood evidence from the scene, stored for over twenty years, underwent forensic genetic genealogical DNA analysis in September 2022.
Lauren Preer, the daughter of the victim, expressed shock at the news, exclaiming, “He was my ex-boyfriend!”
The police have charged Gligor with first-degree murder, although they have not disclosed the specifics of how the DNA evidence pointed to him.
Assistant Chief Nicholas Augustine of the Montgomery County Police Department highlighted the painstaking nature of the investigation, praising the detectives' unwavering commitment.
“We will go many years, whether it’s 20 or 40 years, to find out the answers and hold people accountable for violent incidents that happened in the past,” he stated.
Genetic genealogical DNA analysis has become a pivotal tool in such investigations.
Montgomery police confirmed that Gligor was identified through this advanced research technique.
Shiera Goff, a spokeswoman for Montgomery police, revealed that Gligor had a past relationship with a member of the Preer family at the time of the murder.
Reports detailed that Gligor began dating Lauren Preer when she was 15, and their families were acquainted.
However, the precise nature of Gligor’s relationship with Leslie Preer remains unclear.
Goff declined to discuss a possible motive for the murder.
In a statement to WTTG-TV, Lauren Preer mentioned that Gligor was never considered a suspect by the family, saying, “No, not at all.”
Leslie Preer had been employed by Specialties Inc., an advertising production company in Northwest D.C.
She was found deceased in her home after a colleague, concerned when she didn’t show up for work, contacted the police.
Detective Tara Baione of the Montgomery homicide division described the crime scene as “pretty brutal with a lot of blood” during a 2022 interview with WTTG-TV.
She noted the surprising lack of witnesses or unusual noise reported by neighbors and the absence of forced entry.
The neighborhood, described as having a low crime rate, had not experienced any prior incidents at the Preer residence.
Currently, Eugene T. Gligor is in Washington D.C., awaiting extradition to Montgomery County, where he will face a judge.
This arrest marks a pivotal moment in a case that has haunted the community for over two decades.
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