NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that it has arrested an Arizona man after new DNA technology helped link him to a rape and murder case from 1984.

Roger Neil Schmidt Sr., 64, of Tucson was arrested on Saturday for the murder of 18-year-old Terrance “Terry” Arndt and the rape of a then-18-year-old female victim.

On Dec. 14, 1984, at approximately 11:25 p.m., the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the California Highway Patrol regarding a shooting victim that had been contacted at the intersection of Main Street and Marquette Street in Burney, eastern Shasta County.

When sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found a vehicle parked in the roadway with a male gunshot victim — Arndt — inside and a female victim also at the scene.

Arndt was transported by medical crews to a local hospital, but he did not survive, officials said.

As the investigation unfolded it was learned that earlier that night, Arndt and the female victim were parked in his vehicle talking on Mountain View Road, near Burney High School. 

An unknown person pulled up in a vehicle. Neither Arndt nor the female knew who this person was. At that time, Arndt was shot while he covered the female victim to protect her.

Authorities said a male armed with a gun appeared and sexually assaulted the female victim multiple times before leaving the scene. With Arndt badly hurt, the female drove the car, with Arndt inside, for help.

At the time of this crime, an extensive investigation was conducted by the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office. Over 40 years, and thousands of hours were spent trying to solve these crimes.

Last year the case was revisited and utilizing new DNA techniques known as Forensic Genetic Genealogy through the Houston, Texas-based company called Othram, there was a breakthrough.

Othram also has successfully conducted cold case DNA testing for law enforcement agencies in other areas of California, including Lake, Humboldt and Mendocino counties.

Testing of this kind is expensive. Thankfully, through “Roads of Justice” grant sources secured through Othram, once further testing on the DNA was conducted, a suspect came to light. 

That suspect was identified as Schmidt, who was 23 at the time of crime, the sheriff’s office said.

Detectives determined Schmidt lived in Burney at the time of the murder. He strongly resembled the sketch originally provided by the female victim.

It was discovered that Schmidt was residing in Tucson, Arizona. On July 16, detectives from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit, joined by a senior deputy district attorney from the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office, travelled to Tucson.

Detectives coordinated with the Tucson Police Department. DNA from Schmidt was collected pursuant to a search warrant and immediately submitted to Tucson Police’s forensic lab. 

The DNA was compared to the evidence collected from the female victim the night she was assaulted. On the night of July 17, it was confirmed the DNA matched suspect Schmidt’s profile.

On Friday, July 18, an arrest warrant was issued by a Shasta County Superior Court Judge for the arrest of Schmidt.

On Saturday, July 19, Schmidt was arrested, interviewed by detectives, and subsequently booked into the Pima County Jail for the murder of Terry Arndt and the sexual assault of the female victim.

Custody staff is currently working on extraditing Schmidt to Shasta County. As of early Thursday, July 24, he remained in custody in the Pima County jail’s medical observation unit. 

The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office thanked the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office, the Tucson Police Department, Othram Forensic Genealogy and the California Department of Justice Bureau of Forensic Services in Richmond for their assistance in finally bringing some measure of closure to these two victims and their loved ones who have waited four decades for justice.