2 Arrests Made in 'Quilt' Murder From 25 Years Ago

Victim's husband and brother-in-law are charged
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 8, 2014 8:12 AM CST
2 Arrests Made in 'Quilt' Murder From 25 Years Ago
This undated photo provided by the Santa Clara County District Attorney shows Cathy Zimmer, who was strangled 25 years ago.   (AP Photo/Santa Clara County District Attorney)

Police in San Jose say they've closed a cold-case murder from 25 years ago that involved a newly revealed clue: a quilt used to cover the victim. Cops arrested David Zimmer, 66, in the strangulation of his estranged, wife, Cathy, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. They also filed murder charges against his older brother Robert, whose DNA was found "in an intimate area" of Cathy Zimmer's clothing. Her body was found in the back seat of her car at the San Jose airport, covered in a distinctive homemade quilt.

Authorities revealed the presence of the quilt only last month in reopening the case, hoping that someone would come forward to help identify it. The two arrests came soon after, though it's not entirely clear whether the quilt made the difference. Authorities say David Zimmer sold the couple's home for $225,000 and cashed in two insurance policies within a month of his 38-year-old wife's death, reports the San Jose Mercury News. They were going through a separation when she was murdered. (Click to read about an even older cold-case murder solved in California.)

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