A haunting cold case from 1979 has finally been solved, bringing long-awaited answers to the family of 17-year-old Esther Gonzalez, whose brutal murder and rape gripped California over four decades ago. The breakthrough? Not progressive policies or liberal reforms, but good old-fashioned detective work, bolstered by the cutting-edge technology of forensic genealogy.
On February 9, 1979, Esther Gonzalez set out on foot from her home in Beaumont, California, to visit her sister in nearby Banning. She never arrived. The next day, her lifeless body was discovered discarded in a snowbank along Highway 243, brutally raped and bludgeoned to death. The horrific crime shocked the community and devastated her family, but no justice was served—for 44 long years.
In the early days of the investigation, law enforcement briefly focused on a man described as “argumentative,” who reported finding Gonzalez’s body. That man, Lewis Randolph “Randy” Williamson, willingly took a polygraph test and passed. In 1979, this was enough to clear him. Today, we know better. Polygraphs are not infallible, and as this case proves, they can let predators slip through the cracks.
Without further leads, the case went cold, relegated to the dusty archives of unsolved tragedies.
Fast forward to 2023. Thanks to advancements in forensic science and the unwavering commitment of the Riverside County Cold Case Homicide Team, Gonzalez’s case was reopened. Investigators used a semen sample recovered from the crime scene—a piece of evidence preserved for decades—and ran it through modern genetic genealogy databases.
The results pointed straight back to Williamson, who had since died in Florida in 2014. During his autopsy, a blood sample was taken, giving investigators the key they needed to confirm the match.
The California Department of Justice, working with Florida’s Broward County Sheriff’s Office, verified Williamson’s DNA as the one found on Gonzalez’s body, conclusively linking him to the crime.
For Gonzalez’s family, the news brings a bittersweet resolution. Jason Corey, the master investigator on the case, spoke about the pain the family endured for decades. “I don’t know if you can say you’re happy that it’s done,” Corey said. “It’s still a terrible tragedy, but I hope it can bring them some closure.”
Forensic genealogy has emerged as a powerful weapon in the fight for justice. While progressives clamor for social experiments and endless debates on law enforcement funding, cases like this underscore the importance of investing in proven investigative tools.
The Riverside County Cold Case Homicide Team urges anyone with information about Williamson or other potential victims to come forward. One thing is clear: when justice is pursued with resolve and the right tools, even decades-old crimes can be solved.
Let this serve as a reminder that justice, though delayed, must never be denied.
