Following a DNA match to a plastic fork he threw away at the crime scene, investigators in New York indicted a Florida man in connection with the 15-year-old cold case murder of his uncle, according to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
In a release, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz stated that Anthony Scalici, 41, was arraigned on a charge of second-degree murder after being indicted by a grand jury on Thursday.
When Rosario Prestigiacomo, 64, was found fatally stabbed in his Queens home in 2009, the case went unsolved until February, when public genealogy databases in Florida allowed his DNA to be matched to the utensil.
According to the DA’s office, Prestigiacomo was assaulted with a shovel and had 16 stab wounds before passing away, as reported by the New York Times.
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In the press release, Katz stated that this is the first time public geneology databases have been used to identify and apprehend a homicide suspect in New York City.
“I formed a Cold Case Unit to bring closure to grieving families and seek justice on behalf of victims,” Katz stated. “This case is an example of the perseverance and determination of the investigators on this, and every cold case, and highlights the successful partnership formed between my office and the NYPD Cold Case Squad. Defendants should not be able to evade justice no matter how much time has passed.”
On July 8, he is anticipated back in court.
