Hawaii Man Sentenced to Life for 1982 Murder of Teen Girl
Gary Ramirez, a 78-year-old man from Hawaii, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 15-year-old Karen Stitt, a case that remained unsolved for over 40 years. The sentence includes the possibility of parole after 25 years.
Authorities arrested Ramirez at his home in Makawao, Maui, in August 2022, after DNA evidence linked him to the crime scene. He had previously lived in Fresno, California, and served in the U.S. Air Force.
Karen Stitt was last seen alive on September 2, 1982, after saying goodbye to her boyfriend near a bus stop in Sunnyvale, California. Her body was discovered the following morning behind a wall, and it showed signs of sexual assault and over 50 stab wounds.
Despite initial investigations, the case went cold for years due to a lack of significant leads. However, in 2019, Detective Matt Hutchison of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety followed a new lead suggesting that the suspect was one of four brothers from Fresno.
In April 2022, DNA tests identified Ramirez as the likely suspect. The investigation leading to his arrest was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Family members of Stitt attended the sentencing, and District Attorney Jeff Rosen emphasized that Karen was not forgotten, crediting the work of dedicated law enforcement and forensic teams that brought justice for her after so many years.
