WACO, Texas — A 65-year-old cold case that was recently solved using forensic genealogy by Montana officials has ties to Waco, Texas.
Last week, the Cascade County Sheriff's Office announced that it had finally closed the file of a double homicide involving two teens in Great Falls, Montana in 1956: Patricia Kalitzke, 16, and Lloyd Duane Bogle, 18.
Their bodies were discovered in early January 1956 near Wadsworth Park; Bogle's near his car with all of his belongings and Kalitzke a little north of Great Falls, the Great Falls Tribune reported.
Both of them were shot in the head, the paper added. Authorities believe Bogle died first, then the killer raped Kalitzke before killing her, the paper reported.
Their killer remained unknown for decades, despite a sperm cell -- not belonging to Bogle -- was found on Kalitzke's body. That's because DNA testing wouldn't become available until the 1980s.
However, in 2019, investigators were hopeful after news broke that DNA evidence found in a genealogy database led to the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, who is reportedly the Golden State Killer.
Authorities say they were able to upload the DNA evidence found on Kalitzke's body in genealogy databases, the Tribune reported. What they found was a family tree linking to a man from Great Falls, Montana.
Sixty-five years after Kalitzke and Bogle's death, authorities said Kenneth Gourd was likely their killer.
At the time, Gourd, then 29, had no known connection to the couple, despite living about a mile from Kalitzke. Because he had no criminal history or ties, he was never questioned regarding their deaths, the Great Falls Tribune reported.
Gourd would later die on May 31, 2007, a decade before the results of the DNA evidence came out.
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At the time of their death, Bogle was an airman who was recently stationed to Malmstrom Air Force Base near Great Falls, Montana.
Prior, he lived in Waco, Texas and attended Waco High School, according to the Waco Tribune.
Online records show that he was later buried at Waco Memorial Park.
Though not much is known about Bogle's life, on the site, Find a Grave, people left Bogle virtual flowers with messages -- many dated around the day news broke that their case was solved.
"They solved it -- Rest In Peace," said user gwtwqueenie.
"Finally solved. Rest in peace," said user Wayne Bye.
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