Arrest made in 1983 murder
A man is set to be arraigned today (Thursday, February 2) in San Francisco Superior Court for allegedly killing another man in 1983.
San Francisco District Attorney George Gasc-n announced this week that William Payne, 47, would be charged with first-degree murder in the death of Nikolaus Crumbley, a 41-year-old Texas resident.
According to the DA's office, on November 16, 1983, Crumbley was found dead at the intersection of John Shelley Drive and Mansell Street in John McLaren Park. The San Francisco Medical Examiner's office ruled the death a homicide and the cause of death from ligature strangulation, the DA's staff said.
In a statement Tuesday, January 31, the San Francisco Police Department said that during the initial investigation, biological material and other evidence was recovered from the crime scene.
The department's homicide cold case unit, working under a federally funded DNA grant, investigated the incident and identified Payne as the suspect.
According to the DA's office, the California Department of Justice notified the city's crime lab that via their DNA database, a match was identified between the DNA evidence sample taken from Crumbley and Payne.
On Monday, January 30, police said, Payne was arrested on the 800 block of Hayes Street by Inspectors Joe Toomey and Holly Pera, as well as members of the violence reduction team. He was booked into San Francisco County jail on the charge of murder.
Police said that Toomey, the lead investigator in this case, is a retired veteran homicide inspector who was brought back on a part-time basis to work under the federally funded grant on cold case homicide investigations.
A statement from the department said that Toomey "was selected, in part, because of his wealth of knowledge and experience in homicide investigations. He continues to serve as a resource to other homicide investigators."
Gasc-n stated, "Cold hit DNA is integral to bringing criminals to justice. Almost three decades later, we have charged the person responsible for this horrific murder. This case shows that at times justice can be delayed but it cannot be denied."
Officials couldn't immediately say whether either of the men was gay.
Citing an affidavit supporting Payne's arrest warrant, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Tuesday that Crumbley's pants "were pulled below his knees and his pockets were inside out."
DNA taken from semen found on Crumbley's body matched Payne's DNA profile, according to the Chronicle. The paper also reported that Toomey wrote in the affidavit that Payne denied knowing Crumbley or ever having sex with a man.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Toomey at (415) 553-1145 or the Department of Operations Center after hours at (415) 553-1071. The SFPD anonymous tip line is (415) 575-4444. People with information in the case can also text a tip to 847411 (TIP411). Type "SFPD" and then the tip.