She Was Raped and Stabbed 59 Times at 15 — Now, 43 Years Later, Her Killer Is Finally Behind Bars

An elderly Hawaii man has received a life sentence for raping and brutally killing a teenage girl in a case that went cold for four decades, authorities said.

Gary Ramirez, 78, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 25 years in connection with 15-year-old Karen Stitt’s 1982 killing, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office in California announced in a press release on Monday, May 12.

Ramirez pleaded no contest to Stitt’s murder in February. He was arrested at his home in Makawao on the island of Maui in August 2022 after DNA linked him to the crime scene. He was formerly a resident of Fresno, Calif., authorities said, and had served in the U.S. Air Force.

Stitt was last seen alive on Sept. 2, 1982, after she and her boyfriend parted ways near a bus stop in Sunnyvale, Calif. Her naked body was found the next morning behind a blood-stained cinder block wall, the D.A.’s office said. 

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She had been sexually assaulted and stabbed over 50 times, according to prosecutors. The killer left both his blood and bodily fluid on Stitt, but the case went cold despite years of detective work.

There were no “significant leads” in the cold case until 2019 when Sunnyvale DPS Detective Matt Hutchison followed up on a tip that determined Stitt’s killer was allegedly one of four brothers from Fresno, the D.A.’s office previously said in a statement.

In late April 2022, Ramirez was identified “as the likely source of blood and bodily fluid” left at the crime scene, per the statement. Prosecutors previously said the investigation leading up to his arrest was funded by a grant awarded to the office by the U.S. Department of Justice.

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According to the D.A.’s office, Stitt’s family members attended the sentencing hearing.

“Over 40 years ago, Karen Stitt lost her life, but she was not forgotten,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “Today, thanks to a dedicated detective, a persistent prosecutor, and our Crime Lab, the person responsible is behind bars.” 

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.