Arrest Made in Decades-Old Cold Case of Teenage Murder and Assault in California

Law enforcement agencies announced the arrest of a suspect in a cold-case investigation that dates back nearly 40 years, regarding the murder and sexual assault of two teenagers in Burney, California. On December 19, 1984, authorities responded to a call from the California Highway Patrol, discovering two 18-year-olds, a male named Terrance Arndt and an unnamed female, who had been attacked while parked near a high school. Arndt had suffered a gunshot wound and sadly succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital, while the female victim endured a sexual assault before managing to escape and seek help.

The investigation that followed was extensive, involving thousands of hours of work and the collection of forensic evidence from the victim's clothing. Despite the DNA evidence being submitted to the national Combined DNA Index System, no matches were found for many years. However, in 2024, the Shasta County Sheriff's Office reopened the case utilizing forensic genetic genealogy, which ultimately led them to Roger Neil Schmidt Sr., who was 23 at the time of the crime and now resides in Tucson, Arizona.

Authorities traced Schmidt, securing a search warrant to collect a DNA sample that confirmed his identity as the prime suspect. Recently, he was arrested in Tucson and charged with both murder and sexual assault, making his initial court appearance shortly afterward while in a wheelchair and on supplemental oxygen. The sheriff expressed hope that this development would provide closure to the female victim and the family of Terrance Arndt, acknowledging the lasting trauma endured by the families involved over the decades.