Glendale man accused of cold-case murder of NAU student

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Decades after a Northern Arizona University student was stabbed to death, police say a man has been arrested in connection with the murder.

Here's what to know.

What happened?

On March 24, Coconino County officials announced that they have arrested James Arthur Runnels Jr. of Glendale, Ariz. in connection with the murder of Ina Claire Langstaff. Investigators say at the time of Langstaff's murder, Runnels was living in Flagstaff.

James Arthur Runnels Jr.

The statement also says that Runnels was indicted by a grand jury in Coconino County on March 19 with a count of first-degree murder.

The backstory:

According to the statement, Langstaff was found stabbed to death outside of her apartment, which was located in the area of Tucson Avenue and Florence Street, on Nov. 7, 1987. Langstaff was 24 years old when she died.

"At the time, law enforcement conducted numerous witness interviews, but the case remained unsolved for decades," officials wrote.

What led to a break in the case?

Per a separate statement released by Flagstaff Police, the case "has continued to be actively reviewed and investigated" in the years since the investigation began.

Dig deeper:

According to the county's statement, the city's police department, in coordination with the Coconino County Attorney's Cold Case unit, "received results from additional DNA testing conducted by the Department of Public Safety’s Northern Regional Crime Laboratory, which generated new information relevant to the investigation."

In their statement on the matter, Flagstaff Police said the testing was done through DPS's Northern Region Crime Lab and Bode Technology, whose website lists a Virginia address for their headquarters. The company's "About Us" page states that they offer "state-of-the-art forensic DNA technology."

What we don't know:

Neither Coconino County nor Flagstaff Police gave any details as to what sort of DNA tests were used in the case. Police also did not reveal a motive in the murder.

What's next for the suspect?

In their statement, Coconino County officials said Runnels is set to be arraigned, without saying when the suspect will face arraignment.

"The office remains committed to pursuing justice through a fair, thorough and impartial process—no matter how much time has passed," read a portion of their statement. "The County Attorney’s Office extends its condolences to Ms. Langstaff’s family."

What you can do:

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call police at 928-774-1414 or Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.