Arrest made in 1987 stabbing death of NAU student

Arrest made in NAU cold case murder

Officials in Coconino County say they have made an arrest in the murder of a 24-year-old student at Northern Arizona University that happened in the late 1980s.

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, Arizona in connection with the murder of Ina Claire Langstaff.

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.

Ina Claire Langstaff (Flagstaff Police Department)

What do we know about the suspect?

According to investigators, Runnels was living in Flagstaff at the time of Langstaff's murder.

Dig deeper:

Per Runnels' records with the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry, the man had spent time in prison on various occasions.

Per the records, Runnels was sentenced to prison for burglary and attempted 2nd degree murder in June 1990. He was sent to prison again in June 2010 for forgery and aggravated assault. He was again sentenced in May 2018 for unlawful imprisonment and criminal trespass.

James Arthur Runnels Jr. (Arizona Department of Corrections)

ADCRR records also show that during the time he was in prison, Runnels had a number of disciplinary infractions, including:

• Striking a person (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993)
• Fighting (1995)
• Rioting (2000) or participation in a riot (2024)
• Disobeying orders (2001)
• Promoting prison contraband (2011)
• Assault on staff member that did not involve serious injury (2014)
• Threatening or intimidating (2022, 2025)
• Positive test or refusal of urinalysis (2023)

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.

Big picture view:

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?

Per officials, Runnels was indicted by a grand jury in Coconino County on March 19 on a count of first-degree murder. He was arraigned on March 24, where he entered a plea of not guilty. A judge subsequently set a $1 million cash-only bond for Runnels.

James Arthur Runnels Jr. and Ina Claire Langstaff

"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.