Robert John Lanoue, 70, was arrested last week for Anne Pham’s murder following a major DNA breakthrough. Anne disappeared while walking to her kindergarten class in Seaside, California on January 21, 1982. Her body was found two days later at the former Fort Ord. Authorities said the Highland Elementary School student had been kidnapped, sexually assaulted and strangled. No arrests resulted from the initial investigation and the case was dismissed. In 2020, a cold case task force from the Monterey County District Attorney’s office worked with local police to reopen the case. A new type of DNA test — not previously available to previous investigators — led the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office to identify Lanoue, who is a registered sex offender in Nevada, as a suspect. Lanoue was 29 at the time of the homicide and lived near Anne’s home in Seaside, Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni said. Read more from Sky News: Police dog uncovers 5,000 pounds of meth in historic San Diego drug bust Man accused of raping and faking his own death arrested for ‘being aggressive towards hospital staff’ He has been charged with one count of first degree murder, with special circumstances allegations that he murdered Anne while committing kidnapping and an indecent act on a child under 14. He is currently being held in custody in the state of Nevada, awaiting extradition to California. It was not immediately known if Lanoue has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
