Michigan State Police announced they have solved a 40-year-old cold case murder using DNA technology, identifying the killer of a teenage girl who was found dead in 1983.

Sheri Jo Elliott, 16, was murdered in 1983, and her case remained unsolved for decades despite ongoing investigative efforts. The case had gone cold with no arrests made and the perpetrator living freely for years.

Advances in DNA technology allowed investigators to reexamine evidence from the original crime scene. Through this analysis, authorities were able to identify Roni Collins as the person responsible for Elliott's death.

Michigan State Police did not immediately release details about how Collins was connected to the victim or the circumstances surrounding the murder. The breakthrough represents one of many cold cases being revisited as forensic technology continues to improve.

The resolution of Elliott's case comes as law enforcement agencies across the country increasingly turn to genetic genealogy and enhanced DNA analysis to solve decades-old crimes that had previously seemed unsolvable.