Conviction Reached in 1982 Murder Case

After 42 years, justice has finally been served as 59-year-old Marvin Ray Markle has been convicted of the 1982 murder of 14-year-old De Anna Lynn Johnson, whose body was found on railroad tracks in Vacaville, California.

Quick Takes

De Anna Lynn Johnson, 14, disappeared after a neighborhood party in 1982 and was found murdered on railroad tracks in Vacaville.
Marvin Ray Markle, known as “Ziggy,” was convicted of first-degree murder after the case went cold for decades.
DNA evidence from Johnson’s fingernails and testimony from her childhood friend Mary Borchers helped secure the conviction.
Markle was already serving an 80-year sentence for another murder when he was finally brought to justice for Johnson’s death.
The case highlights how advances in forensic technology can help solve cold cases and bring closure to families.

A Decades-Long Wait for Justice

In 1982, the small community of Vacaville, California was rocked by the brutal murder of 14-year-old De Anna Lynn Johnson. The teenager disappeared after attending a neighborhood party and was later found dead on nearby railroad tracks. Despite having a prime suspect in then 17-year-old Marvin Ray Markle, known locally as “Ziggy,” investigators lacked the forensic technology and evidence needed to make an arrest at the time. For more than four decades, Johnson’s family and friends waited for justice, as the case went cold and her killer remained free in the community.

The breakthrough in the case came after Markle was implicated in another homicide. In 2004, he became a suspect in the 2001 murder of Shirley Ann Pratt and was eventually convicted in 2014, receiving an 80-year prison sentence. Investigators used evidence and testimony from Pratt’s trial to advance the investigation into Johnson’s death. By 2017, police had gathered enough evidence to formally accuse Markle of Johnson’s murder, though he pleaded not guilty to the charges. After a three-week trial, a jury finally delivered the verdict that Johnson’s loved ones had been waiting for – guilty of first-degree murder.

Major breakthrough in cold case of De Anna Lynn Johnson who was found dead on railroad tracks in 1982 https://t.co/x3dF1ITMSM

— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) March 24, 2025

The Crucial Role of a Childhood Friend

Mary Borchers, Johnson’s childhood best friend, played an instrumental role in seeking justice for De Anna. Borchers never gave up on finding her friend’s killer, working tirelessly to gather evidence and attending court proceedings to ensure justice would be served. Her determination became a driving force behind keeping the case alive even when it seemed justice might never come. Retired Detective Joe Munoz had collected DNA evidence from Johnson’s fingernails, but the technology to properly analyze it didn’t exist at the time of the murder.

According to CBS News, Borchers remembered her friend fondly, saying “She was a good girl.” The conviction has brought a sense of relief and closure to Borchers and Johnson’s family after decades of uncertainty. “Everybody knew, in our minds, it’s always been Ziggy, Ziggy, Ziggy. But no one ever came straight out and made it factual, so now we have that I guess,” Borchers stated following the verdict. The confirmation of what many in the community had long suspected has finally provided a measure of peace to those who loved De Anna.

Modern Forensics Solved the Case

The conviction of Marvin Markle demonstrates how advances in forensic science can breathe new life into cold cases. When De Anna Johnson was murdered in 1982, investigators collected crucial evidence, including DNA from under her fingernails, but lacked the technology to process it effectively. As forensic techniques improved over the decades, authorities were able to revisit this evidence with new tools at their disposal. The Solano County District Attorney’s Office and Vacaville Police Department have been widely commended for their dedication to solving the case despite the significant passage of time.

For families of victims in unsolved cases, the Johnson case provides hope that justice, while sometimes delayed, can still be achieved. Law enforcement agencies across the country continue to revisit cold cases with new forensic technologies, demonstrating that the passage of time does not necessarily mean that killers will escape accountability for their crimes.