After a long wait, the 15 year old Elena Lasswell murdered by Sergio Francisco Reyes arrested.
Elena Lasswell Cold Case Murder
Phoenix Police Department said in a statement that two decades later to the day 15 year old Elena was brutally murdered by Sergio Francisco Reyes in Phoenix, Arizona. Reyes was hard to find and was residing in a hotel in Mexico when extradited and booked under six charges ranging from sexual assault and first degree murder to criminal trespass, burglary and kidnapping.
His arrest came on the same day on July 10, after two decades that is July 10, 2024 Phoenix police officers “responded to a house in the neighborhood of 2700 North 21st Drive” just after 8 p.m. and were directed to a room where they found Lasswell.
Press release further reads, “Emergency lifesaving measures were attempted, but Lasswell did not survive her injuries and was pronounced deceased on scene.”
Timeline of Arrest
- After the murder, Detectives were in trouble as they were unable to find any proper linkage and name potential suspect.
- In 2012, They used a DNA matching technique that identified Reyes as suspect.
- In later years, he was confirmed as the lead suspect and arrested by the Maricopa County Grand Jury.
- He was living in Mexico and now in 2024 extradited with the help of U.S. Marshals.
Exactly 20 years to the day after the brutal killing of 15-year-old Elena Lasswell, cold case detectives with Phoenix PD arrested 37-year-old Sergio Reyes on Wednesday. Reyes was extradited from Mexico and booked into Maricopa County Jail for first-degree murder. pic.twitter.com/WPmJQRur8h
— Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) July 11, 2024
Phoenix Police Department Detective Dominick Roestenberg said in a video on official X account of the police on the Elena Lasswell cold case, “It’s been 20 years to the day 15-year-old Elena Lasswell was murdered inside her home.” “So it’s a big day not only for the Phoenix Police Department, but more importantly, Elena’s family. They’ve been waiting 20 years for justice.”
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“It took a while,” he continued. “But through perseverance, hard work and dedication, we were able to get Sergio Reyes back to Phoenix to face charges.”
Following the arrest, Elena Lasswell’s aunt Katie Tourville opened about the mood of her family after receiving such a news. She told Fox 10 Phoenix, “”Knowing that someone is being held responsible feels awesome.”
She continued, “They have been absolutely amazing. I just really felt that they were on the right trail, and that they would get it. I just didn’t know when.”
She also highlighted how Laswell’s mother, Molly Lasswell, must have felt if she was alive. “She wanted him to be caught,” Tourville explained, “so he couldn’t hurt anyone else.”
