Pennsylvania State Police said this week that DNA testing links one man to the 1970s killings of two young women in Washington County, near Pittsburgh. The man, James Richard Clark Sr., died in 2023 at age 66 and had never been a suspect in either case.
Key Facts
- Who. Victims Susan Rush and Brenda Ritter; suspect James Richard Clark Sr., born 1957, died 2023.
- What. State police say DNA testing ties one man to both killings.
- Where. Washington County, southwestern Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh.
- When. Killings in 1976 and 1977; police announced it in the week of 2 November 2026.
- Status. As of 9 November 2026: investigation open, other victims not ruled out.
What Police Announced
Corporal James Petrosky, a criminal investigation assessment supervisor at Pennsylvania State Police Troop B, a regional unit, said that additional DNA testing in May 2025 confirmed a serial killer was active in Washington County at that time. State police say the testing linked the deaths of Susan Rush and Brenda Ritter to one offender.
Rush was killed in 1976 and was found in the trunk of her car. Ritter, who was 18, was killed in 1977 and her body was found outdoors.
The DNA testing in May 2025 linked the two cases to the same offender. Police then named Clark, who had never been a suspect.
“I believe that once you’re a serial killer, you’re always a serial killer,” Petrosky said. He added that “there could potentially be more victims out there.”
What We Know About the Suspect
Clark was born in 1957 and died in 2023 at age 66. He was 19 and 20 at the times of the two killings and lived in the Washington County area, according to police.
Because he died in 2023, before the link was announced, there will be no trial. The finding rests on DNA evidence and police statements, not on a court ruling.
Police say the investigation is continuing. They have not ruled out that Clark was responsible for other killings.
What It Means for You
The case shows that new DNA testing can still name a suspect almost 50 years after a killing. For families of other unsolved cases in the United States, it is a reminder that old evidence can be tested again; for other Pennsylvania crime news see our report on the Erie shooting.
Readers in Puerto Rico, where we explain security and crime for newcomers, and across the United States should treat the finding as a police conclusion based on DNA. It is not a court verdict.
What Is Not Known
Police have not said whether Clark killed anyone else, only that they cannot rule it out. They have also not said whether anyone else was involved in the two killings.
We will update this page if state police release more information. Until then, the findings remain police conclusions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who did police identify in the Washington County cold cases?
State police named James Richard Clark Sr., who died in 2023, as the killer of Susan Rush in 1976 and Brenda Ritter in 1977. DNA testing in May 2025 confirmed the link.
Could there be more victims?
Police have not ruled out that Clark killed others. A state police investigator said there could be more victims.
When did DNA testing link the two killings?
Police say additional DNA testing in May 2025 confirmed that the same offender was responsible. The killings happened in 1976 and 1977.
Sources
Pennsylvania State Police press conference held in the week of 2 November 2026 (Corporal James Petrosky, Troop B); the police release itself was not available to us. Read 9 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error