California police arrest Idaho murder suspect in 51-year-old cold case after using DNA search

An individual from Idaho has been taken into custody in connection with a cold case from over 50 years ago involving the fatal shooting of a woman in California, law enforcement announced. Michael Eugene Mullen, aged 75, was pinpointed as a suspect in the 1973 death of Nina “Nadine” Fischer through DNA evidence, as confirmed by the Marin County Sheriff’s Office. Mullen was apprehended near Salmon, Idaho, and is presently detained while awaiting extradition to California.
Fischer, a 31-year-old residing in San Rafael, California, alongside her spouse and young child, was tragically killed in November 1973. She and her husband, Swedish nationals who were in the process of relocating back to Sweden, were the residents of the home. Fischer’s husband discovered her lifeless body upon returning from work. She had been sexually assaulted and fatally shot three times, while their 2-year-old toddler was discovered unharmed in a separate room.
Numerous individuals were questioned by law enforcement at the time, including movers and an assessor who had visited the residence on that fateful day. Nonetheless, the investigation hit a dead end, leading to the case going cold, as reported in newspapers following her demise.
In 2021, the Marin County Sheriff’s Office forwarded the case to the Familial Search Program within the California Department of Justice. This program cross-references DNA obtained from crime scenes with a DNA database in an attempt to identify potential suspects by tracing their relatives. Following months of analysis, a potential lead surfaced from the DNA, and after an additional three years of thorough investigation, Mullen was identified as the prime suspect, stated the sheriff’s office.
Collaborating with the Idaho State Police and the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office, the Marin County District Attorney’s office and sheriff’s office orchestrated the arrest of Mullen on charges of murder. He is presently housed in the Lemhi County jail awaiting further legal proceedings.