San Jose Police identify suspect in 30-year cold case

The San Jose Police Department has identified a suspect in a nearly 30-year-old murder case.

Investigators announced on Monday that DNA testing led them to identify Victor Lamont Ferguson as the primary suspect in the 1997 murder of Karen Gevorkov, who ws 28 years old at the time.

Ferguson died in 2022 at the age of 47.

"While justice may be delayed, the victim is never forgotten," Chief of Police Paul Joseph said in a press statement. "This breakthrough, made possible through advances in DNA technology, underscores our unwavering commitment to seeking the truth, no matter how many years pass. Though the suspect is no longer here to face accountability, we hope this new evidence provides much-needed closure to Gevorkov's family, and serves as a reminder that we will never stop pursuing justice for those we've lost."

The crime

The backstory:

Gevorkov was last seen alive on July 15, 1997. Investigation showed he was walking with a friend near Starbird Park. His companion said the pair were approached by three men who attacked them with a blunt object, later described as a bat. The friend survived the attack, but Gevorkov's unconscious body was found the next day outside a residence on Boynton Avenue. He died of blunt force trauma.

The witness was unable to identify the attackers, but interviews with area residents led investigators to identify Ferguson as a person of interest.

A breakthrough in 2024 matched Ferguson's DNA to the victim's clothing, which investigators said was conclusive evidence of his involvement in the crime. Their case was bolstered by a 2016 interview with a former inmate who had come forward in 1997, which provided information implicating Ferguson in the murder.

Despite this suspicion, Ferguson was never formally interviewed about the crime.

Fergused moved to Kansas following Gevorkov's murder, and was never held accountable for the crime. The state's death records show he died in 2022.

"27 years ago, Karen lost his life and his family never knew why," San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said in a press release. "Although the truth won't bring him back, it brings answers and hopefully closure for a family who has been waiting for both for a long time now."