Suspect In 1987 Cold Case Killing Arrested

SAN JOSE, CA — Detectives in San Jose believe a man already in custody for another crime was responsible for the killing of a man found dead 37 years ago.

According to police, the victim was found unconscious and not breathing with an electrical cord wrapped around his neck at a home on Nordale Avenue on April 22, 1987. Homicide detectives began a thorough investigation but were unable to identify a suspect at the time, police said.

Earlier this year, the homicide unit worked with the District Attorney's Cold Case Team to revisit the case using modern crime lab technology.

Police officials said that work led them to identify Joseph Abeyta, 55, of San Jose, as the suspect in the killing. Detectives learned he was already at the Main Jail for an unrelated incident, and Abeyta was rebooked into the Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of murder.

A potential motive and other details about the circumstances of the killing remain under investigation. According to police, Abeyta's arrest marked San Jose's ninth cold case homicide to be closed the year.

"The tenacity and dedication of our homicide unit detectives and our DA investigators made solving this case possible," said Paul Joseph, the acting police chief. "The San Jose Police Department values this partnership and will continue to seek justice for victims of unsolved homicides.