Investigators in Oregon have used DNA evidence to link a long-unsolved 1992 murder to a convicted serial killer who died years ago, finally bringing answers to the family of an elderly woman who was brutally attacked in her own home.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday that Cesar Barone — born Adolph James Rode Jr. — was responsible for the killing of 81-year-old Elizabeth Wasson. Wasson, described as an “Avon lady,” was found murdered inside her home on September 23, 1992. Barone had previously been suspected in the case, but authorities lacked the forensic proof needed to file charges at the time.

Barone adopted his new identity after leaving the U.S. Army in 1987, reportedly inspired by Italian gangster culture. He later became one of Oregon’s most notorious criminals, convicted in 1995 for the murders of four women and sentenced to death. However, Barone died before the state could carry out the execution.

The murder of Elizabeth Wasson occurred after her daughter, Tracie Dahl, visited her earlier in the day. During the visit, Wasson mentioned she planned to go grocery shopping. But later that night, when Dahl tried to call her mother, she received no answer. Concerned, Dahl and her husband went to Wasson’s home and discovered her dead in a bedroom. Authorities determined she had been both stabbed and strangled.

At the time, investigators believed Wasson’s murder fit the pattern of Barone’s other crimes. Many of his known victims were women who lived alone, often targeted in vulnerable situations. Despite suspicions, the case remained unsolved for decades.

That changed after key evidence from the crime scene was re-examined. Investigators submitted the dress Wasson was wearing during the attack to the Oregon State Police crime lab for modern forensic testing. In 2023, DNA results reportedly produced a match to Barone, providing the confirmation investigators had been missing since the early 1990s.

Barone died in 2009, just days after detectives visited him while he was on his deathbed. They had hoped he would confess to Wasson’s murder and possibly other suspected crimes. Instead, he reportedly denied any involvement and insisted he was innocent not only of additional cases but also of the murders for which he had already been convicted. Retired Washington County Sheriff’s detective Michael O’Connell described Barone as arrogant and unwilling to engage, even claiming he would soon be released from prison.

Barone’s confirmed victims included Margaret Schmidt, who was raped and strangled, and Margaret Bryant, who was attacked after work, raped, and shot. He was also convicted in the killings of Chantee Woodman, whose body was dumped after she was raped and shot, and Betty Williams, who suffered a fatal heart attack during an attack. Prosecutors also noted that Barone assaulted other women who survived and was suspected in additional killings, including the death of his former mother-in-law.

For Dahl, the identification of her mother’s killer brought a sense of closure. She told local media she had long doubted the case would ever be solved, but said she now feels some peace knowing the truth has finally been confirmed.