43 years after a girl is killed in San Francisco, a suspect is arrested in Colorado
A man was arrested in Colorado on suspicion of killing a teenage girl in San Francisco more than four decades ago and detectives say he may be a suspect in other unsolved homicides. Mark Stanley Personette, 76, was arrested in suburban Denver on Thursday following a joint operation by San Francisco police, the FBI and the Jefferson County Sheriff's office, authorities announced Sunday.
He was booked for investigation of homicide in connection with the 1978 death of Marissa Harvey. It's not known whether he has an attorney who can speak in his behalf.
The 15-year-old New York girl was visiting family in San Francisco when she didn't return from a day trip to Golden Gate Park. Her body was found a day later, in nearby Sutro Heights Park.
The San Francisco Police Department said in a statement that investigators used the best available technology at the time and exhausted every lead, but the case went cold. In October 2020, they reopened the investigation and determined Personette to be a suspect using "advanced investigative methods," the statement said without specifying the methods.
"For more than four decades, Marissa Harvey's family members have been relentless advocates to bring her killer to justice, and we hope this development in the case begins to bring a measure of healing and closure they've been too long denied," Police Chief Bill Scott said. He thanked forensic scientists and "other unsung heroes" who helped solve the case.
CBS San Francisco reports that in the wake of Personette's arrest, San Francisco police are asking law enforcement agencies to review their sexual-assault related cold-case homicides involving young women to identify any other incidents in which Personette may be a suspect. They released several booking photos of Personette over the years.
Anyone with information or leads in the case is asked to call Sgt. Alan Levy of the San Francisco police department's homicide detail at (415) 553-9245 or by email at alan.levy@sfgov.org.
