On December 29, 1989, Ruth Buchanan, a 52-year-old mother, was tragically struck by a vehicle while crossing a street in Charlotte, North Carolina. She later died in what would become a cold case hit-and-run.

Buchanan had just left a department store with a friend when the driver of a car sped through a red light and hit her. The impact was so severe that her body was thrown to the opposite side of the intersection.

Despite the presence of witnesses, the driver did not stop, did not offer assistance, and fled the scene.

Cold Case Hit-and-Run

"Her body landed on the opposite side of the intersection, and that vehicle, according to witnesses, didn’t stop, didn’t render aid, and continued to flee the scene," Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Sgt. Gavin Jackson of the Major Crash Unit recounted in a video released by police.

Buchanan succumbed to her injuries the following day in the hospital, leaving her family devastated and the community in shock. Despite efforts to find the perpetrator, the investigation quickly went cold.

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Breakthrough in DNA Technology

For decades, the case remained unsolved, with Buchanan's family left without answers. However, with the advancements in DNA technology, the case was reopened, leading to a significant breakthrough. Herbert Stanback, now 68 years old, confessed to the 35-year-old crime, finally bringing some closure to the tragic incident.

According to a statement released by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Stanback pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run resulting in serious injury or death. This confession came as a result of DNA evidence that linked him directly to the crime.

The Investigation 

Initially, witnesses provided a description of the vehicle and even a license plate number. However, when investigators traced the Mercedes linked to the license plate, they discovered that the tag had been stolen, and the car was not involved in Buchanan’s death. The case seemed to hit a dead end until a crucial discovery was made on New Year’s Day in 1990.

Investigators located a black Mitsubishi at a Comfort Inn with damage consistent with the suspect vehicle's description.

Inside the car, they found personal items, including a marijuana cigarette, which would later become a key piece of evidence. Despite this discovery, the case remained unsolved for years.

In 2022, following a failed tip, the case was reopened, and the cigarette was subjected to DNA testing.

The results matched Herbert Stanback, who was already in custody at the Department of Adult Corrections in North Carolina on an unrelated charge.

Stanback’s Confession 

Stanback, a career criminal, had been incarcerated at the time of the hit-and-run but was on a work-release program that allowed him to leave the prison during the day.

He was working at a hotel just a couple of blocks from where Buchanan was struck. In his second interview with investigators in March 2024, Stanback made a "full confession."

"Interestingly, he was incarcerated at Charlotte Correctional [at the time of the hit-and-run], but he was on a work-release program at the time — where they would leave in the morning and come back in the evening — and he was working at a hotel one or two blocks up the street," Sgt. Jackson explained.

Stanback was sentenced to two years in prison for the hit-and-run, which he will serve concurrently with a 22-year sentence for an unrelated offense at the Scotland Correctional Institution in Laurinburg, North Carolina.

Hope for Cold Cases

The resolution of this cold case offers a glimmer of hope for other unsolved crimes.

 "I think this stands as an example — of course, not every case is going to be solved this way — but you never know what is going to happen, 20, 25, 30 years down the line," Sgt. Jackson said.

 "The fact that the scientific means have been able to obtain DNA and link it, not to a specific gene pool, but to a specific individual over three decades later is amazing. It really is."

The successful conclusion of Ruth Buchanan’s case serves as a reminder that when properly used by law enforcement the advancements in technology that can bring justice in cold cases.