On Monday, Jeffrey Paul Premo, 52, was arrested for the 1998 homicide of a Washington State girl. Police claim DNA tests allowed them to close the case after two decades. And charge Premo with the axe murder of Jennifer Brinkman, 19. 

The Marysville Police Department (MPD) held a Tuesday press conference. 

MPD Commander Robb Lamoureux was the first detective assigned to the Brinkman case.  “It’s one of those things where it never leaves your thought process because it continues to be unsolved.” 

Brinkman’s father died in 2013. But her mother was grateful an arrest had finally been made.

“She was extremely emotional,” Lamoureux said. “She cried and was very thankful for the work we put into it. I think it was an overwhelming emotion for her to finally have an answer.”

 “It wasn’t until yesterday when we made the arrest and I was sitting at home thinking about it that it really hit that we’ve got a conclusion to this and we’re finally able to put it on a shelf and have some closure not only for us as investigators who have been involved in it but the family and the community,” the detective added.

The cold case haunts the community

Police believe the victim met her killer through the then-popular “Nightline” system where people call in and are connected to other people for possible romance.

Jennifer was found dead by her father and his girlfriend when they returned from a vacation in March 1998. She had been killed by blows from an axe which was recovered at the crime scene.

Law enforcement shared details about how they believe the alleged killer and the cold case victim met.

“Jennifer was a social individual,” MPD Detective Sergeant James Maples said. “She encouraged conversation as she would go to the library and walk around town. She engaged in telephone chat lines, and dating sites, and actively sought companionship from people.”

As one of the victim’s chat line contacts, Premo was questioned during the original investigation. 

Detective Wade Rediger said, there was evidence the defendant had written Jennifer a letter and “tried to meet with the victim around the time of her death.” 

But then the case went cold.

DNA tests uncovered suspect

Investigators were able to get DNA samples from the murder weapon. But DNA testing technology, at the time, was in its infancy. 

In 2020, Marysville detectives sent the samples to Virginia-based Parabon NanoLabs. Parabon has helped law enforcement crack 250 cold cases since 2018. The lab uses advanced forensic testing and mapping techniques to develop suspects.

Through a search warrant, police secured a DNA sample from Premo, who still lives and works in Renton, Washington. 

The MPD said the samples were sent for DNA testing. And Premo’s sample matched the DNA found on the axe.  

Premo is being held at Snohomish County Jail with a $250,000 bail.