A woman's murder 30 years ago has finally been solved after deputies were able to match a DNA sample.
Friday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said that Michael Rizzo was responsible for the death of 23-year-old Roslin Kruse after receiving a DNA swab from Rizzo's daughter.
The case dates back to Nov. 1, 1993, when Kruse was last seen alive at 13102 Mike Drive in Tampa. It wasn't until later that day that her body was found on the east shoulder of East Bay Road in Gibsonton, south of Symmes Road.
An autopsy report revealed Kruse was strangled.
Throughout the initial investigation, detectives "observed Kruse entering a vehicle with an unknown individual." They then traced the vehicle to a home on Mike Drive where Kruse and the person went inside, but no proof of a crime was found just yet.
Deputies said Rizzo, who lived only 0.4 miles away from where Kruse's body was found, claimed that although he picked Kruse up on the day she was murdered, she was still alive when he dropped her off.
Rizzo underwent a polygraph examination, which HCSO said "indicated deception in his responses." Rizzo's wife and girlfriend also gave conflicting accounts, leading to further complications.
Evidence, including a DNA sample on Kruse's body, was collected and stored in a database.
In November 2021, investigators requested a DNA swab from Rizzo's biological daughter, which she gave to HCSO. Deputies were then able to link the DNA sample recovered from the body with the DNA sample provided by Rizzo's daughter.
HCSO then met with Kruse's relatives in Ponte Vedra to tell them of their findings. But Rizzo had already passed away on March 1, 2011, in Orange County.
The new findings led HCSO to officially close the case, stating that they are "confident that Michael Rizzo was responsible for the death of Roslin Kruse."
