Michael Whyte Sentenced To Life For 1987 Murder Of Fort Carson Soldier Darlene Krashoc
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - A 58-year-old man was sentenced on Friday for a murder he committed in his 20s. Michael Whyte was found guilty of murder in the death of Army Specialist Darlene Krashoc in 1987. On Friday, he was sentenced to life without parole.
During his sentencing, Whyte spoke to the judge.
"I didn't kill Darlene Krashoc, nothing else," he stated, according to KKTV.
Krashoc, who was 20 years old at the time, was an active duty soldier stationed at Fort Carson.
She was found dead behind the Korean Club Restaurant. Authorities say Krashoc was strangled to death.
Police found DNA evidence on the victim's body, but couldn't find a match.
In 2017, the DNA was used to create two composite photos showing what the suspect may have looked like at 25 years old and between 50 and 55 years old.
According to KKTV, in 2019, authorities used the popular ancestry sites, 23 and Me and Ancestry.com, to identify a distant cousin of the suspect -- and tracked down Whyte.
Photos of Whyte also matched the composite sketch.
Whyte was arrested in Thornton.
"The work done by these detectives has been nothing short of exceptional," Colorado Springs Police Chief Vince Niski stated. "Throughout these last 32 years, they never lost sight of what was most important: Finding answers for Ms. Krashoc's family."
