A 1975 cold case murder was finally solved with the help of an old cassette tape and a picture of the victim, according to the police in Howard County, Maryland.

Roseann Sturtz was just 20 when she was reported missing on Aug. 24, 1975. Her body was recovered months later on Dec. 15 of that year in a wooded area off Route 108 in Columbia, Maryland.

Sturtz was strangled after meeting her assailant at a bar, detectives determined, but the case baffled the cops until a review of the probe late last year unveiled evidence that showed that an already convicted killer serving a life sentence was behind the crime.

Charles William Davis Jr. is accused of assaulting Sturtz, then dumping her body in the woods. A press release from the Howard County Police Department stated that she "sustained trauma to her body which resulted in her death."

The case perplexed the authorities until the evidence was uncovered. The cops found a 1981 audio recording of HCPD detectives interviewing Davis in which he provided details of Sturtz's murder. They also uncovered a letter from the state's attorney of Howard County at the time, which gave Davis full immunity from prosecution to discuss the case.

Davis was reportedly unable to identify Sturtz — who went by Ann — when shown a photo of her during that 1981 interview. The case then remained open for nearly 44 years after that.

Late last year, cold case detective Cpl. Wade Zufall interviewed Davis Jr. and showed him a different photo of Sturtz that more closely resembled her at the time of her death, and he obtained a confession from the convict, who has been incarcerated in the Jessup Correctional Institution since 1978.

Footage from the latest interview showed Davis nodding as he was shown the image of Sturtz. He reportedly also told Zufall that the pair had gotten into an argument after leaving the bar and that he had decided to come forward this time because he wanted Sturtz's family to receive closure.

Current Howard County State's Attorney Rich Gibson reaffirmed the immunity given to Davis Jr. in 1981, stating that he can't be charged in Sturtz's murder, but the case has all but been cleared now by HCPD.

Police Chief Gregory Der said in the press release, "This is our second-oldest cold case, and its closure makes clear that we will never rest in our pursuit of justice. We are fortunate to have an excellent team working on cold cases, led by Cpl. Zufall, that is going through every case with a fine-tooth comb. And in this instance, their diligence paid off. We can now bring closure to Ann’s family, even 50 years later."

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball called Tuesday a "day of remembrance, closure and justice," adding that the moment "is not just about solving a cold case" but is also "about honoring Ann's life, providing her family with long-overdue answers and seeking justice, no matter how much time has passed."

"We will not forget victims. We will not forget grieving families, and we will never stop searching for the truth, whether a crime happened in 1975 or 2025," he said. "Giving this family closure is a testament to the power of persistence and thorough investigative work.”

Sturtz's family released a statement of its own, stating: "In November 2024, we were grateful to have all the case details, learned Roseann’s actual date of death and receive the closure we have been praying for all these years — finally put to rest the answers we never had."

"Now in 2025, almost 50 years later, we have closure and would like to say ‘thank you’ from the bottom of our hearts to the Howard County Police Department and Cpl. Wade Zufall for working so diligently on Roseann’s cold case, bringing Roseann and our family the peace we deserved," the family added. "The sympathy, kindness, respect, and warmth that was shown to us over these past few months will be forever in our hearts."

All of HCPD's open cold cases are listed on its website. Anyone with information on any of them is encouraged to contact the police at 410-313-STOP or email HCPDCrimeTips@howardcountymd.gov. Those with information that leads to breakthroughs are eligible for rewards up to $30,000.