Man Convicted of 14-Year-Old’s Murder Over 40 Years Later

After 42 years, the murderer of 14-year-old De Anna Lynn Johnson has been brought to justice, thanks to both modern forensic technology and the help of her childhood friend.

Key Takeaways

Marvin Ray Markle, 59, was convicted of the 1982 first-degree murder of 14-year-old De Anna Lynn Johnson in Vacaville, California.
Johnson’s body was found on railroad tracks after she disappeared following a neighborhood party.
Her childhood friend, Mary Borchers, played a crucial role in gathering evidence and pursuing justice for four decades.
DNA evidence from Johnson’s fingernails, preserved for years, was finally analyzable with advanced forensic technology.
Markle was already serving an 80-year sentence for another murder, highlighting the importance of cold case persistence.

Four Decades of Waiting for Justice

In 1982, the small community of Vacaville, California was shaken when 14-year-old De Anna Lynn Johnson disappeared after attending a neighborhood party. Her body was later discovered on nearby railroad tracks, marking the beginning of a cold case that would span 42 years. The recent conviction of 59-year-old Marvin Ray Markle for Johnson’s murder represents a significant breakthrough in forensic science and criminal justice persistence. Markle, who was 17 at the time of the killing and known locally as “Ziggy,” was a person of interest in the initial investigation, but authorities lacked the evidence needed to pursue charges until recent technological advancements made DNA analysis possible.

The case remained dormant for decades despite local suspicions about Markle’s involvement. Detective Joe Munoz, who worked the case initially, had preserved crucial DNA evidence from under Johnson’s fingernails, but the forensic technology available in the 1980s couldn’t adequately process the samples. The investigation gained momentum in 2004 when Markle became a suspect in another homicide – the 2001 murder of Shirley Ann Pratt. His conviction for that crime in 2014 resulted in an 80-year prison sentence and provided investigators with comparative evidence that would eventually help solve Johnson’s case.

14-year-old’s body found on railroad tracks in 1982, CA officials say. Now man convicted https://t.co/xMur5rGqCF

— Lexington Herald-Leader (@heraldleader) March 22, 2025

A Friend’s Determined Pursuit of Justice

Mary Borchers, Johnson’s childhood friend, emerged as an unlikely hero in the decades-long quest for justice. Refusing to let her friend’s memory fade into obscurity, Borchers dedicated significant portions of her life to gathering evidence, communicating with law enforcement, and ensuring that Johnson’s case remained active. Her determination reportedly played a crucial role in finally bringing Markle to justice. By 2017, investigators had accumulated enough evidence to formally charge Markle with Johnson’s murder.

“I give Mary Borchers a lot of credit. I’m retired and there’s nothing I can do about it. She went to court every day. She was trying to help the parents and make sure Markle got what’s coming to him,” Munoz said during testimony.

Despite Markle’s not guilty plea, the jury reached a guilty verdict after a three-week trial. The conviction brought immense relief to Johnson’s family and everyone involved in the case. Borchers’ statements following the trial revealed the emotional weight of the decades-long pursuit of justice, with her noting that while everyone had long suspected Markle, they finally had factual confirmation of his guilt. The Solano County District Attorney’s Office and Vacaville Police Department received commendation for their persistent dedication to solving a case that many might have abandoned due to the passage of time.

Forensic Technology’s Critical Role in Cold Cases

The Johnson case exemplifies how advancements in forensic technology can breathe new life into cold cases that once seemed unsolvable. The DNA evidence collected from Johnson’s fingernails in 1982 remained preserved for decades until technology evolved to a point where it could be properly analyzed. This technological breakthrough, combined with evidence from Markle’s Pratt murder trial, created a path to justice that would have been impossible during the original investigation. Law enforcement’s foresight in preserving physical evidence, despite lacking the means to analyze it fully at the time, proved crucial in ultimately securing the conviction.

The resolution of this four-decade-old case sends a powerful message about the value of perseverance in criminal investigations. For Johnson’s mother, who waited 42 years for justice, and for Borchers, who refused to let her friend be forgotten, the conviction represents closure to a chapter of grief that spanned most of their lives. This case serves as both a warning to criminals that time doesn’t erase their crimes and as encouragement to victims’ families that justice, while sometimes delayed, can eventually prevail through a combination of dedicated investigators, loyal friends, and advancing technology.