A cold case dating back to 1985 in Claremont was solved thanks to forensic technology, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday.
On Oct. 13, 1985, David R. Evans II was discovered brutally beaten to death inside his home at 862 High Point Ave. in Claremont.
Police officers were first to discover the 57-year-old after a robbery call to the home.
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Evans, a vice president of Pomona First Federal Bank and a former school superintendent, lived alone, and no suspects were immediately identified. Evans’ 1980 Chevrolet Manza was stolen, and two hours later was found abandoned in Covina.
Evans’ case went cold, until 2006.
The LA County Sheriff’s Department said advancements in forensic technology, like fingerprint technology, helped them identify a person of interest named Hillery Marcus Dupleasis, but still would not be until 2020 that he would be named a suspect.
In May 2022, the LA County District Attorney’s office filed charges against Dupleasis in the murder.
Dupleasis is currently serving a prison sentence in New York for an unrelated murder, and is awaiting extradition. He was set to be eligible for parole in that case in 2033.
The Sheriff’s Department said solving the case was a collaborative effort with Claremont police, New York State police, and the New York Department of Corrections.
It still wasn’t clear what the suspect’s motive was at the time of the slaying. Investigators believe before the slaying, the two had never met.
