SUSSEX COUNTY, N.J. - A decades-old cold case in New Jersey is one step closer to being closed after a man, who was arrested after his wife vanished, was taken into custody in connection with another woman's murder.
What we know:
Robert McCaffrey Jr., 54, was arrested during a traffic stop in North Carolina on April 10 and charged with murder, kidnapping and burglary for the killing of Lisa McBride in Sussex County, New Jersey, in 1990.
Five firearms were also found inside his North Carolina home following the arrest.
Officials say the break in the case was thanks to advancements in DNA technology.
The backstory:
On October 20, 1990, a hunter discovered skeletal remains in a wooded area in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Sussex County.
The cause and manner of death couldn't be determined due to the body's decomposition, but the identity was confirmed to be Lisa McBride through dental records. McBride, who would have been 27 years old when her remains were found, went missing several months earlier on June 22, 1990.
Lisa McBride
Dig deeper:
In 2014, McCaffrey's DNA profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System when he was arrested in connection to the 2012 disappearance of his wife, Gayle McCaffrey, in South Carolina. He was released years ago, but his wife remains missing.
McBride's remains were exhumed to obtain a DNA sample for comparison in 2022, which was then used to identify McCaffrey as the male DNA contributor. Officials also confirmed that he was living in Sussex County at the time of her disappearance.
What's next:
McCaffrey is currently being held in North Carolina pending extradition to New Jersey.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office and New Jersey State Police.