WILTON MANORS, Fla. – After a Local 10 investigation into the handling of a 40-year-old cold case, detectives are one step closer to solving it.
Wilton Manors police say they have located critical evidence in the case of Anna Marie Mullin, including fingerprints and physical evidence that was swabbed for DNA and sent out for testing.
Mullin’s sister Fran Kubes turned to Local 10 crime specialist Bridgette Matter in November 2021 to push for answers in her sister’s murder case.
In 1982, the 22-year-old Mullin was last seen out at the Caboose Bar in Wilton Manors before leaving with an unidentified man, possibly the man in a police sketch.
Mullin’s body was discovered on the steps of St. Clements Catholic Church. Police say she had been strangled to death. Her case quickly turned cold. Since then, her sister has wondered about who killed her.
“Her life mattered to us,” Kubes said. “She was somebody who mattered to us. She was a wonderful sister, she was a great sister.”
Last year, all Wilton Manors homicide cases, including Anna’s, were transferred to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, which has more resources.
Kubes said for 40 years she’s asked for documents related to Anna’s case but has never seen a police report.
Local 10 soon learned some of the evidence has been misplaced possibly lost. We talked to the Chief of Police Gary Blocker about missteps in the case.
“If there is missing evidence, our agency will be 100% transparent with the family of Anna Marie Mullin,” Blocker said.
Since sitting down with police, they began looking for missing evidence. In an email, the police department said they have now located fingerprints and the physical evidence that was sent for testing.
A follow-up email laid out the crucial evidence was found in a Wilton Manors Police evidence vault. It is information Kubes waited on for decades.
Wilton Manors police took Mullin’s case back over while still partnering with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. Detectives continue to look for evidence.
A complete list of evidence is being kept secret to preserve the investigation.