ANCHORAGE, Alaska – After a long-awaited trial, an Oregon man has been convicted of the 1978 cold-case murder of a local teenager in Anchorage. Donald McQuade, 67, was found guilty of first-degree and second-degree murder in the death of 16-year-old Shelley Connolly, who was discovered deceased near a Seward Highway pullout between Anchorage and Girdwood.

The breakthrough in the case came many years later when genetic genealogy linked McQuade to the unsolved crime. Arrested by Alaska State Troopers in 2019, McQuade’s trial was delayed due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The court system in Alaska has been significantly affected by the pandemic in recent years.

During the trial, Assistant Attorney General Paige Smothers emphasized the evidence from Connolly’s body, highlighting the use of DNA found on the body to link it to McQuade and two brothers, both of whom have since passed away. McQuade was the only living brother in Alaska at the time of Connolly’s murder, and investigators were able to obtain DNA evidence directly linking him to the crime scene.

In defense of McQuade, his public defender, Kyle Barber, argued that the DNA evidence was the only evidence the state had against his client. Barber also mentioned that DNA evidence possibly linked to two other people was found on Connolly.

McQuade’s sentencing is scheduled for April 26.

The conviction marks the end of a long and challenging legal process, finally bringing some closure to the family and loved ones of Shelley Connolly.