Racine police announce charges in cold case homicide from 2000
By Tajma Hall
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RACINE, Wisconsin (WDJT) — A big step toward long-awaited justice has finally come to a Racine family decades after their loved one was killed.
Linda Fields was found dead in a front yard back in 2000. Now, a suspect has been charged in the case.
The body of Linda Fields was found just three minutes away from here. Now, a 66-year-old man is facing charges in her death.
The body was discovered in a front yard under a tree branch 23 years ago.
Lucas Alonso is now accused in the case.
Investigators say his arrest is all thanks to a DNA sample matched with DNA found on Linda’s body back on Feb. 24, 2000.
An autopsy found Fields was strangled to death.
For years, investigators were unable to find a DNA match.
A recent familiar DNA search was conducted to identify close relatives of persons of interest, and that’s ultimately how Alonso was found to be the suspect.
“One agency doesn’t always get all this work done,” Racine Police Chief Maurice Robinson. “There are a number of us that all work throughout the entire criminal justice system, scientific part to the investigative part to the apprehension part to make sure we can bring as much justice as we can to the cases that are open.”
An initial court appearance for Lucas Alonso is scheduled for Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.
We spoke to Linda’s son and sister who both said this is an emotional day with mixed feelings.
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