DNA Leads To Arrest In 20-Year-Old Case

Police say a La Mesa man got away with murder for nearly two decades, but with the help of DNA, his luck has run out.

Marc Jernigan, 38, is in custody Wednesday, after investigators linked him to the 20-year-old murder of his ex-girlfriend's mother.

Jernigan was taken into custody Tuesday at his workplace in the 12000 block of Carmel Country Road, La Mesa police said.

He was booked on suspicion of murder in the stabbing death of his ex-girlfriend’s mother June George on Aug. 8, 1986.

The woman was found by her daughter at around 5:20 p.m. that day in the kitchen of her La Mesa home in the 8600 block of Mariposa Street, according to investigators.

Jernigan and the woman’s daughter, Kathy Keller had ended their relationship just weeks before George was killed.

He is set to be arraigned Thursday.