CASE OF INTEREST

May 1, 2003

Case: People v. Joseph Aguayo

Contact:
Lana Wyant, Special Assistant Deputy District Attorney, (916) 874-5907
Sgt. Justin Risley, Sacramento Police Department, (916) 433-0809

The Sacramento District Attorney's Office and the Sacramento Police Department have prepared an arrest warrant and complaint charging Joseph Aguayo with the murder of 29-year-old Eva Chu and her unborn child. In addition, there are several special circumstances alleged including, kidnapping, rape, robbery and multiple murders.

On April 17, 1979, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Eva Chu left her place of employment in downtown Sacramento to attend a doctor's appointment. She was 7 months pregnant at the time. When Mrs. Chu failed to show up for her doctor's appointment, she was reported missing by her family to the Sacramento Police Department. The Sacramento Police Department conducted an extensive investigation into her disappearance and learned that witnesses reported seeing Eva Chu kidnapped from a downtown parking garage by an unknown assailant. She was never seen alive again.

On April 19, 1979, Eva Chu's car was found abandoned in the City of Sacramento. On April 21, 1979, her body was found in a wooded area near Watt Avenue and Longview Drive. An autopsy revealed that she had been sexually assaulted and strangled. She was found to be 7 months pregnant with a viable fetus.

In August of 2002, the Sacramento District Attorney's Crime Laboratory was asked to perform DNA testing on items of evidence collected in this case. In October of 2002, the DNA profile obtained was submitted to the California Department of Justice Convicted Offender DNA Databank. In November a match or "Cold Hit" was made. Further DNA testing confirmed that Joseph Aguayo's DNA matched the DNA profile obtained in the Eva Chu case.

Joseph Aguayo is currently serving a 60 year- to-life term at High Desert State Prison for attempted murder and kidnapping on an unrelated case. He is expected to be transported to Sacramento to face these charges within the next 10 days.

The family of the victim has expressed that they do not wish to be contacted.

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