Brother found sister stabbed to death in 1978. Now man is going to prison, officials say
When a brother walked inside his 19-year-old sister’s home in Buffalo, New York, to check on her, he found her dead in the living room in February 1978.
Hours earlier, Linda Tschari was stabbed to death by a man who made his way into her house, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office. After her body was found, the case went cold.
Now nearly 45 years later, a man is going to prison after DNA linked him to Tschari’s murder, officials announced.
A judge sentenced John M. Sauberan, 63, of Buffalo, to 25 years to life in prison in connection with Tschari’s death on Dec. 13, the district attorney’s office said in a news release. His sentencing comes after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder in October.
“The family of Linda Tschari has waited nearly 45 years for justice,” Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn said in a statement.
He added that he hopes the sentencing provides the “family with legal closure as they continue to mourn her untimely death and heal from this horrific crime.”
In court, Sauberan stayed silent when asked his motive for killing Tschari, according to the Buffalo News.
Meanwhile, Sauberan’s attorney Paul Dell told McClatchy News in a statement on Dec. 14 his client “maintains his innocence,” and they were disappointed with the jury’s verdict. Dell plans to appeal the sentencing.
Man becomes a suspect after case is re-opened
Sauberan became a suspect in 2019 after investigators revisited the case in 2006, the Buffalo News reported.
It is believed that Sauberan and Tschari were strangers, according to officials.
DNA linked him to Tschari’s murder after it was uploaded in a national database following his felony conviction in Oregon in an unrelated case, according to the release.
In October, jurors deliberated for three hours after a five-day trial and decided Sauberan was guilty, the release said.
Dell told McClatchy News he “believes that the DNA evidence is weak and was mischaracterized by the prosecution” and that “the case should have been dismissed early on due to insufficient grand jury minutes.”
During Sauberan’s sentencing, a friend of Tschari’s read a victim impact statement, saying “Linda, your story has taken 44 years long to write. But, today, we have reached the final chapter. With today’s sentencing, you will finally claim your justice,” according to the Buffalo News.
“It took an instant to lose you, and it will take our entire lifetime to grieve the loss of you,” the friend added.
This story was originally published December 14, 2022 at 2:08 PM with the headline "Brother found sister stabbed to death in 1978. Now man is going to prison, officials say."
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