Murder suspect from 1981 killed in shootout with SWAT team, US Marshals

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North Canton, OH - A police shootout led authorities in Ohio to solve a cold case murder from 1981.

Swat police and U.S. Marshals swarmed a motel room near North Canton last month.

The man inside died after investigators said he barricaded himself inside and started a gunfight while a warrant was being served on federal gun charges.

He was identified as James Vanest, according to Mansfield police.

Police said he is also responsible for the murder of 18-year-old Deborah Lee Miller in Mansfield in 1981.

"With the continual progress in DNA technology and some innovative techniques, a firm DNA profile began to show itself on numerous pieces of evidence," Mansfield police Chief Jason Bammann said.

Vanest lived above Miller when she was found inside her apartment in April 1981, beaten to death, police said.

The DNA was found on the murder weapons, which were pots, pans and oven grates, Richland County Assistant Prosecutor Chris Brown said.

The case started to be reexamined four years ago by detective Terry Butler and DNA analyst Dawn Fryback.

"My great uncle was the first officer, one of the first officer on the scene of this homicide in '81," officer Butler said.

As the case began to build, investigators said Vanest moved away to West Virginia and sold his house in Canton.

As prosecutors were preparing to go to the grand jury in the Miller cold case, US Marshals were also serving a warrant for illegal gun possession leading to a November shootout in Jackson Township.

Mansfield police said they had obtained enough evidence to present the case to a grand jury in hopes of getting an indictment against Vanest.

Those plans were canceled when he was killed in the shootout.