A Gardena man has been arrested on suspicion of stabbing a woman in Desert Hot Springs in 1994. Cheri Huss was found with multiple stab and bite wounds in her Desert Hot Springs apartment, Riverside County, 28 years ago but no arrests had been made until now. According to ktla.com, “The woman had tried to fight off her attacker, helping to leave behind some of his blood at the crime scene, along with saliva from the bite marks he left on the victim, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.” “She had been stabbed multiple times and was bitten by her killer. Homicide investigators also found that she had fought off her attacker which caused the person to leave blood, determined by testing to be from a male, at the crime scene,” read the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office’s press release. “Forensic testing confirmed that the blood from the male matched the DNA of saliva left behind in the bite marks on the victim.” Investigators had been trying to get a DNA match based on saliva in Huss’ bite, and in February they finally identified Sharron Eugene Gadlin. Prosecutors said in a news release, “Cold case investigators sought and were granted a warrant to obtain a saliva sample from Gadlin which was done on Feb. 14, 2022. Four days later, on Feb. 18, investigators received confirmation from the state Department of Justice lab that there was a DNA match of the saliva to the DNA profile of the person suspected of murdering Cheri Huss.” Back in 1994, Gadlin lived approximately 12 miles away from Huss’ Desert Hot Springs apartment. After investigators were able to match the DNA, he was pulled over and arrested in Gardena in February. “I hope Cheri and her family will finally get the justice they deserve and have waited so long for,” said Mike Hestrin, Riverside County District Attorney. “Our cold case team of investigators will continue to use cutting edge technology to solve old murder cases across Riverside County. Our prosecutors will continue to vigorously prosecute these murderers until we get justice for their victims.”
