Investigators believe the arrest of Anthony Palma may give police the answers they’ve searched for, for so long. The young girl would vanish without a trace with only a small amount of blood on her windowsill and a pair of her underwear in the backyard as the only clues.
Advertisement
Kirsten is presumed dead, although her body has never been found. If she were alive today, she would be 26.
The request for his arrest warrant, which was issued Friday by Midwest City Police Detective Darrell Miller, stated: ‘There have been no verified sightings or contact from Kirsten since May… of 1997.
In June, police say Palma was one of several men who were re-interviewed by an officer assigned to reexamine the cold case. Genetic testing results matched those from the evidence analyses, police said.
This summer, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation lab finally found a match.
Palma was questioned about the disappearance in 1997 and again in June. Officers arrived at Palma’s home and spoke with his wife, who said Palma would still get upset about the case, because, “it happened so close to his house”.
Police said on both occasions, he said he was home the night Kirsten went missing.
He also collected DNA samples from them, including Palma’s.
Palma was arrested Monday on first-degree murder and kidnapping complaints after authorities concluded that she was killed shortly after her abduction.
Palma told investigators he was in bed the night the Kirsten disappeared but awoke about 2 a.m. because a dog was barking, KOKH reported.
Palma was identified as a suspect in July, but Clabes said police continued to investigate him via wiretap and surveillance, aiming to bolster their case. There was no indication of police searching his home at the time.
Hatfield’s step-father, Chris Hazen said he married Hatfield’s mother two years after her abduction. “It is likely that Palma has been motivated to stay in the same home to hide evidence of the crime and/or the location of Kristen’s body”.
Advertisement
“We want to take this opportunity to let all of our family and friends know that we are OK, and please continue to pray for us”, Hazen said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
