Pennsylvania Police Link Two 1970s Murders to Deceased Local Man
DNA evidence connects the deaths of Susan Rush and Brenda Ritter to James Richard Clark Sr., who died in 2023.
By Ethan Cooper ·
Cold case investigators in southwestern Pennsylvania have identified a suspect who died three years ago in connection with two unsolved murders from the 1970s. Pennsylvania State Police announced Wednesday that DNA analysis links the deaths of Susan Rush and Brenda Ritter to James Richard Clark Sr.
Clark, born in 1957, was 19 years old when Rush was killed in 1976 and 20 when Ritter died in 1977. Both victims resided in the Washington County area, and state police said Clark lived there during the same period. He died at age 66 in 2023.
Cpl. James Petrosky, the criminal investigation assessment supervisor with Troop B, presented the findings at a press conference. Petrosky stated that testing confirmed a serial killer operated in Washington County during that timeframe. He noted that additional DNA testing conducted in May 2025 identified the same offender for both homicides.
Records indicate Rush was found in the trunk of her car in 1976, where she had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Ritter, who was 18, was found on a hillside in 1977 with the same manner of death, according to local reporting. Authorities have notified both families, who have requested privacy.
Petrosky said investigators are not ruling out other potential victims. He stated, "I believe that once you're a serial killer, you're always a serial killer," and added that more victims could exist. The investigation remains open.
