Suspect in Elena Lasswell's rape, murder was identified through DNA and witness testimony

Rey Covarrubias Jr., Arizona Republic
·1 min read

Court documents released on Thursday showed police arrested Sergio Reyes for a 20-year-old cold case after DNA links were made against the suspect in front of a grand jury.

Reyes, 37, was extradited by the U.S. Marshals Service from Mexico to Phoenix for the first-degree murder of Elena Lasswell in 2004.

Police in court documents detailed that Reyes, then a 17-year-old, fled Phoenix for Mexico after he committed a "brutal" sexual assault, kidnapping, burglary and killed Lasswell in her bedroom.

Reyes was reportedly identified through DNA and witness testimony, indicted by a grand jury on Dec. 10, 2023, according to the court documents.

Reyes faced a charge for first-degree murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, and second-degree burglary.

Reyes was held on a cash-only bond of $1,000,000, cited as an extremely high flight risk in court documents. His next court appearance was on July 17.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: DNA in Elena Lasswell murder led to arrest of Sergio Reyes