Summary
In May 2001, officers with the Montgomery County Police Department were dispatched to the home of Leslie Preer located in the 4800 block of Drummond Avenue in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Preer, who lived in Montgomery County, just north of Washington, D.C., had not shown up for work, prompting a visit by police. Upon entering Preer's home, officers determined that a crime had been committed. Officers found Preer's body inside of her home and determined that she was a victim of homicide. Investigators collected evidence from the crime scene.
For twenty-three years, police worked diligently to determine who was responsible for killing Leslie Preer on May 2, 2001. Traditional DNA testing did not yield a match, and a suspect could not be identified. In September 2022, Montgomery County Police Department teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to identify the perpetrator.
The Montgomery County Police Department submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas so that a DNA profile could be developed for the unknown suspect. Using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®, Othram scientists built a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown suspect. After completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to investigators so that a forensic genetic genealogy search could be performed to develop new investigative leads in the case.
Using forensic genetic genealogy, law enforcement investigators identified a potential male suspect in the case. In June 2024, Montgomery County Police Detectives collected DNA evidence belonging to the potential suspect. This evidence was compared to the original DNA evidence collected at the crime scene in 2001. This comparison yielded a positive match, confirming the identity of the suspect as Eugene Teodor Gligor.
A warrant for Gligor’s arrest was requested and obtained on Saturday, June 15, 2024. Gligor, who is currently 44-years-old, was arrested by the U.S. Marshal's Task Force in Washington, D.C. on June 18, 2024. Gligor has been charged with first-degree murder. The arrest warrant will be sent to Washington, D.C., to serve as a detainer pending Gligor's extradition process.
The identification of Eugene Teodor Gligor represents the fourth case in the state of Maryland where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Earlier this week, the suspect in the rape and murder of Rachel Morin was identified after a 10-month-long nationwide search for an unknown man was launched following her August 2023 rape and murder.
Michael Vogen
Director of Case Management
Michael works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada on “unsolvable“ cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. He helps these agencies use cutting edge DNA sequencing and new forensic techniques to develop investigative leads for their cases.