REOPENED: Devil at the Door

Summary

Cold Case Files – REOPENED: Devil at the Door

Podcast: Cold Case Files
Host: Paula Barros, A&E / PodcastOne
Date: December 11, 2025

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Episode Overview

This gripping episode unpacks the tragic 1998 murder of Lisa Valdez in San Francisco—a heartbreaking case that froze for over a decade before new forensic technology and dogged detective work finally brought justice. Through the lens of Lisa’s loving family and friends, listeners go deep into the investigation, false leads, and the eventual breakthrough that puts her killer behind bars—demonstrating the painstaking reality of cold case investigations and the profound impact on surviving loved ones.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Lisa Valdez’s Life and Last Days

• Lisa, 36, was a beloved daughter, friend, and computer programmer, excited to settle into her new apartment in Diamond Heights, San Francisco.
• She hosted a dinner party on May 16, 1998, the night before her murder ([01:09]–[02:18]).
• Lisa was especially close to her mother, Helen, and best friend, Maisa Robinson.

Quote:

“My best friend Lisa had this beautiful studio apartment in Diamond Heights that her mother Helena purchased for her that had a breathtaking view…Lisa was proud of it.”
— Maisa Robinson [01:38]

The Shocking Discovery

• Lisa goes uncharacteristically silent for several days; her absence from dance class and work alarms family ([03:33]).
• By May 20, police discover Lisa’s body in her apartment after neighbors report a foul odor ([04:09]).
• The crime scene reveals Lisa was brutally assaulted and killed, with evidence of a struggle and sexual assault ([06:35]–[07:04]).

Memorable Moment:

“My wife was choking in tears, could barely talk…my sister’s gone. The universe just ripped and shredded. What happened? How could this have happened?”
— Tom Valdez, Lisa’s brother [05:04]

Crime Scene & Early Theories

• No forced entry, apartment impeccably secure.
• Killer took a lock of Lisa's long hair, indicating a possible personal motive ([09:37]).
• No robbery—valuables untouched.
• DNA and blood not belonging to Lisa found at the scene and under her fingernails ([07:54]).
• Evidence suggests Lisa let her killer in because she knew them ([09:02]).

False Paths and Dead Ends

Focus on Albert Cato

• Lisa’s recent date, Albert, is an early person of interest due to a cut on his hand ([15:15]–[15:44]).
• Polygraph test is inconclusive, but neither his DNA nor fingerprints match crime scene evidence ([17:15]).

The “Obsessed” Acquaintance: Albert Robinson

• Investigators trace odd voicemails to Albert Robinson, a co-worker’s friend who professed love for Lisa and exhibited stalker-like behavior ([18:49]–[20:14]).
• His home is filled with Lisa’s photos, but forensic evidence again rules him out ([21:29]).

Years Without Answers

• Family endures deepening grief—Lisa’s mother, Helen, heartbreakingly pleads for help on national TV ([22:01]).
• Both detectives, Lt. Pam Hofsis and Inspector Ronan Scholdes, relentlessly revisit the case, resubmitting DNA and fingerprints for years as technology advances ([24:40]–[25:08]).

Quote:

“I had Lisa’s case file with the unidentified prints on my desk for years and periodically would just try them again…Maybe he is now.”
— Inspector Ronan Scholdes [24:40]

Forensic Breakthrough: New Tech, New Hope

• The introduction of familial DNA—and the 2004 California Prop 69—widens the pool of criminal DNA ([25:31]–[27:24]).
• In 2011, Anthony Quinn Hughes has to provide a DNA sample after a shoplifting arrest, and it's a perfect match to Lisa's crime scene ([27:03]).

Memorable Moment:

“You got the hit. It’s all the markers. Every single peak is matching.”
— Lt. Pam Hofsis [26:45]

• Hughes’ fingerprint also matches one collected from Lisa’s bathroom ([28:31]).

The Arrest and Confession Attempt

• Hughes is found and arrested within hours of circulating his mugshot ([30:32]).
• During interrogation, Hughes initially denies knowing Lisa, then reluctantly admits to a distant connection ([31:25]–[32:31]).
• Upon learning police have DNA evidence, Hughes attempts to stab himself with a pen in the interrogation room ([34:13]–[34:37]).

Memorable Moment:

“Anthony grabs the pen and plunges it into his chest, then his neck... Anthony Quinn Hughes is officially arrested for Lisa's murder.”
— Narrator [34:13]

Reactions and Reflection

• Telling Helen Valdez, Lisa’s mother, provides a poignant closure moment for Lt. Hofsis ([35:16]).

Quote:

“I get emotional thinking about it, just remembering how much it meant to her.”
— Lt. Pam Hofsis [35:16]

• Maisa Robinson and other friends reflect on Lisa’s unique spirit and the stunning revelation of the killer’s identity ([36:06]).

The Trial and Resolution

• Anthony Hughes’ defense argues his physical incapacity due to a rare autoimmune disorder, but forensic evidence is overwhelming ([37:14]).
• Jury convicts him of first-degree murder (attempted rape results in a mistrial), later reduced to second-degree ([38:50]).
• Hughes is sentenced to life in prison without parole for 16 years ([39:28]).
• Family and friends finally get closure after 17 years ([39:50]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Lisa couldn’t be just a random victim. This was somebody that Lisa welcomed into her home. Who? Who could it be?”
  — Maisa Robinson [10:21]

• “Morale was waning. No information was coming in as to who or why anybody would want to kill Lisa...It was just devastating.”
  — Lt. Pam Hofsis [21:53]

• “It was the most satisfying moment in my entire history of law enforcement…because you finally got the answer you’ve been waiting for all this time.”
  — Lt. Pam Hofsis [27:03]

• “My last years with Lisa, I was constantly learning…what a real friend is…She was ride or die before ride or die was even a thing.”
  — Maisa Robinson [40:23]

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Major Timestamps

• [01:09] — Dinner party and Lisa’s close family/friend ties
• [03:33] — Lisa’s disappearance alarms family
• [04:09] — Lisa’s body found, case opens
• [06:35] — Details of brutal crime scene and evidence
• [07:54] — Discovery of key, unknown male DNA
• [09:02] — Theory: Lisa let in her killer
• [15:15] — First suspect: new love interest, Albert
• [18:49] — Second suspect: “obsessed” Albert Robinson
• [21:53] — Case goes cold: “morale was waning”
• [25:31] — Advances in DNA technology and Prop 69
• [27:03] — Match: Anthony Quinn Hughes
• [30:32] — Hughes arrested
• [34:13] — Hughes' dramatic self-harm in interrogation
• [36:54] — The trial and sentencing
• [39:50] — Family’s relief and closure
• [40:23] — Remembering Lisa’s friendship and legacy

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Tone & Language

The tone throughout is somber, respectful, and quietly urgent, with heartfelt testimony from Lisa’s loved ones. Investigators are shown as persistent, emotionally invested, and ultimately vindicated by breakthroughs in forensic science. Friends and family express their ongoing grief intertwined with moments of hope and closure.

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This episode demonstrates both the dogged persistence required to solve cold cases and the shattering, long-term pain they deliver to victims’ loved ones. Through narrative structure and personal testimonials, “Devil at the Door” memorializes Lisa Valdez and affirms the impact of modern forensic science in finally achieving justice.

Transcript

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[Arthur]

The day that I found out that Lisa had been murdered is burned into my memory. The world stopped. Everything went silent. Why would this happen to her? Who could have done such a thing? It was like this bitter mystery. As time went on, it even got worse because nobody was arrested.

[Narrator]

There are 120,000 unsolved murders in America. Each one is a cold case. Only 1% are ever solved. This is one of those rare stories.

It's a cool spring evening on May 16, 1998, and 36 year old Lisa Valdez is welcoming guests at her new apartment. She's hosting a dinner party for her mother, Helen's boyfriend, and celebrating her brand new apartment. Helen had just purchased Lisa a studio apartment on Red Rock Way in the bustling neighborhood of Diamond Heights in San Francisco, California. When her best friend Maisa Robinson visited for the first time, she was mesmerized.

[Maisa Robinson]

My best friend Lisa had this beautiful studio apartment in Diamond Heights that her mother Helena purchased for her that had a breathtaking view. It was tiny, but it had a multimillion dollar view of the city and the East Bay and Lisa was proud of it.

[Narrator]

Lisa and Helen had the kind of relationship that would make most mothers and daughters envious. Maisa knows how close they were.

[Maisa Robinson]

That was Helen's only baby girl. She doted on Lisa. I marveled at that relationship. There was nothing that she couldn't share with her mom.

[Narrator]

As the dinner party winds down for the night and the guests begin to leave, Helen stays behind to help her daughter with the cleanup. Around midnight, with the dishes all washed and put back in the cupboards, Helen kisses her daughter goodbye and says that she will speak to her tomorrow. The following morning, though, Helen doesn't hear from her daughter at first, this doesn't really alarm her. Lisa is a grown woman and she doesn't need to be in contact with her mother every single day, despite their close relationship. Plus, Lisa has her regular Sunday dance class that afternoon and Helen assumes that she's just probably busy. But when the afternoon class rolls around, Lisa is noticeably absent. By the following day, Helen still hasn't heard from Lisa. She decides to call her daughter, but the line just rings and rings. Lisa doesn't pick up. Once again, Helen thinks that her daughter must be busy. She expects that Lisa will call her back later in the day when she gets a minute of free time. But the day goes by and no phone call ever comes. Helen gets increasingly worried about her daughter. It isn't like Lisa to not reach out for this long. Lisa's cousin Arthur recalls the family's growing unease.

[Arthur]

And then it went on to Monday, and Helen still hadn't heard from her. And then she started becoming a little bit concerned. Then Helen received a phone call from Lisa's work, and they indicated that Lisa hadn't been in work for a couple of days. And Helen became alarmed because that was completely out of character for Lisa. So Helen drove over to Diamond Heights. And when Aunt Helen arrived at Lisa's condo, there was police tape surrounding the building.

[Narrator]

By Wednesday, May 20, Lisa hadn't been seen or heard from in four days. When Helen makes her way to Lisa's apartment, she finds it swarming with police officers. A couple of hours earlier, Lisa's neighbors had reported a foul odor emanating from apartment 307, Lisa's apartment.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

The manager noticed that the door was unlocked. He opened up the door and saw a body on the floor, basically right in front of where the door opens. And he quickly closed the door and called 911.

[Narrator]

Lt. Pam Hofsis is among the first officers on the scene. When they enter apartment 307, they discover the gruesome truth. Lisa is dead.

Helen is on the scene when she receives the terrible news. And soon it spreads throughout the family. Lisa's brother Tom recalls the moment he found out.

[Tom Valdez]

I just remember that moment of getting the call from my wife. And my wife was choking in tears, could barely talk, and she eventually said, lisa's dead. And you just can imagine the shock. That point will stick with me forever. My sister's gone. The universe just ripped and shredded. What happened? What happened? How could this have happened?

[Narrator]

Lisa Valdez was born and raised in San Francisco. Growing up, her energetic nature and sweet smile always drew people in. Lisa made friends easily. But she was lucky to have that one best friend that she could always rely on.

[Maisa Robinson]

I met Lisa in a dance class. I walked into the dance class, but Lisa was bounced into the dance class, so you could not miss her. It was as if a ball of light was entering into the space where she dwelled, and we became as one. If you saw her, I was close behind. If you saw me, she was near.

[Narrator]

Their friendship felt like destiny to Maisa because their names rhymed, and they both loved to dance. But dance wasn't Lisa's only interest. She had always been deeply fascinated by computer technology. So when she found employment as a computer programmer at a large company, nobody was surprised. Least of all Lisa's cousin Margie.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

Lisa was ahead of her time. She started using email.

[Narrator]

A matter of minutes. Investigators also note that there are defensive wounds on Lisa's hands, indicating that she put up a fight. There's also evidence that Lisa had been sexually assaulted.

Lt. Pam Hofsis witnessed the chaotic scene inside the apartment.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

There's a pair of torn, bloody underwear to the one side of her body. She's literally naked from the waist down.

[Narrator]

The scene is cordoned off with tape as more crime scene investigators arrive to comb the apartment for evidence that could lead to Lisa's killer. When canvassing the neighbors, the detectives learned that the resident in 309 had returned home from a weekend away two days earlier on Monday and found that the metal frame on his door is partially bent. The deadbolt had been damaged, and there appeared to be a blood smear on the door. His first thought was that somebody attempted to break into his apartment, but with no sign of anything out of place, he didn't report it. They collect a number of items from inside Lisa's apartment, including her blood stained bedsheet, blood stained pillowcases, and her bloody and torn underwear. DNA testing is conducted on these items and Inspector Ronan Scholdes details the forensic evidence.

[Inspector Ronan Scholdes]

In Lisa's apartment, there was a significant amount of bloodshed. When the blood droplets on one of Lisa's pillows was examined by the crime lab, they were able to determine first that it was not Lisa's blood, second, and that it was of an unknown male profile.

[Narrator]

This same unknown male DNA profile is found underneath Lisa's fingernails and in the bloodstain Lisa's neighbor found on his front door, meaning the killer must have tried to break in next door as well. But strangely, investigators discover no evidence of a break in at Lisa's apartment, despite the building's multiple layers of security. Lt. Pam Hofsis elaborates, it's very difficult.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

To get into anybody's floor, let alone into their unit. Someone would have to call her directly from that intercom and ask to be buzzed in. You take an elevator up to the second or third floor and then take a bridgeway walkway across to another building to get to unit 307.

[Narrator]

Inspector Scholdis adds, we knew that her.

[Inspector Ronan Scholdes]

Mother had left around midnight, but the lack of forced entry into her apartment indicated that she had to have opened the door. There was no other explanation.

[Narrator]

This leads investigators to theorize that Lisa must have recognized her killer and let them into her apartment. Furthermore, investigators are also able to rule out a robbery as a motive. Almost right away, nothing had been stolen from Lisa's apartment, including her personal belongings, her purse and her jewelry. As they continued to analyze the crime scene, investigators noticed something peculiar. Some of Lisa's hair had been cut off.

[Inspector Ronan Scholdes]

Her hair was shoulder length, and we did not discover until sometime later that she wore her hair really long and was really proud of it.

[Narrator]

Lisa was known for her long and luxurious brunette hair. It flowed all the way down to her knees, and it was something Lisa always took pride in. In a way, it was Lisa's trademark. The killer presumably took Lisa's hair with them. To investigators, this realization is the first tip which could hopefully lead them in the direction of Lisa's kill.

[Inspector Ronan Scholdes]

A fixation that her killer must have had with her taking a souvenir. It's not the action that a random.

[Narrator]

Killer would do with this new evidence. It's looking more and more likely that Lisa knew her killer.

[Maisa Robinson]

Lisa couldn't be just a random victim. This was somebody that Lisa welcomed into her home. Who? Who could it be?

[Narrator]

As the investigation continues into the next day, another lead helps investigators narrow in on the timeline of Lisa's murder. Investigators find an envelope taped to the inside of Lisa's front door. When they opened the envelope, they could see that there was cash tucked away neatly inside. Investigators quickly discovered who the cash was for. Lt. Pam Hofsis explains.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

We determined that envelope was left every Monday for Lisa's house cleaner. She would clean the house in the morning at 10 o' clock and then take her pay from the envelope. There was no reason to believe the housekeeper was involved in any of it, but it provided a timeline.

[Narrator]

The discovery of the envelope leads investigators to determine that Lisa had been killed in the early hours of Sunday, 17th May, just hours after she kissed her mother goodbye. Their suspected timeframe would be solidified even further with the testimony of an eyewitness.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

The neighbor reported that at about 1:30 in early Sunday morning, they heard a loud thumping sound above, which would have been Lisa's apartment. And then on Monday, May 18, at 10am the housekeeper opened up the door and saw a body on the floor, naked, heard the voice of a guy, and she thought she was interrupting an intimate moment with Lisa and another person. So she leaves and then nobody finds Lisa until Wednesday.

[Narrator]

The housekeeper also says that she distinctly remembered seeing Lisa's gym bag on Monday, but when investigators processed the scene on Wednesday, there was no gym bag to be found. Investigators begin to theorize that Lisa's killer must have taken that gym bag with them when they left her apartment.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

The inference is that whoever committed the murder maybe took bloody clothing, took the knife in a gym bag along with two feet of hair. This means someone is still on scene while the housekeeper was there and taking items with them. Before Lisa's body is discovered on Wednesday.

[Narrator]

At the crime scene, investigators notice another intriguing detail. In the bathroom, the toilet seat had been left up. This is not consistent with a woman living on her own, so investigators attempt to collect fingerprint evidence from the toilet seat. Lisa's family and friends provide their prints for comparison, and they don't match the fingerprints found on the toilet seat, so investigators think that they must have come.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

From Lisa, canceled the date and said he was out to 3 o' clock in the morning with friends.

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[Narrator]

Albert and Lisa met through his work at a recruiting firm. They'd been chatting back and forth, and they had their first date the Friday before Lisa was killed. The night went well, and they made plans for a second date on that Sunday. The date Albert later says was canceled. Albert is brought down to the police headquarters for an interview. As he sits down to chat with investigators, they immediately notice a fresh, jagged cut on his hand. The injury immediately sets off alarm bells in Lieutenant Pam Hofs head.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

In a violent crime, we know that when someone is being stabbed repeatedly that very often the person who's doing the stabbing cuts themselves in the act. And so the fact that he had a cut on his hand heightened the suspicion that he may have been involved in this crime.

[Narrator]

As details of Lisa's murder circulate throughout the community of Diamond Heights, it strikes fear into the residents. The lack of arrests, paired with the attempted break in next door and the fact that Lisa likely knew her killer stirs up panic among the community. Lisa's neighbors fear that the murderer might be among them and waiting to strike again.

[Maisa Robinson]

The people were terrified because it is a gated community. Someone can't just walk through the neighborhood and gain access to your dwelling. It was impossible. That was the conundrum that we were all wrestling with. How could this have happened? Given what we know about Lisa and about the layout of the condo complex? It was very troubling, but it was a mystery. Because the two didn't go together.

[Narrator]

The investigators are feeling the pressure to close the case. And they finally have their first person of interest, Lisa's co worker and budding love interest, Albert Cato. During their interview with Albert, investigators have him take a polygraph test and the results lead him to think that Albert is lying.

[Maisa Robinson]

When I learned this through the investigators, I thought, there's somebody that's going to pay for this.

[Narrator]

We have our answer on June 5. Less than a month after Lisa's murder. Forensic experts run tests comparing Albert's DNA and fingerprints with those found at the crime scene. Investigators wait and hope that this will be an open and shut case. They are wrong. Neither Albert's DNA nor his fingerprints can be linked to the samples found at the crime scene. The revelation is a crushing blow not only to Lisa's loved ones, but to the investigators as well. They are back to square one. A mysterious crime scene without a single person of interest. Back when Lisa's apartment was searched, she had several messages on her answering machine. Investigators listened to them during the initial investigation, but nothing stood out to them as suspicious. But without new leads, Lt. Pam Hofzis decides to take a closer listen, hoping that one of the messages could point them in the right direction.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

Lisa received a couple of calls from unknown callers at the wee hours of Sunday morning. By Sunday afternoon, her voice message machine is blowing up. But there are a couple of strange messages left. Find the 19th caller.

[Narrator]

The 19th caller had placed the phone call at 7:18pm on Saturday, May 16. He had a question to ask Lisa. Here's how that voicemail went. You know how it goes. Takeda. Hello, Lisa, are you home? Investigators want to determine who this caller is. It doesn't take them long to find a name.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

In reviewing the phone calls and the answering machine messages with Lisa's coworkers, the weird voice messages were identified as coming from Albert Robinson, who turned out to be a friend of Lisa's co worker, known her for a few years.

[Narrator]

As investigators are tracking down Robinson, Lisa's family gather at the chapel of her alma mater, Mills College for a memorial service. Her cousin Arthur is in attendance as the family says their final goodbyes to Lisa.

[Arthur]

It was raining all day, pouring, in fact. But when the service started, the rain stopped and there was a beautiful picture of Lisa right in the center of the chapel. And when the pastor started the service, this beam of sunlight came down through the skylight and shone right on her picture. It was like a message from Lisa.

[Narrator]

Albert Robinson is also in the crowd, the man who had left the voicemail to Lisa shortly before she was killed. And his behavior immediately raises some flags.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

Albert Robinson presented a letter to the attendees that was very bizarre. And he talked about his love for Lisa, that they were going to get married and they were going to raise a family. A very, very, completely different take on their relationship than what Lisa shared with her friends and family.

[Narrator]

Albert's version of the events could not be further from the truth. Lisa had not been dating Albert. In fact, some of Lisa's friends think that he had always been pretty odd with Lisa, that he had been romantically interested in her, bordering on obsessed, but his feelings were unrequited. Albert is brought down to police headquarters to be interviewed.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

Albert denies having anything to do with the murder of Lisa Valdez. He told detectives that he would not hurt her ever. He loved her.

[Narrator]

Investigators aren't convinced, but without any solid evidence, they're forced to let Albert go. But he remains a person of interest in the case, and a few months later, investigators are able to obtain a search warrant for his home. Lt. Pam Hofsis describes what they found.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

When a search warrant was served at his home, detectives found photos of Lisa all over his house. He was asked to supply a set of elimination fingerprints and a DNA reference sample.

[Narrator]

Investigators on the case are now certain that Albert is their prime suspect.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

When you have all this information about how he's dreaming of her and fantasizing about her all day and night, Albert Robinson fit the profile of the murderer. In this particular case, Albert provides the.

[Narrator]

Detectives with DNA samples and fingerprints, but when they are compared to those found at the crime scene, investigators are astonished to see that they are not a match. It's a crushing blow to the investigators, who were sure that they had found their man. They've been working tirelessly around the clock to bring Lisa's killer to justice. But as Lt. Pam Hofzis says, morale was waning.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

No information was coming in as to who or why anybody would want to kill Lisa. And they definitely hit a dead end. It was just devastating.

[Narrator]

The months pass, and her family grow increasingly desperate for answers. Lisa's mother, Helen, appeals for information on national television, unwilling to give up on the hunt for her daughter's killer. Lieutenant Pam Hofzis is at home watching television when the familiar face pops up on the screen.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

I saw Elisa's mom on the news. I remember maybe six months into the investigation, just in dire pain, asking for help. The goal has always been, for me, is to help bring some closure. You don't go to homicide unless you really have that, you know, that burning passion to, like, really help people out and connect the dots, do whatever it takes, leave no stone unturned to get to giving some kind of resolution to the family.

[Narrator]

Months turn into years, and no new clues surface, no suspects or even persons of interest, and the case gradually goes cold.

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[Narrator]

On the 10 year anniversary of Lisa's murder in 2008, the case remains as cold as ever. The unknown haunts Lisa's loved ones who struggle to move on with their lives. Knowing that Lisa's killer is out there somewhere, Maeesa in particular, struggles to make sense of it all.

[Maisa Robinson]

I was wrestling with my faith. I was angry. I was angry with God. I was dark. I did not understand how that light could be extinguished. And as the years went by and prayers went unanswered, I started to question if we'd ever learn who had done this.

[Narrator]

Lisa's mother is inconsolable.

[Tom Valdez]

My mom was pretty bad off for a couple of years. I'm giving you an example. I mean, a year later, someone would be leaving and say, have a nice day, and my mom would instantly go into tears and grief.

[Narrator]

Despite the years, Inspector Scholdes, the first investigator at the crime scene, can't let go of the case.

[Inspector Ronan Scholdes]

I had Lisa's case file with the unidentified prints on my desk for years and periodically would just try them again, thinking this guy wasn't in the system at the time and maybe he is now. Meanwhile, Pam was constantly following up on the DNA.

[Narrator]

Lt. Pam Hofsis also can't forget about Lisa. She routinely runs the DNA and fingerprints from the crime scene through the national database, hoping that one day it will come back with a match.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

I couldn't imagine that someone who committed this horrendous, brutal, senseless murder hadn't been arrested for something I would check year after year after year. Even though the profile hasn't hit yet, it stays in the database. It's just hovering like an airplane at SFO on a foggy night. It can't land yet because the guy isn't in the database yet. So we're waiting.

[Narrator]

But as the years pass, DNA technology advances. The emergence of familial DNA offers the case a new hope. Familial DNA involves running DNA samples from a crime scene through the national DNA database to try and find a close match from a relative as opposed to an exact match from the perpetrator. Lt. Pam Hofsis anticipates that this new technological breakthrough could lead them to a new potential suspect.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

Maybe there is a relative of the perpetrator of Lisa Valdez's murder in. And I put together the familial search packet, which took about a year's time, from 2010 to 2011. And then on September 2, 2011, I got a phone call from the state, the DNA laboratory, the CODIS laboratory, that they had good news and bad news for me. They said, I'm a New Yorker. Just hit me with the bad news first. Let's get it over with. So they told me, we're not going to do a familial search on Lisa Valdisk. And I was flabbergasted. And the laboratory said, no, we always do one full on CODIS search right before we do a familial search. And here's the good news. You got the hit. It's all the markers. Every single peak is matching.

[Narrator]

On September 2, 2011, Lieutenant Hofsis calls Inspector Ronan Schuldes a phone call he's been waiting for for over a decade that there's been a positive ID confirmed through the DNA database. After 10 long years on the shelf, Lisa's case is heating up.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

It was the most satisfying moment in my entire history of law enforcement and investigations. I just could not believe it. I mean, you do the fist pumps in the air, and it's because you finally got the answer you've been waiting for all this time. The DNA was in the database for all these years, and it finally matched to a person named Anthony Quinn Hughes.

[Narrator]

When investigators look into Anthony Hughes, they find a lengthy criminal record that dates back years. But none of his charges would have required him to provide a DNA sample. That was until 2011, when he was arrested for shoplifting. At the time of Lisa's murder, and for many years that followed, there were only certain crimes that qualified for DNA collection from the suspects. Nonviolent crimes did not fall into that category. This changed in 2004 when California voted for Proposition 69, which expanded the criminal offenses that qualify for DNA samples and palm print collection. This meant that when Anthony was arrested in 2011 for shoplifting, he was required to provide a DNA sample. So in September of 2011, when the CODIS laboratory runs the DNA from the crime scene through the national database, Anthony is finally in the system, and his sample is a match. But investigators still have one crucial piece of Evidence they need to check the unknown fingerprint from the toilet seat. So investigators run an analysis of Anthony's prints and wait.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

Ronan called me at 9 o' clock at night and he said, Anthony Quinn Hughes right middle finger was on that toilet seat. That was just icing on the cake because now it's two pieces of key evidence. Once we had the match, my job was to see if his name is anywhere else. In the course of their investigation, Anthony's.

[Narrator]

Right middle finger matches at least 14 points of comparison with the fingerprints found on the toilet seat. And the evidence against Anthony continues to mount.

Investigators decide to review the voice messages left on Lisa's answering machine one more time. During the earlier investigation, they had been focusing on the messages that were left on the night of Lisa's murder. But when they review the messages from the days that followed, investigators are surprised to hear one from Anthony.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

It was nondescript and not nothing really unusual about it, except for the fact that he made it after she was already dead on May 18th.

[Narrator]

Did the detectives on the case make a crucial mistake by overlooking the message from Anthony? Lisa's brother Tom certainly believes so.

[Tom Valdez]

In my view, the detectives at the time blew it by not going far enough through Lisa's information on her answering machine. They only went up to 19 people and researched them.

[Narrator]

Anthony was caller number 22. As investigators look closer at the original evidence, they uncover that Lisa had an old contact for Anthony in her address book. Lt. Pam Hofsis digs even further.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

Her known friends and contacts remember Lisa dating a guy named Huggy. And to me, maybe Hughes is Huggy. And now the job is to find out where he was and find out what happened.

[Narrator]

Anthony Quinn Hughes is now the number one suspect in Lisa's murder. But investigators do not have a known home address for him. He's listed as a transient in San Francisco. An arrest warrant is issued for him on September 10, 2011. And now the hunt for Lisa's killer is on.

[Inspector Ronan Scholdes]

Pam Hofsess circulated Anthony Quinn used mugshot to plainclothes officers in specific parks, parts of the town where Hughes was known to have frequented within only a matter of some hours. Two of the plainclothes officers, as luck would have it, spotted Hughes jaywalking practically in front of them and took him into custody.

[Narrator]

Anthony is arrested without incident. He thinks he's been picked up as a suspect in a robbery. Officers call Lt. Hofsis in the middle of the night to break the good news. They have her suspect in custody. She orders them to bring Anthony to the homicide division, where he will be interrogated in the presence of the District Attorney. Once inside the interrogation room, Anthony waives his Miranda rights, believing he's a suspect in a robbery. Lt. Hofsis goes over his lengthy criminal record, then turns her attention to Lisa, showing Anthony a picture of her.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

When we showed him a picture of Lisa Valdez and asked him, do you recognize this person, Anthony Quinn Hughes said, no. And then I asked him, so you don't know Lisa Valdez? And then he did a double take, shook his head, and he said, oh, yeah, we dated in high school.

[Narrator]

At first, Anthony denies ever knowing Lisa. He squints to look at the photograph before seemingly recognizing her.

[Anthony Quinn Hughes]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

How do you know her?

[Anthony Quinn Hughes]

I met her at this house party. We were kids.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

And then you met her at the party, and then what happened?

[Anthony Quinn Hughes]

We danced, we had a little romance for a little while, and then that's when we were young. I mean, that was about it.

[Narrator]

Anthony says that he hadn't seen Lisa for years. Lt. Hofsis presses for more information, asking Anthony if he had seen Lisa in 1998. He says that he didn't, but that he does remember running into her in the late 80s. According to Anthony, Lisa brought him to her dorm room at Mills College.

[Anthony Quinn Hughes]

She brought me in her room to meet her roommate, and her dad was. I remember this very difficult. Her dad was all messed up, and she had told me that she had just had sex with, like, six guys. And I was like.

Nut making, man. Oh, I was just disgusted with it. I was like, really? Why? Why would you even tell me something like that? Why didn't you even show me something like that, man?

I didn't want to see her anymore after that.

[Narrator]

Lt. Hofzes couldn't help but notice that while Anthony is reciting this incident, he's getting more and more emotional.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

And that was the only time out of the entire interview is a few hours long, where he actually seemed very upset and angry that she would be sleeping around so much. So our initial take was maybe he wanted to have Lisa, and she said no. And then it was like a rage reaction. And then we hit him with the evidence and particulars of the case.

[Narrator]

And after a couple hours of back and forth, the investigators finally reveal their smoking gun.

[Anthony Quinn Hughes]

DNA from you was found in Lisa's apartment from 1998.

Okay, you don't. You could have been, but you don't remember. Tell me, what is this all about? Okay, Anthony, you know what it's all about. You know very well that she's not alive anymore. No, I.

You can go ahead and cry, you can get emotional, and it's good. It's good. Can I get something to write with?

[Narrator]

Absolutely. Lieutenant Hofsis thinks this is it. Anthony is about to write out a confession. Instead, Anthony grabs the pen and plunges it into his chest, then his neck.

[Anthony Quinn Hughes]

I want to die. I don't want to die. I want to die. You don't want to try to pin something on me? No, we're not going to pin anything on you. You know what we have on you, Anthony?

[Todd Garner]

Stay with me.

[Anthony Quinn Hughes]

Stay with me.

[Narrator]

The investigators are able to wrestle the pen away from Anthony, who is now bleeding and hysterical. Anthony Quinn Hughes is officially arrested for Lisa's murder. Lt. Pam Hofsis turns to her partner and says, we gotta find Lisa's mom, Helen Valdez. Thirteen long years have passed since Lisa was killed. By now, her family has all but given up hope that one day justice would be served.

[Tom Valdez]

For years, there just wasn't much news regarding Lisa's case. So I just figured they'd never find the guy.

[Narrator]

Lt. Hofsis wants to be the one to tell Lisa's family that the murderer is finally behind bars.

[Lt. Pam Hofsis]

It was about 11 o' clock on Saturday morning when I told my partner, Kevin, we still gotta find Lisa's mom, Helen Valdez, and we gotta tell her in person. I don't want her to hear this on the news or get it from anybody else. And she was so relieved after all those years of not knowing. It was very, very emotional. And I get emotional thinking about it, just remembering how much it meant to her.

[Tom Valdez]

Pam first reached out to my mom, met her in person, and my mom called me first. And here I was in shock. The case for my sister Lisa went cold for many years. How could they ever solve it? But all of a sudden, the universe had done a big shift.

[Narrator]

When Lisa's friend Maisa hears the name Anthony Hughes, she recognizes it immediately.

[Maisa Robinson]

When I heard the name Anthony Quinn Hughes, I was just. I was in shock. My memory went back all those many years to junior high school. He had dated Lisa. Helen didn't like him. The relationship didn't work out, but it was amicable. They were still, you know, friends, because that's how Lisa was. But this wasn't a love affair. She was a teenager. We're talking in the range 13 to 15. So my first thought was, how in the world had they connected again?

[Narrator]

Within days, Anthony is formally charged with the murder and attempted rape of Lisa Valdez. After four more years of waiting, the murder trial is finally ready to begin in December 2015. Lisa's family are all seated in the courtroom when Anthony enters.

[Tom Valdez]

During the early arraignments, Hughes walked in. Confident, haughty, arrogant with attitude. Right. And then during the trial, he was a very meek demeanor, hunched over with a Bible in his hand and wearing a cross around his neck. So that's all you know, that's all an act.

[Narrator]

Anthony's defense team argues that he was physically incapable of murdering Lisa. They tell the jury that in 1993, Anthony was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and a rare condition that causes weakness in the muscles, including in the hands and arms. The year that Lisa was killed, he had an unremarkable neurological evaluation which detected no progressive weakness. It also found that his symptoms were being well controlled with his medication. However, it noted that Anthony struggled to use his hands, arms or legs for repetitive movements. According to Anthony's defense team, this is evidence that he could not have been strong enough to stab Lisa 21 times. The prosecution presents all of the forensic evidence collected against Anthony, including the DNA evidence and the fingerprints. They also call a handful of witnesses, including Lisa's best friend, Maisa. She was one of the last people to see Lisa alive.

[Maisa Robinson]

When I got on the stand to testify, it was the most frightening, this sensation that came over me when I realized that this was the first time I could actually look at Anthony Quinhue's face. And I was staring at him. I wanted him to know that I knew that he had done it. And he finally looked up at me and we locked eyes and I spoke to him telepathically and I said to him in my mind, you did it. I know you did it. And I felt as if Lisa was in me.

[Narrator]

Ultimately, the jury finds Anthony Quinn Hughes guilty of the first degree murder of Lisa Valdez. They did not return a verdict on the attempted rape count. Before sentencing, though Anthony appeals the conviction on the basis that the 13 year old delay in charging him violates his state and federal constitutional rights. That appeal, combined with the jury's failure to return a verdict on the charge, leads the court to declare a mistrial on the attempted rape. Anthony's charges are reduced from first degree murder to second degree. When he is finally sentenced on those charges, Anthony receives life in prison without the possibility of parole for 16 years. When the sentence is handed down, Lisa's family lets out a collective sigh of relief. They have been waiting 17 long years for this moment. 17 years of missing Lisa, 17 years of uncertainty. And now, finally, justice had been served.

In August of 2018, a three judge panel at the Court of Appeal heard Anthony's case again. They unanimously upheld the conviction and rejected Anthony's claims that the delay in prosecution violated his state and federal constitutional rights. Anthony currently remains incarcerated. His first shot at parole will be in 2031. As for Lisa's loved ones, Maisa credits Lisa with showing her what it meant to be a best friend. Today. She still clings on tightly to those fond memories that she and Lisa collected over their friendship.

[Maisa Robinson]

My last years with Lisa, I was constantly learning over and over and over again what a real friend is. Lisa was that there was no time, no place, no circumstance that would prevent her from being there for you. She was ride or die before ride or die was even a thing. If you're lucky enough.

You only get one of those in a lifetime. If you get it at all. I was lucky enough to get it once. That was Lisa.

[Narrator]

Cold case files is hosted by paula barros. It's produced by the law and crime network and written by eileen mcfarlane and ed emily g. Thompson. Our composer is blake maples. For a and e, our senior producer is john thrasher and our supervising producer is mckamey lin. Our executive producers are jesse katz, maite cueva and peter tarshes. This podcast is based on ae's emmy winning tv series cold case files. For more cold case files, visit aed tv.com.