A man accused of strangling his on-again, off-again girlfriend at her San Diego home more than 30 years ago and then fleeing the country pleaded not guilty Thursday to murder.
Alfredo Hernandez Hernandez, 66, is accused in the Aug. 4, 1991, slaying of 39-year-old Terri Bistodeau, who was found dead in the bedroom of her Geneva Avenue home in the Emerald Hills neighborhood.
The defendant, who prosecutors say was tied to the killing by DNA and fingerprint evidence left at the crime scene, was arrested in El Salvador and extradited to San Diego this week.
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Deputy District Attorney Chris Lindberg said Hernandez was suspected at the time of killing Bistodeau, but his role in the killing was later confirmed "mainly through scientific evidence," as well as witness statements.
The case remained unsolved for nearly three decades until an additional investigation that included DNA testing was conducted in 2019, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement, "The family and friends of Terri Bistodeau have waited 33 years for the moment when her killer was linked to the crime through DNA evidence and returned to San Diego to finally face justice."
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Hernandez was charged by San Diego prosecutors in 2021.
Following his arrest, Lindberg said Hernandez twice admitted to killing Bistodeau when interviewed by investigators.
Hernandez faces up to 25 years to life in state prison if convicted. He remains in custody without bail following Thursday's arraignment.
