LANCASTER, Pa. — A Lancaster man charged in the county's oldest cold case will serve up to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty on Thursday to third-degree murder and other offenses connected to the death of Lindy Sue Biechler in 1975.
David Sinopoli, of the 300 block of Faulkner Drive, was arrested in July 2022 and charged with murdering the 19-year-old Biechler nearly 48 years ago.
In addition to third-degree homicide, Sinopoli pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony count of aggravated assault and a third-degree felony count of burglary in a hearing before Lancaster County Judge David L. Ashworth Thursday afternoon.
As part of a plea arrangement governed by laws in 1975 (before sentencing guidelines existed), Sinopoli was immediately sentenced to an aggregate prison term of 25 to 50 years in a state correctional facility. He waived a pre-sentence investigation.
Considering Sinopoli's age, Judge Ashworth said it's essentially a life sentence.
Assistant District Attorney Christine Wilson prosecuted the case, and acknowledged a photo of Biechler displayed next to the defendant in the courtroom.
“These cases are never forgotten. Lindy Sue will never be forgotten," Wilson said. "While the defendant was able to carry on with his life, Lindy was extinguished by him. Look at her!” Wilson said to the defendant while pointing to the photo. “And the precious life you stole in 1975.”
Several members of Biechler's family, including her husband Philip, who has since remarried, read emotional statements about how Lindy Sue's death has impacted their lives.
Several members of Sinopoli's family, including his wife, were also in court Thursday.
Sinopoli's attorney, Allan Sodomsky, says Sinopoli's wife had no idea about what happened in 1975.
The defense attorney said he feels immensely for Biechler’s family but there are victims on his side of the case as well.
"He’s married to somebody for 36 years, he has three children, he has nine grandchildren," said Sodomsky. "You can imagine what they’ll do when they wake up tomorrow and read everything you all will write and say. These are human beings too.”
When given the opportunity to speak by Ashworth, the 69-year-old Sinopoli said “I would like to apologize to everyone, including my wife."
Judge Ashworth told Sinopoli that in his opinion, his words and conduct did not show that he was truly sorry.
Sodomsky told FOX43 otherwise.
"Contrary to what was said in court, he is remorseful," he said. "He’s been dealing with this for 48 years as well and now with a lengthy prison sentence, he'll be dealing with it for the rest of his life."
“The enormity of the damage you have caused is incomprehensible,” Judge Ashworth said to the defendant before accepting the plea, ordering sentence, and remanding Sinopoli to Lancaster County Prison to await transportation to the Department of Corrections. “The depravity of your actions cannot be overstated.”
Biechler was found dead in her Manor Township apartment on the night of Dec. 5, 1975. She had been stabbed 19 times in the throat, upper torso and back after returning home from the grocery store earlier that evening.
On Thursday, prosecutors said Sinopoli broke into her apartment between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and stabbed her, first with a four-inch long-bladed knife, then with a butcher knife from Biechler's kitchen.
Sinopoli had previously pleaded not guilty in the case.
“This was a very fair resolution in a very difficult, horrific situation," said Sodomsky.
Neither attorney on Thursday would answer questions about how Biechler and Sinopoli may have known each other, or what Sinopoli's motive may have been.
How law enforcement solved Lancaster County's oldest cold case
Relatives discovered Biechler's body in her Manor Township apartment at about 8:46 p.m. on Dec. 5, 1975, according to Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams.
Investigators found blood outside the front door and entranceway, along with several other patches of blood on the carpet of the home. Her grocery bags were still on the table and there were signs of struggle throughout the home, police said at the time.
Biechler was found on the floor, lying on her back with a knife sticking out of her neck. The knife had a tea towel wrapped around the handle, investigators said. It matched the knives found in a knife block in Biechler's kitchen.
Investigators linked Sinopoli to the murder of Biechler through DNA testing.
In September 2019, Parabon NanoLabs provided a composite sketch of the suspect in Biechler's case based on a DNA profile it compiled from evidence collected at the scene in 1975, Adams said.
The composites revealed characteristics of the suspect, including skin tone, eye color and hair color, according to Adams. The sketches showed the suspect at ages 25 and 65.
In December 2020, Adams' office asked Parabon NanoLabs to proceed with further genetic genealogy analysis.
Parabon's genetic genealogy research produced Sinopoli as a potential person of interest in the case, based on his Italian ancestry.
Investigators needed to collect a sample of Sinopoli's DNA to determine if it matched evidence taken at the scene in 1975. So, on Feb. 11, 2022, they surreptitiously collected a coffee cup Sinopoli used and discarded while at Philadelphia International Airport, according to Adams.
The coffee cup was submitted to DNA Labs International for testing, Adams said. In April 2022, test results determined the DNA sample left on the coffee cup was a mixture provided by a single male contributor. The DNA was then submitted to Cybergenetics, a Pittsburgh-based laboratory that specializes in separating DNA mixtures.
Analysis by Cybergenetics determined the DNA on the coffee cup matched that of semen collected from Biechler's underwear at the scene of the murder in 1975. The match statistic was around 10 trillion, Adams said.
Detectives then consulted with a blood spatter expert to see if any blood left behind on Biechler's clothing would be consistent with having been left behind by a suspect, Adams said. The expert identified two blood spots left on the exposed part of Biechler's pantyhose, and investigators submitted the spots to DNA Labs for testing.
The tests found the blood drops were consistent with the DNA profile left in Biechler's underwear.
“Only a small percentage of cold case homicides ever result in convictions. They are some of the most challenging cases for prosecutors. However the dedication of cold case units and continuing advancements in DNA technology have increased these statistics," Wilson said after Thursday's court proceeding.