1984 California cold case murder suspect arrested in Tucson

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Published  July 26, 2025 9:24pm MST
FOX 10 Phoenix
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Decades-old California murder suspect arrested in Tucson

The Brief

    • Roger Neil Schmidt, 64, was arrested in Tucson in connection with the 1984 murder of Terry Arndt in Burney, California.
    • DNA evidence found on the victim's clothing helped investigators make a breakthrough in the decades-old cold case.

TUCSON, Ariz. - A man has been arrested in Tucson in connection with a murder in California that occurred more than four decades ago.

What we know:

Roger Neil Schmidt, 64, was taken into custody last week and made his first court appearance in a wheelchair and using an oxygen tank.

Schmidt is wanted in connection with the December 1984 shooting death of 18-year-old Terry Arndt, whose body was found near a high school in Burney, north of Sacramento.

Police say Schmidt's DNA was found on the murder victim's clothing.

Schmidt is also accused of sexually assaulting a girl who was with the victim.

What we don't know:

We don't know what Schmidt's alleged motive was in Arndt's death.

The Source

  • Court proceedings and information supplied by KOLD in Tucson.

Crime and Public SafetyTucsonArizonaNews