Iowa officials announced Thursday that they had arrested a suspect in a murder case dating back 37 years.
Bud Christensen, 67, was arrested for allegedly killing Firozeh Dehghanpour, Pottawattamie County officials said. A friend of Dehghanpour called in with a tip to police, allowing investigators to re-examine the case, according to KETV Omaha. The evidence provided a DNA match to Christensen.
Christensen is a convicted sex offender.
37 years ago, Dehghanpour was in her mid-20’s and an Iranian national in the United States on a student visa. She was a double major at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). On August 14, 1983, Dehghanpour’s body was found north of UNO with no clothes and throat severely cut, according to KETV Omaha. (RELATED: Man Who Told Police He Wanted To Sexually Assault A Mom Of Four In Her Home Charged With Burglary)
Christensen was charged with first-degree murder and held on a $1 million bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 14.
“I would always encourage all law enforcement agencies to reconsider physical evidence they in their cold case homicides or sexual assaults. DNA has advanced significantly over the past 40 years. I cannot even begin to describe it,” the county’s crime scene technician, Hadley Mikovec, said.
Bud Christensen, 67, was arrested on Friday for the 1983 killing of Firozeh Dehghanpour, a 27 year-old student.
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Thanks @OmahaPolice, @IowaDPS, and @USMarshalsHQ for your help.
Call 712-890-2222 or 712-328-STOP (7867) with tips about this crime. pic.twitter.com/xaJe7Hjm4I
— Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office (@PottCoSheriff) May 7, 2021
“[W]e don’t surrender on any victim at any time,” Chief Deputy of Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Jeff Theulen, said.