Jeremy Stoner was abducted near his family's Vallejo home in 1987, his body found days later on Sherman Island in Sacramento County. That year police arrested and charge a man with murder and kidnapping, but the case was dismissed and the investigation then went cold for decades.
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Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams announced on Friday a new suspect in custody was identified using DNA technology.
"I am so thankful to have such dedicated cold case investigators that no matter how much time goes by, they remain steadfast in their commitment to solving these horrific cases," said Abrams in a statement.
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"Having prosecuted these, they are just horrific cases especially for the families," said Jim Hammer, a former San Francisco assistant district attorney.
"The second level is, think about the guy who was wrongly accused of this, a man who is falsely accused of rape and murder of a young boy, I can't imagine a worse false accusation."
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Now, this week investigators arrested Fred Cain III at his home in Central Point, Oregon. He'll be transferred to Solano County to face a murder charge. He's also accused of kidnapping and sodomy.
"If DNA is collected properly and everyone follows procedure, there is in my mind no better evidence in the world that can prove conclusively who committed this crime," said Hammer.