Ohio 1987 cold case solved — arrest shocks community

Ohio 1987 cold case solved — arrest shocks community

On December 19, 1987, seventeen-year-old Barbara Blatnik was dropped off near her Garfield Heights, Ohio home after a night out with friends. She never made it through the door. By the next morning, her body was found near Blossom Music Center, naked in the snow. The community was horrified. For Barbie’s parents, especially her mother, the nightmare was only beginning.

Detectives collected evidence, including fingernail scrapings, but no solid leads emerged. Tips flooded in and fizzled out. The case grew cold, joining stacks of unsolved files. For years, Mrs. Blatnik burned the porch light every night, symbolizing her refusal to give up hope. Every Christmas, the empty chair at the dinner table reminded the family of their loss.

Decades passed. In 2019, Barbie’s sister reached out to the Porchlight Project, led by journalist James Renner. Working with Identifinders International, they revisited the old evidence. New DNA analysis from the fingernail scrapings built a profile. Through genetic genealogy, investigators traced the DNA to James E. Zastawnik, a Cleveland-area man who had lived quietly for decades.

In 2020, police arrested Zastawnik at his home. Neighbors were stunned; he’d seemed like any other retiree. The DNA evidence and even a jailhouse recording linked him directly to Barbie’s murder. But before a trial could reach a verdict, Zastawnik’s health declined. He died in custody, escaping formal justice but not the truth.

For the Blatnik family, it was bittersweet closure: after 33 years, they finally knew who had killed Barbie. In 2021, a memorial tree with white lights was planted near Blossom Music Center—a living reminder that even when justice is delayed, truth can still prevail. The porch light at the Blatnik home could finally be turned off.