Man Convicted Decades After 1990 San Diego Murder Following DNA Match

Margaret Orosco Jackson was found dead in San Diego in 1990 after a passerby discovered her body on a hillside. The case remained unsolved for over three decades until a breakthrough in 2018, when Randall Oyler's DNA was matched to evidence collected from Jackson's body. Oyler, 65, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison in California.

Jackson, 47 at the time of her death, was found strangled with a rope near the scene. The investigation began on July 11, 1990, when a woman on her way to work noticed a rope by the roadside, followed it down the hill, and found Jackson's body. Despite extensive efforts, no suspect was identified until Oyler's DNA entered the national database due to a drug trafficking conviction.

The prosecution detailed that Jackson suffered severe head injuries and was strangled for five to six minutes until death. During the trial, Jackson's niece confronted Oyler, asking if he felt remorse for his actions. Oyler's sentencing closed a painful chapter for Jackson's family, though it could not restore the lost years since the murder.