Police Arrest 72-Year-Old Man in 1991 Cold Case Murder in St. Cloud

ST. CLOUD, Fla. – A 72-year-old Apopka man was arrested on Monday in connection with the 1991 cold case murder of Julia Sue Wilbanks, according to the St. Cloud Police Department.

Police said Wilbanks, 27, was found dead on Sept. 23, 1991, off Neptune Road, about half a mile west of Kissimmee Park Road, which is now called Old Canoe Creek Road.

According to a news release, investigators conducted an exhaustive investigation, including interviews, collecting physical evidence, and conducting DNA analysis of Wilbanks’ clothing, but no suspects were identified at the time.

Police said that as genetic science progressed, they submitted DNA from the crime scene to national and public databases, which identified Gene Stuller, 72, as a suspect in March.

“The St. Cloud Police Department is committed to seeking justice for Ms. Wilbanks and her family, as well as other unsolved cases,” St. Cloud Police Chief Douglas Goerke said. “As science becomes more advanced, it gives us opportunity to solve cases that couldn’t be solved in the past.”

According to the release, Stuller faces charges of second-degree murder and disturbing a dead body or clothing/article nearby.