Cold Case Murder: It's Nice When Slow Wheels Of Justice 'Turn Fully'

By Tom Mustin

DENVER (CBS4) - It's the oldest cold case ever prosecuted by the Denver District Attorney's Office.

"The wheels of justice turn very slowly sometimes. It's really nice when they turn fully," Ken Lane with the Denver Denver District Attorney's Office told CBS4's Tom Mustin.

Benito Soto, 84, was recently arrested in Texas for a 40-year old murder in Denver.

"That's a long time to wait for justice. It's good they persevered and got the person," said Denver resident Heather Wright.

Police say on June 21, 1977 Soto shot and killed Armando Garcia after an argument at the Denampa bar on Larimer Street. The bar has since been replaced by apartments.

Lane says Soto disappeared and was recently spotted by Denver Police Department's fugitive unit in Texas. Authorities are not saying how the suspect was found.

"We're not going to disclose. Sometimes this happens by accident, other times it's through a lot of work," Lane said.

Lane says the case was never closed, but locating Soto was like finding a needle in a haystack. Despite the odds, bringing closure to victim's families is why cold case units exist.

"The number one priority is to bring justice to the families. The second priority for a cold case unit is bringing criminals to justice after years of escaping responsibility for their actions."

Lane says Garcia's family became emotional when they heard of Soto's arrest.

"Gratified, humbled, appreciative that this case stayed open and somebody was looking at it."

Now after four decades, closure for the family may finally be on the horizon.

"It's nice justice has been served," said resident Cristino Griego.

Soto is being held without bail in the Denver city jail. A preliminary hearing has been set for April 21 in Denver District Court.

Tom Mustin is CBS4's Weekend Anchor. He has been with CBS4 since 2002, and is always looking for great story ideas. Connect with Tom on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @TomCBS4.