Calif. man arrested in mother-in-law's 1998 murder

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. - Police in Orange County, Calif. say the son-in-law of a woman killed in 1998 has been arrested on suspicion of her murder.

Laguna Beach Police Capt. Jason Kravetz says 46-year-old John Edward Gutierrez was taken into custody Wednesday outside an Aliso Viejo gym.

The Orange County Register reports Gutierrez is suspected of killing 55-year-old Lillian DeVilla, whose body was found under a bush on Feb. 4, 1998 by two Laguna Beach public works employees. She had been reported missing five days earlier.

An autopsy determined that DeVilla had been hit in the head and then asphyxiated.

At the time of the crime, Gutierrez was a member of the U.S. Navy, according to the paper, and lived in Aliso Viejo with his wife, Aileen, and DeVilla.

CBS Los Angeles reports Gutierrez was examined as a potential suspect early on in the investigation, but he had an alibi during the time authorities initially believed DeVilla had been killed.

"New evidence was uncovered which revealed the original estimated time of Lillian's death was not accurate, which meant John was no long eliminated as a possible suspect," Laguna Police Chief Paul Workman said, according to the station.

Additional evidence and new witness interviews allowed the Orange County District Attorney's Office to file murder charges against Gutierrez this week.

Investigators reportedly believe he killed DeVilla inside their home on the afternoon of Jan. 29, 1998 and then dumped her body. Police did not disclose a possible motive for the killing.

It wasn't immediately known if Gutierrez has a lawyer.