Nearly three decades ago a Santa Rosa man was found dead in the adult bookstore where he'd worked for just two days. On Tuesday, Sonoma County sheriff's detectives announced the arrest of a former coworker as the suspect in the death.
Frederick Michael Hertrich, 55, was arrested March 21 in Delaware on suspicion of slaying Lawrence Gill, 38, Lt. Dennis O'Leary said. No details about the cause of death were available.
Gill was found dead May 14, 1984 inside The Adult Bookstore at 3301 Santa Rosa Avenue, O'Leary said. Detectives at the time found few leads and the case went cold. Authorities at the time said the shop's surveillance camera provided no clues in the case.
Detectives reopened the case toward the end of 2011 after getting unspecified information linking Hertrich to Gill's killing, O'Leary said.
A Sonoma County judge signed a warrant for Hertrich's arrest on March 20 and Delaware State Police arrested him the next day, O'Leary said. Hertrich was awaiting transport from Delaware to Sonoma County, O'Leary said.
Anyone with information about the case can call Det. Gary Freitas at 707-565-2185.
Copyright 2012 - The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, Calif.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
