On a late December afternoon over 34 years ago, a mother was struck by a car after shopping with her friend at a department store in downtown North Carolina. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reported the incident.
Ruth Buchanan, 52, was hit by a stolen dark-coloured vehicle that ran a red light. Witnesses said her body landed on the opposite side of the intersection while the driver continued without stopping or providing aid, according to Sgt. Gavin Jackson from the major crash investigation unit.
Buchanan succumbed to her injuries the following day in a Charlotte hospital. Her 1989 hit-and-run case remained unsolved for over three decades until police utilised DNA from a possible marijuana joint to identify and charge a suspect, as per a news release.
A man has been identified and charged in a decades-old fatal hit-and-run in Charlotte, North Carolina, police announced Friday.
Herbert Stanback, 68, was charged with felony hit-and-run resulting in death in the 1989 killing of 52-year-old Ruth Buchanan. pic.twitter.com/QzpnkqsykO
— Central Cable Network (@CCNNEWS247) August 25, 2024
Authorities identified Herbert Stanback, 68, as a suspect through DNA evidence from a possible marijuana joint found in the car during the initial investigation. Stanback, who admitted to driving the vehicle that hit Buchanan, was already serving a 22-year prison sentence for an unrelated crime when authorities located him.
On July 17, Stanback faced a felony hit-and-run charge related to Buchanan’s death and received a two-year sentence to be served concurrently with his current sentence, as per North Carolina state court records.
Though witnesses provided a vehicle description and license plate number, and physical evidence was collected from the vehicle in 1990, the case saw little progress until early 2022. Detectives received an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip identifying a potential suspect, but this individual was later ruled out.
The department’s crime lab revisited the evidence, analysing a possible marijuana cigarette from the car in 1990. The DNA matched Herbert Stanback, who was documented as incarcerated at the time of the incident in Charlotte Correctional, a now-closed facility.
Authorities visited Stanback twice at Scotland Correctional Institution in Laurinburg, North Carolina. On March 20, Stanback confessed to being the driver who struck Buchanan in December 1989.
Jackson noted that although Stanback was incarcerated at Charlotte Correctional, he was on a work release program, leaving in the morning and returning in the evening. Stanback revealed he was working at a nearby motel. After leaving, the vehicle he was driving hit Buchanan. He then abandoned the vehicle at the motel and returned to prison that night.
What Other Media Are Saying
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department reports the identification and charging of a suspect in a 34-year-old fatal hit and run case through DNA analysis, solving the cold case after extensive investigation.(read more)
- CNN highlights the impact of online returns on the environment, emphasizing the need for sustainable shopping practices to mitigate waste and pollution.(read more)
- CMPD reports that Herbert Stanback, a 68-year-old habitual offender, has been arrested and charged with the 1989 hit-and-run death of Ruth Buchanan, a 52-year-old mother of two, after a DNA match and a 26-minute confession.(read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
Who was the victim in the 1989 hit-and-run case in North Carolina?
The victim was Ruth Buchanan, 52.
How did the police identify the suspect in Ruth Buchanan’s hit-and-run case?
DNA from a possible marijuana joint found in the car helped identify Herbert Stanback.
What was Herbert Stanback’s status when authorities tracked him down?
Stanback was already serving 22 years in prison for an unrelated crime.
How long after the incident was Herbert Stanback charged?
Herbert Stanback was charged more than 34 years after the incident.
What was Stanback’s sentence for the felony hit-and-run?
Stanback was sentenced to two years, to be served concurrently with his current sentence.