DNA connects Colorado woman's murder to 'prolific serial killer' 40 years later, officials say

DNA from a "prolific serial killer" discovered on a pair of paper bags has led to a Colorado woman murder being solved nearly 40 years later, according to officials.

Rhonda Marie Fisher, 30, was found sexually assaulted and strangled to death alongside a rural highway roughly 35 miles south of Denver on April 1, 1987, according to authorities.

Rhonda Marie Fisher in an image provided by the sheriff's office.

Douglas Country Sheriff's Office

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Tuesday that after decades of investigating, officials connected her DNA, found on a pair of paper bags, to one of the state's "most prolific serial killers."

"Obtaining a viable DNA profile from paper bags nearly four decades old is exceptionally rare and underscores the extraordinary v