80-year-old man charged with murder, rape in 1973 Virginia cold case involving 2 local teens

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It's been 46 years since two Pittsburgh teenagers were murdered in Virginia, and now, police there said they've arrested the man who did it.

The suspect, who is now 80 years old and living in New York, was taken into custody Monday.

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According to investigators, he brutally murdered two 19-year-old girls from Penn Hills while they were renting a cottage in Virginia Beach for a vacation.

Family and friends of Lynn Seethaler and Janice Pietropola told Channel 11 they couldn't believe after all of this time that there's finally been an arrest.

Ernest Broadnax is charged with murder and rape after detectives “began aggressively researching a strong lead they had received in the case.

Broadnax was arrested at his Queens, New York apartment.

"He was very nice, he was very calm, I never saw him violent or say a vicious word to anyone, but you never know who you’re with," said Tiara Stewart, Broadnax's neighbor.

Channel 11's Renee Wallace spoke to Penn Hills police Chief Howard Burton on Wednesday about what solving the crime means for the community.

"I think its a very big deal we're talking this many years this many years later they are able to close a case and possible from what we understand this guy may have been involved in more than these two homicides he could have been one of the original serial killers," he said.

Cox Media Group