## Maryland Man Arrested in 23-Year-Old Cold Case is Ex-Boyfriend of Murdered Woman's Daughter: 'Pretty Unreal'
A Maryland family is reeling after DNA evidence linked a woman's ex-boyfriend to her mother's unsolved 2001 murder, leaving her daughter in shock and disbelief as she reveals she dated the suspect in her teenage years.
Maryland Man Arrested in 23-Year-Old Cold Case is Ex-Boyfriend of Murdered Woman's Daughter: 'Pretty Unreal'
A 23-year-old cold case has been cracked in Maryland, leading to the arrest of a man who was once the ex-boyfriend of the murdered woman's daughter. Eugene Gligor, now 44, has been charged with first-degree murder in the May 2001 death of Leslie Preer in Montgomery County.
Preer's body was discovered in her affluent Chevy Chase home in May 2001, after she failed to appear for work. Blood evidence from the scene was recently submitted for genetic genealogical DNA analysis, which helped identify Gligor as a match.
Maryland Man Arrested in 23-Year-Old Cold Case is Ex-Boyfriend of Murdered Woman's Daughter: 'Pretty Unreal'
"It’s forensic genealogy that helped us get a name or DNA relation to link that to the victim," explained Assistant Chief Nicholas Augustine with the Montgomery County Police Department. "We will go many years, whether it's 20 or 40 years, to find out the answers and hold people accountable for violent incidents that happened in the past."
Leslie Preer's daughter, Lauren Preer, couldn't believe her former boyfriend was linked to her mother's murder. "It’s been a hell of a day," she told FOX 5. "He was my ex-boyfriend."
Maryland Man Arrested in 23-Year-Old Cold Case is Ex-Boyfriend of Murdered Woman's Daughter: 'Pretty Unreal'
Lauren revealed that she dated Gligor when she was about 15 years old, and their families knew each other. She expressed shock that someone she had dated could be responsible for such a heinous crime.
"Not at all," she replied when asked if she had ever suspected Gligor. "I’ve spoken to him. He didn’t seem weird and how you could look someone in the eye and know that you committed this crime and act like nothing happened is pretty unreal."
Maryland Man Arrested in 23-Year-Old Cold Case is Ex-Boyfriend of Murdered Woman's Daughter: 'Pretty Unreal'
Gligor was arrested by the US Marshal's Task Force in Washington, D.C., on June 18. He is currently awaiting extradition to Maryland to face the murder charge. The motive behind Preer's murder remains unknown, and police have not yet released any information on a possible motive.
The arrest in this cold case brings a sense of closure to the Preer family, even though they are still trying to process the revelation that their loved one's killer was someone they once knew.
Gligor's arrest serves as a reminder that even decades-old crimes can be solved through advancements in DNA technology and the tireless efforts of law enforcement. It also highlights the importance of never giving up on the pursuit of justice for victims and their families.
