Gardena man arrested in 1994 murder of Desert Hot Springs woman

RIVERSIDE - A Gardena man has been arrested in the 1994 stabbing death of a woman in Desert Hot Springs, the Riverside County District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday. 

The victim, Cheri Huss, was found stabbed to death inside her apartment on Parma Drive on April 24, 1994. She had been stabbed multiple times and was bitten by her killer, officials said.

Huss had fought off her killer, authorities said, causing the suspect to leave blood behind on scene. 

After years of investigation, Huss's case remain unsolved - until last month. 

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That's when the Regional Cold Case Team was able to identify Sharron Eugene Gadlin, 48, as a person of interest. 

Authorities said Gadlin lived in Thousand Palms at the time of the crime, about 12 miles from the murder scene. 

A saliva sample from Gadlin confirmed a DNA match with that of the suspect in Huss's murder, the District Attorney said.

Anyone with information is asked to call 951-955-2777 or leave a tip on the Riverside County Sheriff's Department website.

"I hope Cheri and her family will finally get the justice they deserve and have waited so long for," District Attorney Mike Hestrin said. "Our cold case team of investigators will continue to use cutting edge technology to solve old murder cases across Riverside County.  Our prosecutors will continue to vigorously prosecute these murderers until we get justice for their victims."

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