1973 Cold Case Homicide Case Investigations Solved By DNA - Subject Arrested In Idaho

In November of 1973, Nina "Nadine" Fischer, a Swedish national, was sexually assaulted and murdered in her unincorporated San Rafael home during the day while her husband was away at work. The case was investigated but eventually, unfortunately, went cold due to a lack of investigative leads.

In 2021, the Marin County Sheriff's Office Investigations Division sent the case to the California Department of Justice's Familial Search Program for assistance in creating investigative leads. After several months, the California Department of Justice's Familial Search Program provided the Marin County Sheriff's Office with an investigative lead. An in-depth investigation was conducted over the next three years to confirm the investigative lead and the suspect was identified as Michael Eugene Mullen, a resident of Idaho.

On August 14, 2024, Investigators from the Marin County Sheriff's Office and Marin County District Attorney's Office assisted the Lemhi County Sheriff's Office and Idaho State Police with the arrest of 75-year-old Michael Eugene Mullen for the murder of Nina Fischer. Mullen was transported to Lemhi County Jail and booked pending court proceedings for his extradition to California.

The Marin County Sheriff's Office would like to thank the Idaho State Police, Lemhi County Sheriff's Office, Marin County District Attorney's Office, California Department of Justice, and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the countless investigative hours and perseverance to bring closure to this case.