25 years later, DNA leads to charges in killing of California waitress, officials say

A DNA match has led to charges in the killing of a California waitress whose body was found in a restaurant’s basement in 1996, authorities said.

Priscilla Lewis, 21, was working as a waitress at the Four Corners restaurant in San Francisco on Sept. 24, 1996, KTVU reported. That night, a cook at the restaurant called 911 after he found Lewis’ body in the basement’s bathroom.

Authorities determined Lewis died of asphyxia due to drowning. Detectives have been investigating the case since then; dozens of people were interviewed, swathes of evidence were analyzed by crime labs, and multiple search warrants were served, CBS San Francisco reported.

However, Lewis’ murder remained unsolved until 2020, when advancements in DNA technology allowed investigators to identify Danny Lamont Hamilton as a suspect in Lewis’ death, KTVU reported.

Hamilton is currently serving a life sentence in a state prison near San Diego for sexual assault charges unrelated to Lewis, The Associated Press reported.

On Thursday, Dec. 9, Hamilton was charged with murder, with enhancements for murder by lying in wait, murder with felony kidnapping and felony murder committed during rape, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.

This story was originally published December 10, 2021 at 2:16 PM with the headline "25 years later, DNA leads to charges in killing of California waitress, officials say."