Man pleads not guilty In City Heights woman’s 1969 strangulation

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – A man who allegedly murdered a City Heights woman at her home more than a half-century ago, then was identified as a suspect through forensic genealogy and arrested on the East Coast this year, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a murder charge.

John Sipos, 75, is accused in the Nov. 20, 1969, slaying of 24-year-old Mary Scott, who was found dead inside her home in the 4000 block of 39th Street, according to San Diego police.

Deputy District Attorney Chris Lindberg said Sipos broke into the woman’s home, raped and strangled her, breaking her jaw in the process.

Police and prosecutors have not commented on a suspected motive for the killing or the relationship, if any, between Sipos and Scott.

San Diego police Lt. Matt Dobbs said that at the time of Scott’s death, the case went cold after “investigators exhausted all leads.”

The case was later re-evaluated by the cold case units of the San Diego Police Department and San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.

DNA allegedly left at the scene and forensic genealogy were used to identify Sipos as Scott’s alleged killer.

Sipos was arrested Oct. 24 in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.

He is being held on $3 million bail and his next court date is a Feb. 4 readiness conference.