A man has been arrested for the 1987 murder of Margit Schuller, a 34-year-old woman who was shot in a laundry room at her South Carolina apartment complex. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of Cortez Sabino Lake, 76, on Tuesday, more than three decades after the crime occurred.

Schuller, originally from Hungary, was found dead by her 12-year-old daughter in a pool of blood on the night of November 1, 1987. At the time, her husband was serving in the Navy and stationed in California. Investigators believe sexual assault was the motive behind the murder.

Authorities reported that a trail of blood led from the laundry room to the far end of the apartment complex, suggesting the assailant may have been injured during the attack. Two years later, the firearm used in the shooting was discovered at a nearby construction site, but the case went cold for many years.

In 2005, advancements in DNA technology allowed investigators to analyze an unknown DNA sample collected from the blood trail. This sample was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), but it did not yield any matches.

In 2019, investigators utilized genetic genealogy, a method that compares unknown DNA from crime scenes to family members who have submitted DNA samples to databases. This technique helped develop composite sketches of the suspect and eventually led to Lake being identified as a likely suspect after extensive research by a cold case committee volunteer.

Lake lived in close proximity to Schuller at the time of the murder, just 600 to 800 feet away from the laundromat where the crime took place. Investigators obtained Lake's DNA, which matched the evidence from the crime scene.

Following his arrest, Lake, who had worked as a respiratory therapist at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, was taken into custody on a murder warrant. The sheriff's office has reached out to the public for any additional information related to the case.

Investigator Bob Bromage spoke with Schuller’s husband this week, who expressed gratitude for the arrest, despite not recalling Lake. Bromage noted, "This devastated his life and his daughter." Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Bromage at 843-816-8013 or submit a tip to the sheriff's office.