Saturday, October 12, 2024

WPD acknowledges Lisa Valentino, unsolved murder victim’s sister, for role in acquiring new DNA-testing equipment

Valentino has spent over a decade trying to bring her sister's killer to justice and has developed a working relationship with the Wilmington Police Department over the years.

From left: Allison Jackson Foy and Lisa Valentino in 2005, a year before Foy went missing. (Port City Daily photo | Courtesy Lisa Valentino)From left: Allison Jackson Foy and Lisa Valentino in 2005, a year before Foy went missing. (Port City Daily photo | Courtesy Lisa Valentino)
From left: Allison Jackson Foy and Lisa Valentino in 2005, a year before Foy went missing. (Port City Daily photo | Courtesy Lisa Valentino)

WILMINGTON — A new piece of DNA-collection equipment may help the Wilmington Police Department bring closure to unsolved murders — although not the case of Allison Foy, whose sister, Lisa Valentino, helped push for the new technology.

The Wilmington Police Department (WPD) has now trained crime scene personnel on its new M-Vac system, a piece of equipment which Valentino has pushed for since last year. Valentino hoped that the M-Vac, which collects considerably more forensic DNA material that other methods, would help solve the murder of her sister; Foy’s body was found in 2008, two years after she went missing.

You can read Lisa Valentino’s story here — ‘Out in the cold’: Living with a sister’s unsolved murder for ten years

Valentino has maintained for years that she believes cab driver Timothy Iannone, WPD’s only suspect in the Foy murder as of 2016, killed her sister. She also believes District Attorney Ben David has effectively prevented WPD from making an arrest.

David, for his part, said in September, “Ms. Valentino and I want the same thing: Justice for Allison Jackson Foy. We both share the hope that her sister’s killer will one day be held accountable for this heinous crime.”

Valentino’s relationship with the WPD, although she said it got off to a “rocky start,” has improved over the years. When Valentino suggested the department invest in the M-Vac system, WPD took Valentino’s request seriously. The department pursued the technology – which costs about $38,000 – and received approval from City Council late last year.

Unfortunately, according to WPD, the new equipment was unable to produce new evidence in Foy’s death.

Still, WPD believes the M-Vac will help will other cold cases, as well as current murder investigations, according to Wilmington Police Chief Ralph Evangelous.

“We realize the importance of investing in cutting edge technology in order to solve crime,” Evangelous said. “This technology will help us with open and cold cases.”

The department acknowledged “Valentino’s dedication and commitment to solving her sister’s murder will help to shine a light on unsolved crimes in our community.”


Send comments and tips to Benjamin Schachtman at ben@localvoicemedia.com, @pcdben on Twitter, and (910) 538-2001.

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