A murder that went unsolved for nearly four decades has finally produced an arrest, after advanced DNA testing identified a suspect in the 1987 stabbing death of a Northern Arizona University student in Flagstaff.
James Arthur Runnels Jr. was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Ina Claire Langstaff, a 24-year-old NAU student who was found stabbed outside her apartment in Flagstaff’s Old Town neighborhood on November 7th, 1987. Runnels was living in Flagstaff at the time of the killing and was residing in Glendale when he was arrested.
The case remained open but unsolved for decades as investigators periodically reviewed the evidence. The breakthrough came when original evidence from the 1987 investigation was submitted to the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s Northern Regional Crime Lab and processed through Bode Technology, a forensic DNA firm that specializes in cold cases. By 2025, the testing had produced a DNA profile strong enough to identify Runnels as the suspect.
Flagstaff Police said the investigation is not yet complete and are asking anyone with information related to the case to contact the department at 928-774-1414 or Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.
