Editor’s note: This information is courtesy of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – Jerry Rosado, 62, of Millville, was charged in the sexual assault of Susan Negersmith, a young woman who was killed in 1990.
Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and Wildwood Police Chief Robert Regalbuto announced the cold case arrest on Friday, April 8.
Negersmith was a 20-year-old female from Carmel, N.Y. who was in the Wildwood area with friends for Memorial Day weekend.
On Sunday, May 27, 1990, her partially clothed body was discovered, in a rear outside storage area, adjacent to a restaurant in Wildwood. An autopsy was performed on the remains of Negersmith and it was determined that she was sexually assaulted.
During the course of the next 32 years an intense investigation was conducted by numerous law enforcement agencies including the Major Crimes Unit of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, the Wildwood Police Detective Bureau, the New Jersey State Police Major Crimes Unit, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
During the investigation an unknown STR DNA profile was identified from her body. This profile was compared to multiple individuals of interest over the years all with negative results. In 2018 the Major Crimes Unit of the Prosecutors Office, with the knowledge of new DNA technology, started a Genetic Genealogy Analysis of the unknown DNA profile. As the result of that genealogy analysis, it was determined that Jerry Rosado was a STR DNA match to the unknown profile.
“Countless law enforcement professionals and prosecutors have worked on resolving this case over the last 32 years and their collective dedicated effort, in conjunction with the improvements in DNA Technology and Genetic Genealogy Analysis, has led to this long overdue arrest,” Sutherland said. “I want to particularly commend the Major Crimes Cold Case Unit of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office for their steadfast efforts in finally providing a measure of justice to the Negersmith family.”
Rosado is charged with the second degree crime of sexual assault. Sutherland said a person convicted of a second degree crime is subject to a term of imprisonment of 5 to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison.
This investigation is on-going and should additional information become available additional charges could be made. Sutherland urges anyone who has information concerning this case to report it anonymously through the Cape May County Sheriff’s Tip Line at cmcsheriff.net and click on anonymous tip, or through the Cape May County Crime Stoppers at (609) 889-3597 or call the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at (609) 465-1135.
Officials note any charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty.