SAN DIEGO–A female murder defendant was sentenced in court for the cold case killing of Marine Corporal Lindell Mitchell, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said today.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Blaine Brown sentenced Kimberly Andrews, 40, to 26 years-to-life on Monday, following her conviction by jury for first-degree murder stemming from her role in Mitchell’s murder 24 years ago. Mitchell was shot in the back by intruders who had forced their way into his apartment shortly before midnight on Christmas Eve in 1991.
“It took more than two decades for the defendant to be held responsible for her actions, but ultimately justice was served,” said District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. “The dedicated prosecutors in our Cold Case Homicide Unit and their law enforcement counterparts don’t give up and this is a great example of the outstanding work they do to bring a measure of closure to victims’ loved ones.”
Mitchell, along with some of his Marine friends, invited Andrews and her friends to a gathering at his apartment. During the get together, an argument broke out between Andrews and Mitchell’s roommate. Andrews threatened the Marines that she would be back with others to shoot up the home. Later than night, a group of men burst through Mitchell’s door and carried out Andrews’ earlier threat, ultimately shooting Mitchell in the back and killing him.
With the initial investigation unable to identify the majority of those responsible for the murder, the case went cold. In 2012, a joint cold case investigation by the San Diego Sheriff’s Department and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service revealed new leads and evidence that resulted in Andrews’ arrest in Louisiana in July 2014.
The continuing investigation also led to the arrest of James Dale Noble, 59, who was taken into custody in Hemet last October. He is charged with first-degree murder. Noble is scheduled for jury trial on October 17, in the San Diego County North County Regional Courthouse.
