Man who killed NH beauty school student Laura Kempton in 1981 is identified

The man who killed a beauty school student in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, more than four decades ago has been identified, authorities said Thursday.

Laura Kempton, 23, was found dead of massive head trauma at an apartment on Chapel Street on Monday, Sept. 28, 1981, according to an unsolved homicides page on the city's website.

Through DNA information and other investigative techniques, investigators found that a man named Ronney James Lee, who died in 2005, was Kempton's killer, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said at a news conference at Portsmouth City Council.

He declared that the case is closed, calling it a "bittersweet" day for the family and community.

Kempton's family released a statement thanking the people involved in solving her killing, extending their "deepest gratitude" to Portsmouth police: "Their diligence and determination, along with extraordinary personal commitment over the past decades, have led to this moment for Laura." Read their full statement below.

A police officer found Kempton's body at her apartment while he was attempting to serve a summons for unpaid parking tickets. He found her door broken open and the Portsmouth Beauty School student's body inside the apartment, with signs she'd been sexually assaulted — police later determined that she'd been killed early that morning, investigators said.

The case was eventually solved through forensic genealogy, with testing narrowing the search down to Lee. There was no indication he knew her, police said, but he lived in the city at the time.

If he were alive, he'd have been charged with first-degree murder, according to Formella. He said the case showed law enforcement's dedication to tracking down killers.

Asked for a message to others whose killings have remained unsolved, Formella said, "we're never going to stop looking for you, we're never going to stop coming for you."

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Another Portsmouth Beauty School student was killed at her own apartment just over a year after Kempton, and her killing has never been solved either. Tammy Little, 20, was also found dead of head trauma, according to the city's unsolved killings website.

But asked Thursday if Lee is suspected in Little's death, given longstanding speculation the two killings may have been related, Formella only said that the investigation was continuing and that officials hoped that by speaking about the Kempton case, they might get more information on others.

Read the Kempton family's full statement:

The Kempton family wishes to express our deepest gratitude to the Portsmouth police department for solving Laura's case.  Their diligence and determination, along with extraordinary personal commitment over the past decades, have led to this moment for Laura.  

The family would like to acknowledge Retired Captain John Peracchi, Portsmouth Police Department Investigative Division, and his team members past and present, who have worked tirelessly on Laura’s case. Their extraordinary efforts have led to this important moment today. 

Many, many other hands have touched Laura's file over the past forty-one years, and the family expresses our deepest gratitude to all who contributed.

The Kempton family would like to request privacy at this time as we process this information.

Thank you all.