8 hours Ago By Kate Nemarich
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- A case gone cold is now getting answers in Fresno County and bringing other cold cases into the light with it. In the early morning of October 31, 2004, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office says 43-year-old Barbara Lee's body was found in a dirt field near California and Polk avenues.
Finding her killer would take decades and DNA breakthroughs. In a press conference Friday morning, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni stood in front of a screen with five mugshots of the same man, Robert Castillo, which showed him aging over 30 years. "Castillo has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1981.
He served prison sentences in the mid-1980s, late 1990s, and mid-2000s for felony property crimes," said Zanoni. The latest mugshot was added on April 10th for sexual assault and murder. During the media briefing, Barbara Lee was shown in a license photo from before her life was cut short.
After his arrest, other cold cases began to warm up. "There was also another victim that was identified that he had victimized in September, September 9th specifically of 2004 where he will be charged with one count of rape," said Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp. "A third victim from an incident arising out of October 5th of 2003 he will be charged with one count of rape.
" There's a third rape case where investigators are waiting on results and they believe there may be even more cases to be found. "People may have been victimized that don't know his name, don't know who he was," said Zanoni. Zanoni was standing at the podium, but gave credit to his detectives from the cold case unit and the partnership they started with the district attorney's office last year.
Lee's case isn't the only one the unit is working on. "Several investigations that occurred between 2017 and 2022 in Western Fresno County, " said Zanoni. "These murder cases occurred in and around the cities of San Joaquin, Huron, Coalinga, and Mendota.
" Zanoni is hoping for more arrests and to give families closure. For Lee's family, more answers could be on the way soon. Castillo is set to be arraigned on Tuesday, April 29.
If the prosecution is successful, he could face life in prison or the death penalty. For news updates, follow Kate Nemarich on Facebook , X and Instagram ..
