SAGINAW, MI — A decades-old mystery surrounding the brutal killing of a Birch Run grandmother has finally been resolved, after new DNA evidence linked a former relative-by-marriage to the crime.
Nearly 23 years after 57-year-old Jeanette I. Wilton was found dead in the Flint River, 48-year-old Jason R. Cabello has pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and first-degree criminal sexual conduct. The plea came just days before his trial was set to begin.
Although a no contest plea is not a direct admission of guilt, it allows the court to treat the charges as proven. Based on investigative findings and prior testimony, Judge Manvel Trice III entered convictions on both counts.
A Cold Case Reopened
Wilton’s body was discovered on February 22, 2003, near her home in Taymouth Township. An autopsy revealed she had been strangled, stabbed 15 times, and suffered severe blunt-force trauma—injuries later described in court as “overkill.”
The case remained unsolved for years until 2021, when the Michigan State Police Cold Case Team reopened the investigation using advances in DNA technology. Working alongside Western Michigan University’s Cold Case Program, investigators reanalyzed evidence, ultimately uncovering a DNA match that pointed to Cabello.
At the time of the killing, Cabello was married to Wilton’s niece. The couple later divorced in 2014.
Details Emerge in Court
During earlier court proceedings, prosecutors alleged that Cabello had been drinking at a bar before going to Wilton’s home late at night, where he sexually assaulted and killed her before disposing of her body.
Testimony from Cabello’s ex-wife painted a troubling picture, describing a history of abuse and threats. She also recounted a separate incident years later in which Cabello fled after being accused of sexual assault by another woman.
Wilton’s granddaughter, who was 10 years old at the time, testified that she saw an unknown man with her grandmother the night before she disappeared—an encounter that would later take on new significance.
Plea Deal and Sentencing
In exchange for Cabello’s plea, prosecutors agreed to drop more severe charges, including first-degree premeditated murder. A sentencing agreement recommends that Cabello serve 23 to 45 years in prison, followed by lifetime electronic monitoring.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 1.
Cabello’s attorney said the resolution avoids a lengthy trial and may provide some sense of closure for the victim’s family and the community.
A Long-Awaited Resolution
For more than two decades, Wilton’s killing remained an open wound for her loved ones. The breakthrough in DNA technology not only revived the investigation but ultimately led to accountability in a case once thought unsolvable.
Wilton, remembered as a caring mother and grandmother, is survived by her children and grandchildren—many of whom have waited years for justice.