Marissa Harvey: Justice After 47 Years as 80-Year-Old Colorado Man Is Convicted in 1978 San Francisco Murder of Teenager

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Marissa Harvey: Justice After 47 Years as 80-Year-Old Colorado Man Is Convicted in 1978 San Francisco Murder of Teenager

Sat, 11/15/2025 - 14:35

Mark Stanley Personette, an 80-year-old Colorado man, has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 1978 killing of 15-year-old Marissa Rolf Harvey — a landmark verdict that finally closes one of San Francisco’s most haunting cold cases. The decision, delivered on November 13, 2025, comes nearly 47 years after Harvey vanished during a visit to the city.

Teenager Marissa Harvey’s Disappearance and Murder (1978)

Marissa Rolf Harvey, a 15-year-old from Queens, New York, was visiting her older sister in San Francisco for Easter break when she disappeared on March 27, 1978. She had planned to go horseback riding in Golden Gate Park, but the stables were closed that day.

When she failed to return, her sister reported her missing. The next morning, surfers at Sutro Heights Park discovered her body hidden in thick underbrush. An autopsy revealed she had been sexually assaulted, severely beaten, and strangled with a ligature. Investigators also recovered key evidence, including a bloodstained leaf and one of her earrings.

A Breakthrough After More Than Four Decades

The case stagnated for years. Early DNA testing in the 2000s identified a male DNA profile on Harvey’s clothing and even from a piece of chewing gum stuck to her back, but no match was found.

Everything changed in 2021.

San Francisco cold case investigators teamed up with the FBI and used investigative genetic genealogy — the same technique behind several major cold-case breakthroughs. Crime-scene DNA uploaded to genealogical databases pointed to Personette as a likely suspect.

FBI surveillance later captured him discarding hygiene items far from his home. DNA collected from those items matched the 1978 crime-scene profile. A search of Personette’s home uncovered 1970s San Francisco maps and 1979 California license plates, contradicting his claim that he had never been in the Bay Area at the time.

Personette was arrested in December 2021 and extradited to San Francisco.

Chilling Testimony and Forensic Evidence Seal the Verdict

During the 2025 trial, prosecutors presented a sweeping body of evidence, including:

DNA matches linking Personette directly to Harvey
Crime scene items, including Harvey’s earring and the bloodstained leaf
Genetic genealogy tracing that led investigators to their suspect
Testimony from another survivor, who said Personette raped her in a New Jersey wooded area in 1979 when she was just 16

Prosecutors Heather Trevisan and Katherine Wells emphasized the enduring commitment to justice and the courage of survivors. The jury deliberated before finding Personette guilty of first-degree murder.

Sentencing to Come—Justice Long Overdue

Personette faces seven years to life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for December 17, 2025.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins praised the outcome, calling it “justice long overdue for Marissa Harvey and her family,” who attended proceedings with the support of victim advocates and therapy dogs.