70-Year-Old Man Arrested for Brutal 1999 Murder After Shocking DNA Match

More than two decades after 24-year-old Susan Cvengros was found savagely stabbed in her Washington, D.C. home, police have made a stunning arrest. George Mudd, now 70, was taken into custody Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder while armed — finally putting a name to a mystery that has haunted investigators for 26 years.

DNA Doesn’t Lie

The breakthrough came thanks to advances in forensic science. Authorities say DNA recovered from Cvengros’ body, clothing, and surrounding evidence — including her nightgown, fingernail clippings, and cigarette butts — was run through CODIS, the FBI’s national DNA database. The match was clear: George Mudd.

“This case is the perfect example of how we’re using today’s science to fight yesterday’s crimes,” said MPD Lieutenant Keith Batton. “In 1999, we didn’t have the tools. But now we do — and we’re using them.”

The Murder

On May 21, 1999, police arrived at a home in Northeast D.C. to find a grisly scene. Cvengros had been repeatedly stabbed in the neck and torso. Despite emergency efforts, she was pronounced dead on site. An autopsy confirmed her death was a homicide — the result of vicious incised and stab wounds.

Detectives collected DNA from a rape kit and other items at the scene and submitted it to the FBI. While there was no match for years, samples were re-tested by Bode Technology in 2013 and 2014 — laying the groundwork for the eventual match.

A Dark Past

Mudd wasn’t a stranger to law enforcement. In 2005, he was convicted in a separate case of assault with intent to commit kidnapping while armed. Court documents allege that he tried to downplay that incident, claiming the woman had injured herself while high on Ecstasy — a claim detectives didn’t buy then and likely won’t now.

When police confronted Mudd about Cvengros’ murder in 2023, he denied everything. He claimed he didn’t know the victim, didn’t recognize the house, and had never committed rape or murder.

Detectives weren’t convinced. MPD’s Todd Williams stated plainly in an affidavit: “There is probable cause to believe that George Mudd committed the sexual assault and murder of Susan Cvengros.”

What’s Next

Mudd is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on July 30 for a preliminary hearing. Prosecutors have not said whether they will pursue life without parole.

For the family of Susan Cvengros, it’s a step toward justice — long overdue, but never forgotten.

Check back for updates as this chilling cold case heads to court.