Roseville police reveal new information in 1987 unsolved homicide

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Sue Capistrant. Photo courtesy of the Roseville Police Department.  (Supplied)

ROSEVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Roseville police have released new information regarding the 1987 cold case killing of 22-year-old Sue Capistrant. 

New information in Roseville unsolved homicide

What they're saying:

Roseville police say, for the first time in the history of the case, they have found a new person of interest. 

Police explained they have evidence reportedly linking Capistrant to a Roseville man, Robert Osburne, who is now dead. 

"We know Ms. Capistrant was in contact with Mr. Osborne on April 7 or 8, 1987," Roseville Det. Brady Martin said. "We are seeking the public’s assistance in connecting the lives of Capistrant and Osborne. Cases like these are often solved by information that someone deems too small or inconsequential to provide."

There is no other known connection between the two except that they were around the same age and both were living in Roseville at the time of the killing, authorities said. 

Osborne died in 1996, and the police are not willing to share more information regarding the evidence linking Osborne and Capistrant. 

"We don’t want to jeopardize the integrity of the case by revealing too much information. If a member of the public knew these two individuals or saw them together, we are asking that they contact police," Martin said.  

Investigators believe more than one person was involved in Capistrant's death. 

1987 unsolved homicide of Sue Capistrant

The backstory:

On April 8, 1987, an 11-year-old girl found Capistrant dead behind a Roseville grocery store, located at the corner of Dale Street and County Road B. 

Capistrant spent the evening before her death at Patrick's Lounge in St. Paul with her brother and a friend. After going home, Capistrant received a phone call around midnight while she was still with her friend at her home. 

Capistrant had a short conversation with the caller and left the house around 1 a.m. and was found dead later that morning.

Police were not able to determine who was on the phone with Capistrant. Her brother and her friend were not involved in her death. 

The investigation:

Roseville police explained they have actively been investigating the case since 1987. During that time, authorities investigated more than a dozen possible suspects, interviewed more than 100 witnesses, and examined evidence in attempts to retrace the 22-year-old's final hours.  

Detective Martin said there was also a renewed interest in the case after a Facebook page was created in 2020.

"I have been in contact with the Facebook group organizers, providing as much information as I can," Martin said. "Roseville Police has also continued to investigate, combing through evidence and files. We want to solve Capistrant’s murder and give her family and the community closure."

What you can do:

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call 651-792-7008 or email rvpoliceinvest@cityofroseville.com.