Donald Lester has lived a quiet life in Randallstown, working as a civil industrial engineer and raising his children and grandchildren.

His neighbors and colleagues have described the 69-year-old as a hard worker and a family man. But in October, detectives with the Baltimore County Police Department arrested Donald Lester, charging him with murdering his wife over 31 years ago at the home they once shared and where he still lives.

Linda Lester, whom he was estranged from at the time, was last seen alive on Oct. 11, 1994.

Coworkers told police Linda Lester left her shift as a Baltimore County 911 operator just before 11 p.m. According to court records, she then drove to her estranged husband’s home to pick up their daughter, of whom she had full custody.

A day later, Linda Lester’s family, who had not heard from her, reported her missing. Donald Lester said she never showed up to get their daughter. Her police officer boyfriend said he couldn’t reach her either.

Six days later, her body was found beaten and bruised with a trash bag over her head on the side of Interstate 70. She was wearing the same clothes she left work in, according to court documents. Investigators assumed she had tried to fight off her killer, so they collected her fingernail clippings for future DNA tests.

The tests at the time came back inconclusive. For decades, Linda Lester’s case was revisited intermittently.

Then in September, almost exactly 31 years after her death, Baltimore County detectives received results from new DNA tests using the nail clippings: her estranged husband was a likely match. The 69-year-old was arrested and charged in October. He was indicted by a grand jury for first-degree murder earlier this month and faces a sentence of life in prison.

Several family members and neighbors rallied around Donald Lester last month as he made a bid for his release from jail so he could continue to support his family. Patrice Thompson, his niece, wrote in a letter to the court saying that the charges are “completely inconsistent with the man we know and love.”

His colleagues from the Pall Corporation also wrote to the court asking for his release.

“Donald Lester has consistently demonstrated himself to be a dedicated and hardworking individual,” Robert Giddings, one of his coworkers, wrote the court. “It is clear that he is deeply involved and committed to his family.”

His lawyer Michael Tomko said in a court filing that Donald Lester raised his three children, two of whom are not Linda Lester’s children, and continues to help raise seven grandchildren.

The judge denied Donald Lester’s bid, and he continues to be held without bond as he awaits trial.

An estranged couple and a custody battle

Although Linda and Donald Lester were still married in 1994, the two had been living apart for at least nine months and were in the midst of a divorce, according to court documents.

Christine Battle, who had reported her sister missing, told police during an interview in 1994 that Donald Lester threatened to kill Linda Lester before the two separated, according to charging documents. Four years later, one of Donald Lester’s sons confirmed he overheard his father’s death threat, charging documents say.

The couple had battled in court over custody of their 2-year-old daughter, Brianna. Linda Lester was given full custody of the child in July 1994, court records show. Donald Lester was told to pay child support and given visitation rights.

After her death, Linda Lester’s parents fought with Donald Lester in court over Brianna. At the time, Donald Lester was considered a person of interest in his wife’s death. Linda Lester’s parents said in court documents that they hoped to keep the toddler in their custody until his name was cleared.

Eventually, after DNA tests came back inconclusive, Donald Lester was given full custody of his daughter, court records show.

Piecing together the evidence

Detectives revisited the investigation on and off over the course of three decades. Donald Lester remained at the center of the case from the day Linda Lester was reported missing, according to charging documents.

On Oct. 13, 1994, Linda Lester’s vehicle, a gray Mercury Cougar, was found with bloodstains on the driver door and trunk in a Ramada Inn parking lot in Baltimore County.

The following day, police searched Donald Lester’s home on Church Lane. They noted it had been thoroughly cleaned, though a small area at the front door was found positive for the presence of blood. Donald Lester was also limping from injuries, which he did not explain to police.

He told police at the time that he had borrowed the Oldsmobile in his driveway from a friend because his own car had broken down. Detectives four years later intercepted phone calls between the two and determined Lester had not been fully forthcoming with police, though court documents do not detail what he allegedly concealed.

After Linda Lester’s body was found days later, an autopsy report ruled her death a homicide by blunt force trauma and her neck being slashed.

At the time, Donald Lester was a person of interest, along with her police officer boyfriend. But DNA tests did not return any matches and police did not have enough evidence to charge either of them.

Donald Lester remained on detectives’ radar for over three decades. Interviews with those close to Linda and Donald Lester spoke of his “violent temper and abusive treatment” of Linda, other women in his life, and his sons from previous relationships, police said.

In 2023, police revived the case and sent in the DNA samples they had collected from Linda Lester’s fingernails. Two years later, those samples came back. The tests determined his DNA was likely under her nails.

Detectives said in court documents that they believe Linda Lester arrived to Donald Lester’s home late, which was a point of contention between the two. They allege that he attacked her and she attempted to fight him off but he killed her.

His red-brick, single-floor home sits on a two-lane road among a row of houses with cars frequently passing by. On either side of the block are two less busy suburban backstreets. No one answered the door on a recent visit to the home.

Donald Lester has maintained his innocence. His lawyer said in court documents that the DNA tests that detectives used are “modern but often unreliable.” He added that Linda and Donald Lester had routine contact because of their daughter, which could explain the DNA transfer.

Although he has received his indictment, it is unclear when Donald Lester’s trial will begin.