Where is John Sipos Now? We discuss the murder of Mary Scott following the release of the 2023 Hulu true crime series Cold Case Files: DNA Speaks. This article contains disturbing details.
Cold Case Files: DNA Speaks is a series on Hulu that examines cold cases solved through advancements in DNA. There are interviews with the victims’ families, friends, law enforcement, and the public. One episode chronicles the brutal murder of 23-year-old Mary Scott.
The case turned cold and was finally solved over five decades later, thanks to DNA and forensic genealogy.
Who is John Sipos, and what did he do?
John Sipos was a Navy sailor, and after leaving the Navy, he was living in San Diego, only a mile or two away from Mary Scott, when he killed her. John was in his 20s when he committed the murder.
Born in Pennsylvania, Sipos lived in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 24, 2020, when he was arrested.
He was reported to be living in retirement with his wife of twenty years.
How did Mary Scott die?
Mary Scott was a 23-year-old go-go dancer found strangled to death in her San Diego apartment in November 1969. The killer kicked down the door to her apartment and continued to rape and strangle Mary to death. It’s reported that they also broke her jaw during the struggle. As forensic evidence wasn’t as advanced as now, their first suspect was her ex-husband, who was quickly cleared as a suspect.
Mary Scott and her three brothers and two sisters grew up in Clairemont, California. In 1963, Mary married a Navy sailor from Opelousas, Louisiana, Patrick Wyble, and they had two daughters. Their marriage didn’t last, and they divorced, and Mary moved back to Clairemont. Scott’s daughters didn’t live with her when she was killed.
One died in a car crash in 1993, so she could not see her mother’s killer brought to justice.
Where is John Sipos now?
Even though he could not be convicted of rape since the statute of limitations ran out decades ago, John was sentenced to seven years to life in prison. The 77-year-old is serving his sentence at the California State Prison in Corcoran. His inmate records state he would be eligible for parole in February 2024.
How long will John Sipos be in prison for?
Sipos was identified as the killer by DNA left at the crime scene. San Diego police announced the arrest of Sipos in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, in October 2020, 51 years after the crime was committed. John pleaded not guilty, and the case was trialed in March 2022. The 77-year-old Former Navy Sailor was sentenced to 7 years to life in prison over the brutal killing of Mary Scott.
Authorities relied on forensic genealogy, also known as genetic genealogy, which uses genetic information to link suspects to potential relatives using consumer DNA databases.
This has led to many more convictions, including the famous Golden State Killer.
The seven-year-to-life state prison sentence was the maximum term he could have received, as it was the maximum punishment available at the time of the killing. He will be eligible for parole in 2024.
