The Honolulu Prosector’s Office Friday charged Tudor Chirila, 77, with second-degree murder following a grand jury indictment for the 1972 killing of Nancy Anderson. Chirila was arrested in Reno, Nevada, and is being held in protective custody pending extradition to Hawaii.

“I thank the HPD detectives and DNA analysts assigned to this case for their diligence and professionalism,” Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm said in a press release. “Their dogged persistence and use of new technologies has brought this formerly cold case closer to resolution.”

Alm said Parabon Nanolabs provided the expertise that lead to connecting Chirila to the murder.

Nancy Anderson’s family issued a statement through the prosecutor’s office thanking law enforcement for not giving up on the case and asking for privacy.

“As the family of Nancy Anderson, we’d like to thank the numerous dedicated law enforcement and other agencies who have worked diligent(ly) over the past half century to solve her case,” according to the statement.

“Despite the many hurdles, we (Nancy’s nine siblings) never gave up hope that justice would be served. We always had strong faith that all things would be resolved in God’s time.”

Second-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole.