Editor's note: H.J. Haynsworth, Jr. was a mill owner and Alice Haynsworth Ryan's brother. A previous version of this article incorrectly identified their relationship to each other.

For more than 30 years, the family of Alice Haynsworth Ryan didn't know who killed the 80-year-old woman in her Cleveland Park home.

Advancements in DNA technology made it possible for Greenville police to offer them answers.

Police Chief Ken Miller on Monday announced Brian Keith Munns, 51, of Americus, Georgia, was charged with murder in connection with Ryan's death.

"I never really gave up hope," Caroline Ryan, Alice Ryan's daughter-in-law, said. "I felt that with new technology coming along that we would eventually find the person."

Alice Ryan was the daughter of attorney H.J. Haynsworth, the aunt of Judge Clement Haynsworth, and great-aunt of Greenville Mayor Knox White.

On Oct. 8, 1988, Ryan's daughter, Kathryn Stribling, dropped her off at home on Woodland Way. Stribling then left for about an hour to run errands around 2:30 p.m.

When she returned to the home, she found Ryan stabbed to death, her vehicle missing, and the rear door of the house had been forced open.

Police began investigating the case immediately. They talked with friends, family and neighbors, followed tips from the community and analyzed evidence, Miller said.

"Despite the Police Department's best efforts, the killer eluded investigators and this case went cold," Miller said.

Brian Munns arrested in February

DNA technology helped lead to the arrest in the case.

In April of 2017, Miller said the department's newly formed cold case unit began an extensive review of the nearly 30-year-old homicide file.

Upon reanalyzing DNA on an item found in Ryan's vehicle shortly after it was recovered, a team of four investigators worked to obtain a DNA profile. They uploaded the profile into an FBI database, known as CODIS, to look for potential matches.

In late 2017, investigators were able to link that DNA to a registered sex offender who was living in Georgia.

Officers interviewed the man in December 2017 and served a search warrant to obtain saliva samples and further confirm a DNA match.

In February 2019, investigators moved forward with criminal charges against Munns. He was arrested in Georgia and later transported back to Greenville on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle and accessory after the fact to murder, according to Chief Miller.

He said the Police Department didn't publicize the initial February arrest while the investigation continued.

"Releasing information about this individual would not allow detectives the ability to corroborate statements provided by witnesses and informants," Miller said.

Since the arrest, more than 30 interviews have been conducted by cold case detectives. One of those interviews revealed detailed information about Ryan's death, giving investigators the information they needed to file additional charges against the suspect.

In that interview, an acquaintance of the suspect revealed details about how the suspect entered the home, injuries inflicted, where the encounter happened, the location of evidence and the timeline of events.

"This information was knowledge only a person who was at the scene of Alice Ryan's murder would know," Miller said.

That interview supported by DNA provided "critical missing pieces" in the investigation, according to Miller.

Munns was further charged with murder, burglary, armed robbery and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, Miller said. Munns is being held in the Greenville County Detention Center with no bond, Miller said.

"Our intent is to prepare this case and get it ready for trial as soon as possible," Solicitor Walt Wilkins said. He said the state is not pursuing the death penalty.

Closure for Alice Ryan's family

Monday marked a turning point for the Ryan family after they spent three decades wondering about the death of Alice Ryan.

Caroline Ryan said her family tried to piece together Alice Ryan's death for years, but no signs ever pointed to Munns.

She said Alice Ryan was a vivacious, kind lady who loved gardening, writing and playing cards.

"Everyone who knew her loved her," Caroline Ryan said. "She was very smart and involved in a lot of things in the city."

At a press conference on Monday, Alice Ryan's son, Joe Ryan thanked police for their work in solving the case.

"This is all about perseverance and steadfastness," Joe Ryan said. "The people who have been working this thing have been unbelievable. They have gone all out and all out for a long period of time, and they don't give up."

Retired Greenville Police Detective Rick Woodall and retired Greenville Police Captain Don Belue worked the case in 1988. They picked it up in earnest again two years ago when Miller formed a team of detectives to look into cold cases.

"We've worked so close with Joe and Caroline Ryan they are family to us," Woodall said.

The cold case team picks one or two cases to focus on at a time. Greenville Police Lt. Tim Conroy said they chose Alice Ryan's case because of the DNA evidence that was available.

Police are still working to establish a motive in Alice Ryan's death.

"The case is still active, so there are some questions we may be able to answer at a later time," Greenville police Detective Andrew Smith said. "Some of those answers we're still tying to work out."

3 cold cases closed in Greenville

This is the third cold case to be solved by Greenville police in recent months using new technology available to law enforcement and a small team of cold case detectives.

Last month, Chief Miller announced an arrest in a high profile case involving a baby found dead near Verdae Boulevard in Greenville.

The baby, known to many as Julie Valentine, was found dead in a box in a wooded area on Feb. 13, 1990, by a man who was picking flowers for his wife.

In April, investigators charged the girl's mother, 53-year-old Brook Graham, in the baby's death.

Investigators tracked Graham down by connecting DNA evidence to the baby's father. They interviewed the father, ultimately leading them to Graham. The father has not been charged or publicly named.

Police estimated she was born Feb. 10, 1990, and abandoned immediately after birth.

In October, Chief Miller announced that investigators had solved the 1990 cold case involving Jenny Zitricki, 28.

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Advancements in DNA testing linked Zitricki's slaying to Robert Eugene Brashers. Zitricki was found beaten and strangled to death in her apartment on Villa Road.

The case remained unsolved for more than nearly 30 years as police chased down more than 150 leads. Early DNA testing in the case linked Zitricki's homicide to a double murder in Missouri, but it wasn't until 2018 that investigators were able to link that DNA to Brashers.

Brashers died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Jan. 19, 1999.

More:Greenville Roots: Alice Haynsworth Ryan killed in her Woodland Way home