Roseville police release new information in unsolved 1987 homicide, identify new person of interest

The Roseville Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in solving a decades-old cold case and is looking for information about a person of interest.

On April 8, 1987, the body of 22-year-old Sue Capistrant was discovered by an 11-year-old girl behind a Roseville grocery store at the corner of Dale Street and County Road B. Her death was determined to be a homicide.

Almost 40 years later, no one has been charged in connection with her death. However, the Roseville Police Department is releasing new information in an effort to uncover what happened 38 years ago.

Roseville police have identified Robert Osborne, a deceased man born in 1963, as a person of interest. According to Roseville Detective Brady Martin, police have evidence that links the two to being in contact with one another before she died. Osborne died in 1996.

“We know Ms. Capistrant was in contact with Mr. Osborne on April 7 or 8, 1987,” Martin said. “We areseeking the public’s assistance in connecting the lives of Capistrant and Osborne. Cases like these areoften solved by information that someone deems too small or inconsequential to provide.”

Martin said the two were roughly the same age in 1987, and both lived in Roseville at the time. However, Martin did not share the evidence connecting 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.

Martin said he believes more than one individual might have been involved in Capistrant’s death and emphasized that Osborne’s involvement is unclear at this time.

Anyone with information related to Capistrant or Osborne is asked to contact (651) 792-7008 or email rvpoliceinvest@cityofroseville.com to provide any information they may have.

Roseville police also provided some background information on the case, detailing some of what happened during Capistrant’s final hours.

On April 7, 1987, Capistrant spent the evening at Patrick’s Lounge, at Larpenteur and Hamline avenues in St. Paul with her brother and a friend. Capistrant and the friend then returned to the Capistrant family home in the 1300 block of Garden Avenue around midnight.

Police said Capistrant received a phone call while the two were together, and after having a short conversation with the caller, she and the friend left the house around 1 a.m., parting ways.

Police have not been able to identify who called Capistrant.

Following the discovery of Capitrant’s body around 7:30 a.m. on April 8, 1987, her brother and friend were investigated and determined not to be involved in her death.

In the four decades since, more than 100 witnesses have been interviewed, and over a dozen possible suspects have been investigated in an effort to retrace Capistrant’s final hours.

“Roseville Police has also continued to investigate the case, combing through evidence and files,” Martin said. “We want to solve Capistrant’s murder and give her family and the community closure.”
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