SEATTLE — A man accused in the 44-year-old cold case killing of a Boeing employee pleaded not guilty Thursday.
Kenneth Duane Kundert, 65, of Van Buren County, Arkansas, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. Kundert is accused of killing Dorothy “Dottie” Silzel in February 1980 and was arrested after being linked to the crime scene with DNA technology.
Kundert arrived in King County Jail on Oct. 30, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, before appearing before a judge Thursday.
"It really tore my mom and dad apart,” said Dorothy’s brother, Ken Yantzer. "To me, I think it was the worst tragedy."
He is due back in court Dec. 2.
“I would like to see him put away for the rest of his life,” said Dorothy’s brother, Jim Yantzer. "We know that it is a long process, and it is going to take years. We have to be patient, but it is hard to be patient after 44 years."
Silzel, 30, left the pizza restaurant where she worked part-time on Feb. 23, 1980 at about 10 p.m. after her shift ended. Three days later, she was found dead in her condominium in Kent. Police responded after she hadn’t reported to work at Boeing, where she was an instructor, and friends couldn’t get in contact with her.
An autopsy determined that Silzel was strangled to death.
DNA evidence was collected from the scene, and in March 2022, DNA technology led to 11 potential suspects.
In September 2023, detectives began looking into Kundert, who was under investigation for an assault in Arkansas.
Detectives learned Kundert worked in Seattle and Snohomish County in 1987, but records before that were not available. They also learned a family member lived in an apartment 1,200 feet away from where Silzel lived at the time.
Kent police detectives conducted surveillance on Kundert in Clinton, Arkansas in March 2024. They found a cigarette with his DNA on it that he dropped before entering a store. The DNA from the cigarette matched the DNA found in Silzel's condo.
Kundert was arrested and charged in August with Silzel's death.