Donna Zanath, Blatnik’s sister, said Wednesday evening that she was in shock that an arrest had been made after all this time. She credited Project Porchlight, a local effort lead by Akron author James Renner that took on her sister’s case as its first attempt to generate renewed interest in a cold case. Project Porchlight raised $6,000 for DNA testing that helped with the Blatnik case.“Without James Renner, we wouldn’t be talking right now,” she said, choking back tears.
Learn more about The Porchlight Project here. You can also donate via the website. Every little bit helps. Thank you!