On December 17, 1981, 29-year-old Alma Noffsinger, also known as Alma Rosa Delgado, was found murdered in her home on North Fifth Street in Oakwood, Ohio. The small community, home to about 600 residents, was shaken by the discovery. Alma was found lying face-down on her bed with clear signs of a violent assault, including significant head trauma. Her front door had been left ajar, and there were no signs of forced entry, theft, or sexual assault.
It was believed that the assailant managed to enter the house without waking her, and the nature of her injuries suggested a high degree of rage. Alma’s death was ruled a homicide by the county coroner, and she left behind three young children, including her daughter, Debbie “Woz” Flint, who was just five years old at the time of the murder.
The case remained unsolved for over three decades. A new investigation was launched in 2013 at the insistence of Alma's family. The Paulding County Sheriff’s Department teamed up with former prosecutor Kelly Siegler and crime scene investigator Yolanda McClary—both known from the TV series "Cold Justice"—to revisit the case. Their investigation turned up new leads, eventually leading to the arrest of Alma's ex-husband, Steven Noffsinger, in 2014. He was suspected due to the nature of their contentious relationship, especially regarding custody issues involving their shared child. Investigators believed that a heavy stick, which Steven used for work and which had disappeared after Alma's death, might have been the murder weapon.
Steven Noffsinger was indicted for aggravated murder and arrested in August 2014. However, despite the new evidence, the case ultimately went to trial, and in 2015, a jury found him not guilty. The acquittal left Alma's family without the closure they had hoped for, and her murder officially remains unsolved. Alma is remembered as a kind and loving mother, and her family continues to hope for justice in her tragic case. The investigation remains open, and authorities still encourage anyone with additional information to come forward.
