McBride family speaks out after arrest in 1990 Vernon homicide case

In the days following the April 10 arrest of Robert McCaffrey – the man charged with the 1990 murder of Vernon resident Lisa McBride – the McBride family released a statement to the community.

“It has been almost 36 years since our family was told Lisa never made it to work on June 23, 1990,” Doug McBride, Lisa’s brother, wrote April 21. “We could never have imagined the horror and pain that would follow. For weeks, then months, then years, and then decades, we have had to live without justice for Lisa, and with so many questions that we thought would never be answered.”

He continued:

“Today, we have the strange and bittersweet news that a suspect has been apprehended and arraigned. Norma and George, Lisa’s parents, never lost hope that this day would come. Unfortunately, they are no longer with us, but we know that they are resting a bit easier now. They remained devoted to finding justice for their daughter for their entire lives, and without their efforts, we may not be able to provide this update today.”

Doug McBride also thanked law enforcement and community members who have supported the McBride family over the years.

While McBride is hopeful Lisa’s killer is in custody, McCaffrey, a North Carolina resident, is innocent until proven guilty.

“The complaint charging Mr. McCaffrey is only an allegation and he is presumed innocent,” the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender said in a statement. “It is simply the document by which the matter is brought before the court. In cold cases, including one dating back to 1990, there is often intense pressure to find answers and bring closure to those affected. But even careful investigations are not immune from error, especially where the evidence is limited. The criminal process includes a series of important checks and balances to ensure fairness. We ask the public to allow that process to unfold and to avoid drawing premature conclusions.”

Background

A 1981 graduate of West Milford High School, McBride was working as an executive secretary at Lakeland Bank in Newfoundland and living alone at 118 Glen Road in the Highland Lakes section of Vernon prior to her murder.

After work on June 22, 1990, McBride and some friends attended a concert in New York City before stopping at Big John’s Pub on Old Route 23 in Newfoundland on the way home. Police reports said McBride drank three beers, gave three old friends her phone number and left at 1:15 a.m., saying she had to be at work in the morning.

She did not show up at work the next day and went missing. At approximately 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 20, 1990, four months after she disappeared, a hunter found McBride’s remains in Sandyston. Ruled a homicide, investigators ran into dead ends for nearly 36 years.

According to court documents, evidence from the headboard of McBride’s bed was submitted for DNA testing in 2020. In 2022, McBride’s DNA was obtained when her remains were exhumed.

In February of this year, through advancements in DNA testing, court documents show McBride’s DNA and McCaffrey’s DNA were identified on the headboard evidence.

McCaffrey’s DNA was in the national DNA database for criminal defenders after he was convicted of obstruction of justice after the 2012 disappearance of his wife in South Carolina.

The complaint warrant and affidavit of probable cause were submitted by the state police and signed by Vernon Township Judge Peter Laemers on April 6. McCaffrey was arrested in North Carolina on April 10 and extradited to New Jersey.