The Dona Ana County sheriff and district attorney announced on Friday that a convicted felon, from his prison cell, confessed to the murder of Katie Sepich.

Police said Gabriel Adrian Avila, 27, confessed after his DNA matched DNA found on Sepich's body. Avila is being charged with capital murder and rape.

"It means everything to the family to finally have a name of the person that will be found hopefully responsible for the death of Katie," said District Attorney Susana Martinez.

Avila is a Mexican national who has been an inmate in the New Mexico Corrections System since November 2004. He was sentenced to nine years for aggravated burglary and intent to commit aggravated assault. He was arrested for that crime in November 2003, just three months after Sepich was murdered.

And more than three years after her death, Martinez said a sample of Avila's DNA practically solved the case.

"DNA was taken from him two months ago because all prisoners have to submit to DNA. It was tested and came back as a match," said Martinez.

Since 1997, New Mexico has required that felons provide DNA samples in the hopes those samples will help solve more crimes. Because of her parents' efforts, Sepich's unsolved murder led this year's New Mexico Legislature to expand the number of people who must provide DNA samples to include anyone who's arrested on a violent felony charge.

Katie's Law, as it's called, takes effect Jan. 1. The samples will be placed into a database for comparison to DNA samples associated with unsolved crimes.

"Without that sample, that was one of the things that led us to the suspect in the first place," said Dona Ana Sheriff Todd Garrison.

After the match, investigators questioned Avila, who not only confessed to the crime but provided them with details about the murder only he could have known. He told investigators he raped and killed Sepich outside her bedroom window in the early-morning hours of Aug. 31, 2003.

Investigators said she went to a party the night before and left the party after midnight. She wasn't seen again.

Investigators also have located and seized the truck believed to have been used to transport Sepich's body to the desert east of Las Cruces. The truck had been sold, and the new owner consented to its seizure.

Investigators also were able to obtain a ring worn by Sepich on the night of the murder. The right had been left in the truck.

The ring and the truck are being processed for evidence.

"I've always known that this case could be solved and just knew it," said Garrison.

Martinez said if Katie's Law had been in effect in 2003, Avila would have been brought to justice much sooner.

Dave Sepich, Katie's father, said his biggest fear was that someone else would have to die at the hands of Katie's murderer. But now he can put that fear at ease.

"It was like, were we dreaming that this was actually happening. We had become pretty resolved with the fact that we may never know," said Sepich.

For three years they've known the details of their daughter's murder, how she died, how she was only a few steps away from getting home before she was raped and many more. One question surrounding the case was if she knew her killer.

"He saw Katie walking home and followed her, then murdered her. It was totally random she didn't know him and he didn't know her," said Sepich.

Now, they have a name to the person who has changed their lives forever.

"We're especially grateful because Christmas has been a sad time for us since Katie died," said Sepich.

This Christmas will be different. Katie would have been 26-years-old on Tuesday. Her parents are grateful that investigators never gave up.

"She was never forgotten. No one ever gave up," said Jayann, Katie's mother.

Jayann said there's no such thing as closure, but she's ready to move on.

"We've been healing we've been going forward with our lives. We have two other incredible children we love so much. But this will allow us to heal in a way we couldn't have otherwise," said Jayann.

Previous Stories: September 17, 2006: Investigators Renew Effort To Catch Katie's Killer November 15, 2005: Katie Sepich Murder Reward Expires August 16, 2005: New Reward Offer In Sepich Murder August 16, 2005: Break In Katie Sepich Murder? May 5, 2005: Update On Katie Sepich Case March 4, 2005: Sepich Featured In Magazine February 23, 2005: DNA To Help Identify Sepich Killer December 7, 2004: Katie Sepich Murder Suspect Update November 19, 2004: New Evidence In Katie Sepich Case November 6, 2004: Sepich Murder To Be Featured On America's Most Wanted August 29, 2004: Katie Sepich Murder Not Solved One Year Later September 17, 2003: Tribute To Slain NMSU Student September 9, 2003: Reward In Katie Sepich Murder Case Increases September 8, 2003: Hundreds Attend Sepich Memorial September 5, 2003: Sepich's Boyfriend Refuses To Give DNA Sample September 5, 2003: Friends, Co-workers Remember Slain NMSU Student September 3, 2003: Investigators Confirm How An NMSU Student Was Murdered September 3, 2003: New Information On Brutal Death Of Katie Sepich