SPOKANE, Wash. — It was considered the “Mount Everest” of cold cases.

Investigators in Washington have used genetic genealogy to link one of three now-deceased brothers to the 62-year-old murder of a girl who vanished while selling Camp Fire mints.

The body of 9-year-old Candice Elaine Rogers was found March 22, 1959, in a wooded area near Spokane. The heartbreaking discovery ended an intensive 16-day search that resulted in a helicopter crash that killed three U.S. Air Force airmen.

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The search has continued, however, for the person responsible for raping and strangling the girl, who was known to loved ones as “Candy.”

Spokane police officials last week announced that the search for Candy’s killer was finally over. According to authorities, DNA evidence submitted to a company that specializes in genetic genealogy led cold case detectives to three brothers, all of whom are now dead.

The genetic profile linked one of the men, John Reigh Hoff, to Candy’s murder.

“The scientific evidence conclusively indicated the DNA sample collected from Candy’s clothing was that of John Reigh Hoff,” a police statement said. “The DNA findings, coupled with corroborating evidence, allowed the investigators to determine John Reigh Hoff was responsible for the rape and murder of 9-year-old Candy Rogers.”

Hoff, who was 20 at the time of the homicide, lived about a mile from Candy and her family. A…