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SCOTT COUNTY, Ind.–DNA technology has helped police solve a Scott County cold case.
In May 1995, investigators from the Indiana State Police and Scott County Sheriff’s Office were looking into an attempted murder, assault, and robbery that happened at a home in Scott County. Numerous leads were followed at the time, but the police couldn’t find a suspect.
In 2018, the use of familial DNA was being used as the latest investigative tool in cases where a DNA sample had been collected of an unidentified suspect.
“This technique involves comparing the DNA sample against databases of known individuals to look for family members of potential suspects. When a family member is identified, investigators can use investigative tools and genealogy to identify a suspect,” said State Police in a Friday news release.
The familial DNA testing was completed in August 2023 by Parabon Laboratories with funding from Seasons of Justice, which is a non-profit group that assists law enforcement in solving unsolved violent crimes. It was a close family relative of a suspect that was initially identified with this DNA testing.
“An exhaustive investigation was then carried out by detectives, lab analysts, intelligence analysts, and well-known genealogist CeCe Moore to finally identify a suspect months later,” the release continued.
The police didn’t give the suspect or the victims’ names. They did, however, say the suspect was in his early 30s when the crime happened. He also lived near the scene of the crime. Eventually he would move out of Indiana and later died in 2003.
“While no charges are able to be filed in this case, investigators are pleased to be able to bring this case to a close. This case was solved due to the work of skilled investigators, the cooperation of professionals with expertise in a number of areas, and the latest DNA technology. It is the policy of the Indiana State Police to not name potential suspects unless and until formal charges are filed. Therefore, the suspect’s identity will not be released,” said the release
