Nearly 50 years after the abduction and stabbing of three young girls in Indiana, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has identified the suspected attacker, Thomas Edward Williams, using genetic genealogy technology.
The survivors, Kandice Smith, Sheri Rottler Trick, and Kathie Rottler, miraculously endured the 1975 attack.
Williams, who died in 1983 while incarcerated, was identified through familial DNA analysis.
The girls were abducted, assaulted, and stabbed, but managed to escape and seek help.
The case had gone cold until 2018 when DNA evidence was reexamined, leading to the recent breakthrough.
The survivors expressed gratitude for the resolution and emphasized the importance of perseverance in seeking justice for cold cases.