Teen babysitter murder case
Police identify killer’s connection to family.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
Colorado Springs police made a significant announcement on May 8, revealing that they had finally identified a suspect in the brutal 1977 fatal stabbing of 14-year-old Maria Loraine Honzell. This long-standing cold case has haunted the community for over four decades.
Colorado Bureau of Investigation
Maria Loraine Honzell
The tragic incident took place on February 7, 1977, when Honzell was found stabbed multiple times in the home of a female neighbour who resided in the same apartment complex. The young girl had been babysitting the neighbour’s two children on the fateful night when the heinous crime occurred.
Authorities have identified the suspect as William Charles Kernan, Jr., also known as Bill Kernan, who passed away in 2010. The exact cause of his death remains undisclosed. Despite Kernan’s demise, the police are confident that they have finally brought closure to this long-standing case.
“The family and friends of Maria Honzell have waited over 47 years to get justice for Maria,” the Colorado Springs Police Department stated. “Through years of analysis & investigation, CSPD is proud to finally provide answers to Maria’s loved ones.”
After Honzell’s tragic demise, investigators collected crucial evidence at the crime scene, including a bloodstain on her jumpsuit. This bloodstain later yielded a male DNA profile, but the case went cold when the suspect remained unidentified.
However, in 2019, a breakthrough occurred when the male DNA profile was compared with samples in a public genetic genealogy database with the assistance of Parabon NanoLabs. This led to a match for Kernan, but due to his cremation and lack of living relatives, collecting his DNA for confirmation was not possible.
Colorado Springs Police Department
William C. Kernan Jr.
Police investigations have revealed that Kernan, a former student at a local college, was an acquaintance of the woman whom Honzell was babysitting for on the night of her murder. Subsequent inquiries indicated that Kernan had visited the apartment complex on several occasions, linking him to the crime scene.
The authorities have now officially closed the case, confident that Kernan was the perpetrator of this horrific crime. After almost five decades, justice has been served for Maria Loraine Honzell and her grieving loved ones.
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Original article source: People.
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1. Teen Babysitter Killed Decades Ago Police Learned Killer’s ID Connection to Family
2. Teen Babysitter Murder Case: Police Discover Killer’s Identity Family Connection.
