Cold case murder of teen babysitter finally solved after five decades

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery 14-year-old Maria Loraine Honzell was found stabbed to death in Colorado Springs in 1977 Despite a thorough investigation and a DNA sample being collected from blood on her clothes, no match was found and the case went cold. “The Colorado Springs Police Department conducted a thorough investigation, which included numerous interviews, reports, and collection of evidence,” the department said in a press release. However, CSPD did not cease to follow leads and pursue other investigative strategies.” open image in gallery Colorado Springs Police Department now believe William Charles Kernan, Jr, who died in 2010, killed the 14-year-old DNA testing technology has progressed in recent years, with new items of evidence submitted to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation helping to build a male DNA profile. That team used “genetic clues” to come up with a profile that then matched William Charles Kernan, Jr’s DNA.