DNA breakthrough closes 30-year-old cold case in brutal 1993 rape and murder

A man who raped, stabbed and murdered a 19-year-old Indianapolis woman more than 30 years ago was sentenced to 45 years in prison on Friday, closing a decades-old cold case.

Dana Shepherd, 53, was sentenced to 45 years in prison on Friday, after signing a plea deal last month admitting to the killing of Carmen Van Huss, local outlets reported, ending a decades-old cold case.

“While no passage of time can ever heal the unimaginable loss Carmen’s family has endured, we are grateful to secure a murder conviction more than 30 years after this heinous crime,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement. “Our hope is that this resolution brings a measure of justice and peace to her loved ones, after three decades of waiting for answers.”

Van Huss was murdered in 1993 at the age of 19 after she was raped and stabbed 61 times by a man who broke into her apartment, FOX 59 reported.

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According to the outlet, Van Huss’ body was found by her father, and police said she was lying in a large pool of blood. There were signs of a struggle, police said, including a knocked over table and scattered objects.

More than 30 years after the killing, Missouri police arrested Shepherd and extradited him to Indianapolis to face charges of murder and rape with deadly force, the outlet said.

Shepherd — who was 20 years old at the time of the murder — wasn’t connected to the investigation until DNA testing tied him to the case.

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Shepherd was arrested in August 2024 in Columbia, Missouri, and after being extradited to Indianapolis, was scheduled to go to trial next week until a plea agreement was filed Tuesday, where Shepherd admitted to the murder charge. The additional charges were dismissed.

FOX 59 reported that Shepherd had a criminal history in Indiana before committing the murder, including charges for battery and public intoxication. After 1993, he was also charged in Missouri with stealing, disturbing the peace and driving without a license.

The Van Huss family released a statement reacting to the sentencing.

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“While this plea deal was not our first choice, we are grateful that after 33 years the man responsible for Carmen’s brutal rape and murder is finally being held accountable,” the family stated.

“For decades, the perpetrator was able to live a normal life after taking that right away from Carmen and from our family. Nothing can undo that loss or erase the injustice of him living freely for so long, but we are thankful that the truth has finally come to light and that he has not escaped justice.”