HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Police have made progress on a cold case involving a Brescia student.
The Owensboro Police Department (OPD) says in December 1994, a 19 year old female was kidnapped near Brescia University, assaulted in Owensboro, then taken to Indiana where the assault continued. Police say they recently conducted a review of the case.
OPD says it contacted the Indiana State Police (ISP) Laboratory who said it still had DNA evidence on file. ISP was contacted and asked to reopen their case and to retest the DNA, which developed a potential suspect. Officers say the two agencies conducted a joint investigation and a search warrant was executed following up on the new lead.
OPD says on March 22, OPD detectives received a DNA match that led to the confirmed identification of the suspect in the cold case. Police say on March 20, the Brookford Police Department North Carolina served the Owensboro Police Department warrant on Robert Shelton, 59, of Hickory, NC, on the charges of Kidnapping and Sexual Abuse 1st Degree. Police say Shelton also faces charges of rape from ISP in connection to the cold case.
