DALLAS, Texas –The Dallas Police Department has utilized genetic genealogy technology, similar to the methods used in over-the-counter ancestry tests, combined with DNA evidence, to identify a suspect in a 33-year-old cold case.
The suspect, 64-year-old Nicholas Ray Carney in Ardmore, Oklahoma now faces charges related to the 1991 abduction and sexual assault of an eight-year-old child in Plano, Texas.
On August 15, 1991, the young victim was abducted while playing outside, and the crime remained unsolved for over three decades.
Local law enforcement and the community made considerable efforts to find the perpetrator in the early 1990s, but the case remained unresolved.
The child, now an adult, has lived with the trauma of the event for over 30 years. The recent development offers a potential pathway to justice and closure.
Law enforcement officials emphasize the role of forensic science in reopening cold cases and bringing perpetrators to justice. They highlight the ability of new technologies to help solve long-standing crimes, offering hope to victims and their families.