Investigators identify Robert Carey as perpetrator in 1991 murder and 1993 rape cold cases
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Apr 24
Investigators identify Robert Carey as perpetrator in 1991 murder and 1993 rape cold cases
4 articles · Updated · Fox News · Apr 24
Forensic genetic genealogy linked Carey, who died in 2025, to the killing of Cherie Bishop and rape of Donna Bell in Brockton, Massachusetts.
DNA evidence from both cases was retested and matched to Carey after advances in forensic genealogy, with Othram lab identifying a likely relative that led to his identification.
Authorities had connected the two cases since 2016 but lacked a suspect until now; the Bishop and Bell families have awaited answers for decades, with both victims now deceased.
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2025 Breakthrough: Robert Carey Identified as Brockton Cold Case Killer via Forensic Genealogy
Overview
In June 2025, Robert Carey was identified as the suspect in the 1991 murder of Cherie Bishop and the 1993 assault of Donna Bell through advanced forensic genetic genealogy. This breakthrough followed a 2016 CODIS match linking DNA from both crime scenes and a 2023 partnership with Othram Research, which built a detailed genetic profile used to trace Carey's family connections. Investigators confirmed Carey lived near both crime locations in the early 1990s, and traditional DNA testing verified the match. Although Carey died in 2025 before prosecution, his identification brought closure to the victims' families and highlighted the power of forensic genealogy in solving cold cases.