A man in his 50s has confessed to the heinous rape and murder of a 19-year-old girl in her apartment, over 30 years after the crime took place in Indianapolis.
Dana Shepherd, aged 54, admitted to the stabbing, rape, and murder of Carmen Van Huss in 1993 under a plea agreement finalized in January, bringing closure to her family’s long period of anguish.
On Friday, Shepherd received a 45-year prison sentence for his atrocious act, in which he stabbed Van Huss 61 times after breaking into her Indiana residence and assaulting her.
Tragically, her father discovered her lifeless body, surrounded by a pool of blood. Police noted evidence of a struggle, with items scattered throughout the room and an overturned table.
Following Shepherd’s conviction, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears stated: “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.
“Our hope is that this resolution brings a measure of justice and peace to her loved ones, after three decades of waiting for answers.”
The 33-year-old cold case was finally solved due to advancements in forensic DNA analysis since Van Huss’ murder. In 2018, new technology helped create a genetic profile of her killer using blood samples found at the scene.
In 2023, a DNA match was identified, unrelated to any of the 40-plus suspects previously investigated.
Instead, it connected the violent crime to Shepherd, who had resided in the same apartment complex as Van Huss.
Shepherd was taken into custody in August 2024 in Columbia, Missouri, after evading justice for over 30 years. He was extradited to Indianapolis to face trial for Van Huss’ murder, with the proceedings initially scheduled for the following week.
However, before the trial could commence, Shepherd admitted his guilt by signing a plea deal, resulting in a sentence solely for her murder, as reported by the New York Post.
The Van Huss family, who have since lost Carmen’s father, expressed their complex feelings about the guilty plea. They stated: “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.
“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.”