Indiana Father Finds Daughter’s Killer 31 Years Later: Arrest Made in 1993 Cold Case

The tragic and unsolved murder of 19-year-old Carmen Van Huss in 1993 has finally seen a breakthrough, bringing closure to her grieving family after 31 long years of searching for answers. The case took a shocking turn when her father, James Van Huss Sr., discovered her lifeless body in her Illinois apartment after she failed to show up for work.

Carmen was found naked with over 60 stab wounds, signs of a violent struggle evident in the apartment. Despite DNA evidence recovered from the crime scene, her killer remained elusive for decades. It wasn’t until 2013 when a partial match to the suspect’s distant relative in a nationwide DNA database led authorities to Dana Shepherd, a 52-year-old man living in Columbia, Miss.

Shepherd was arrested on August 30 and charged with the rape and murder of Carmen Van Huss. The arrest brought a mix of emotions for the Van Huss family, as James Van Huss Sr. had passed away before seeing justice served for his daughter. His son, Van Huss Jr., expressed a bittersweet sentiment during a press conference, wishing his father could have witnessed the closure they had long awaited.

Deputy Chief Kendale Adams of the Indianapolis Metro Police Department acknowledged the family’s enduring search for justice, hoping that Shepherd’s arrest would bring them some measure of peace. Shepherd appeared in court on September 4, where he was denied bond, and his extradition hearing was set for September 26. The long-awaited arrest marks the end of a painful chapter for the Van Huss family, finally providing them with the closure they have been seeking for over three decades.