MURDERED: Carmen Van Huss

The gist

Carmen Van Huss, a 19-year-old Indianapolis resident, was brutally murdered in her apartment on March 23, 1993, stabbed 60 times while neighbors heard her screams but did nothing. Despite initial investigations pointing to someone she knew, the case went cold for two decades until Sergeant Bill Carter—working in his spare time with no cold case experience—reopened it and eventually secured DNA testing that proved critical to solving the crime.

Key takeaways

• The crime scene: Carmen had 60 stab wounds to her head, face, body, and genitalia; the murder weapon was never found, though investigators theorized it was a screwdriver or pocket knife. Neighbors heard her screaming for 30 minutes but no one called 911—only a noise complaint was filed.

• Initial investigation failures: In 1993, investigators had no DNA testing capability and never sent evidence to labs for analysis. They interviewed numerous friends and ex-boyfriends (including her current boyfriend Rob in Arizona and ex Josh and Peter, both with solid alibis) but the case stalled without DNA evidence.

• Bill Carter's unconventional breakthrough: A state revenue agent with zero homicide training, Carter volunteered to investigate after solving an unrelated cold case (Amy Weidner's). He digitized Carmen's file, began interviewing subjects, and eventually worked with analyst Meera Patel to use genetic genealogy databases to identify Dana Shepherd, who lived in the same apartment complex.

• The DNA controversy: In 2015, the wrong DNA sample was sent to the lab (Carmen's own DNA instead of the perpetrator's). When IMPD refused to fund retesting, Carter crowdfunded $1,200 on GoFundMe in seven hours but was suspended and removed from the case—sparking public outcry that forced IMPD to reinstate him.

• The genealogy break: Using Parabon NanoLabs and genetic genealogy databases in 2023, investigators discovered a distant relative's DNA match, leading them to Dana Shepherd, who was living in Missouri. His DNA matched the evidence from Carmen's crime scene.

• The resolution: On January 23, 2025, Dana Shepherd pleaded guilty to murder and received a 45-year sentence, ending a 33-year mystery. Second-degree murder and rape charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

• Carmen's Law: Carmen's sister Pam championed legislation that passed unanimously in Indiana's State Senate and was signed into law in March 2025, establishing a formal process for families to request and fund advanced DNA testing in cold cases unsolved for 5+ years.

• The suspect: Dana Shepherd was 20 at the time of the murder, lived in a connected apartment unit, had no known violent history before Carmen's murder, and worked as a university custodian in Missouri for years before his arrest. His family maintains shock at the charges.

Notable quotes

• Jimmy Van Huss (Carmen's brother): "There's a lot of people that miss Carmen all these years. She had a lot of family, a lot of friends... We were coming a lot closer just as she was taken from us... I'm thankful that finally the man that did it is where he needs to be."

• Pam Francis (Carmen's sister): "While this plea deal was not our first choice, we are grateful that after thirty three years, the man responsible for Carmen's brutal rape and murder is finally being held accountable... Nothing can undo that loss or erase the injustice of him living freely for so long."

Worth a full listen?

Listen to the full episode if you're interested in how one man's persistence against bureaucratic resistance solved a decades-old murder through emerging DNA genealogy technology, or if you care about the human cost of cold cases and systemic failures to act on evidence.