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Families Find Relief After DNA Testing Helps Solve 2 Brockton Cold Cases over 30 Years Old

New DNA testing linked the decades-old Brockton murder and rape cases to Robert Carey, who died before charges could be filed.

  • On Thursday, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz announced that forensic genealogy identified Robert Carey as the perpetrator of the 1991 murder of Cherie Bishop and the 1993 rape of Donna Bell.
  • Investigators enlisted Texas-based Othram Research in 2023 to compare DNA profiles against genealogical databases after the cases remained linked via CODIS since 2016 but unsolved.
  • At the time of the attacks, Carey lived at the Brockton Veterans Administration Medical Center within 1.5 miles of both crime scenes; Bishop was 28 when she was strangled in Mulberry Park.
  • Carey died of natural causes last year at age 64, meaning he cannot face charges, though Cruz said, "My hope is for the family members & that they feel that there's some sense of closure."
  • The Unsolved Homicide Unit continues to investigate cold cases using modern technology, while resources for sexual assault survivors remain available through the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline.
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13 Articles

WWLPWWLP
Center

DNA links suspect to two seperate cold cases dating back 30+ years

State police have identified a man through DNA evidence in connection with two cold cases in Plymouth County dating back more than 30 years.

·Springfield, United States
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Fox NewsFox News
Right

Forensic genealogy unmasks cold case suspect as strangler, sexual predator decades later: officials

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz says forensic genetic genealogy linked Robert Carey to the 1991 killing of Cherie Bishop and the 1993 rape of Donna Bell in Brockton.

·New York, United States
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Boston.comBoston.com
Center

DNA match found for perpetrator of decades-old murder, rape in Brockton, DA says

Investigators long knew that the two cases were connected, but were unable to match the DNA sample from the crime scene, the DA said.

·Boston, United States
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CBS NewsCBS News
Center

Families find relief after DNA testing helps solve 2 Brockton cold cases over 30 years old

After 35 years, the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office says they have solved two cold cases dating back to 1991 and 1993.

·United States
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WATD 95.9 FMWATD 95.9 FM
Center

Suspect Named in Unsolved Brockton Murder and Rape Cases

DNA Linked Suspect to Decades-Old Crimes   A suspect has been named in two unsolved Brockton cases, a 1991 murder and a 1993 rape. Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz on Thursday said that the late Robert Carey has been identified as the suspect in both cases. Since the 1990s, state and Brockton police have […]

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Boston HeraldBoston Herald
Lean Right

Brockton cold case murder, rape cases closed thank to DNA, genealogical research

The families of Cherie Bishop, who was murdered in 1991, and Donna Bell, who was assaulted in 1993, finally have some closure, Plymouth DA Tim Cruz said.

·Boston, United States
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NBC Boston broke the news in Boston, United States on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
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