DNA technology helps solve 1980 murder of Eve Wilkowitz on Long Island

BAY SHORE, N.Y. — Slicing-edge DNA technological know-how aided fix a 42-year-previous chilly scenario murder on Prolonged Island.

Wednesday, the relatives of a young girl murdered many years back received their first glance at pics of the man who killed her. As CBS2’s Carolyn Gusoff stories, they are grateful for extended-sought answers.

It was a 1980 tragedy and thriller. 20-12 months-aged Eve Wilkowitz was going for walks property from the Bay Shore train station immediately after returning from her task as a secretary in Manhattan. She was abducted and observed times later, raped and strangled. Her murder was unsolved till now.

“We solved the 42-year-previous homicide scenario of Eve Wilkowitz  … The perpetrator of that criminal offense, a Herbert Rice, who is deceased,” Suffolk County District Lawyer Ray Tierney announced Wednesday.

Her sister, Irene Wilkowitz, is confused with aid.

“I nonetheless can’t think I listened to those people phrases, ‘We have determined the man or woman responsible for the demise of Eve,'” she mentioned.

Tierney phone calls it a study in persistence and willpower. Police saved DNA from the criminal offense and around the many years continued to assess it to legal databases. At last, with new technology and access to general public DNA databases, they observed a relative’s match. They bought a sample from a cooperating relative of Rice and exhumed Rice’s human body, confirming a match.

“This is my 1st time seeing him. I did not Google him even even though I realized his name for a pair of months now. I failed to want to see the very last experience that Eve noticed although she was even now alive,” Wilkowitz explained.

It is a smaller measure of closure for a family and relentless detectives.

“A lot of truly, truly dogged investigators performing collaboratively with the assistance of an unbelievable loved ones,” Tierney reported.

“Irene … who hardly ever dropped faith in our investigators’ perseverance,” Suffolk Law enforcement Commissioner Rodney Harrison said.

Rice died of cancer in 1991. Prosecutors believe that it was a crime of chance. He was dwelling on the block where Eve Wilkowitz was kidnapped and her entire body dumped.

“Primarily she appreciated getting a major sister to me. She by no means acquired a chance to satisfy her desires,” Irene Wilkowitz reported. “I have lived these last 42 a long time fearful all the time that I was likely to be killed subsequent.”

This is very first time a DNA match from a community database has solved a Suffolk murder circumstance. The victim’s sister is  hoping it can help other families. She and prosecutors thank Rice’s relations in serving to to address this case.

Prosecutors mentioned they do not imagine Rice was dependable for any other murders.