'Indiana Slasher' Identified as Thomas Edward Williams After 50 Years

Forensic genealogy and DNA testing lead to breakthrough in cold case involving three young girls who survived brutal attack in 1975.

Thomas Edward Williams, who died in a Texas prison in 1983, has been identified as the 'Indiana Slasher', a man who abducted and stabbed three young girls in 1975.
The victims, Kandice Smith, Sheri Rottler Trick, and Kathie Rottler, survived the attack and have been seeking justice for nearly 50 years.
The case was reopened in 2018 and with the use of forensic genealogy and DNA recovered from the evidence, authorities were able to identify Williams through DNA of his daughter.
The three survivors were present at the announcement and shared moving testimonies, expressing relief and a sense of closure.
Williams, originally from Indianapolis, was living near the site of the kidnapping at the time of the crime.