Colorado Springs police are solving a 1977 murder in which a teenage babysitter was stabbed

Police in Colorado Springs have solved a 1977 murder in which a teenage babysitter was stabbed. Investigators said genetic genealogy DNA helped solve her murder nearly 50 years ago.

On February 7, 1977, at approximately 11:21 p.m., officers received a call about a death in the 5400 block of North Nevada Avenue. When they arrived, they found a deceased 14-year-old female with multiple stab wounds to her chest and neck.

This victim was later identified as Maria Loraine Honzell. She had been babysitting for a neighbor with two children who lived in the same apartment complex. When the neighbor came home around 11:20 p.m., she found Maria dead in the master bedroom. The children, ages 6 and 8, were at home at the time of the murder but were not injured. They were found sleeping in bed when the neighbor came home.

Autopsy results showed that Maria suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest and a prominent stab wound to the neck area.

Despite what was said to be a thorough investigation, no suspect could be identified. Over the decades, advances in DNA technology progressed and several pieces of evidence were submitted to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for further scientific analysis. A male DNA profile was created from a blood stain on Maria’s clothing, but a search using the Combined DNA Index System found no match.

Decades later, in 2019, researchers turned to Parabon NanoLabs to conduct genetic genealogy DNA analysis incorporating public commercial DNA databases. The blood on the blue jumpsuit Maria was wearing the night she was murdered was subjected to genetic genealogy, which combines traditional genealogical research methods with DNA testing to infer relationships between individuals and determine their ancestry.

According to the Colorado Springs Police Department, “In investigating the murder of Maria Honzell, Parabon submitted the genetic data profile created from the unknown crime scene DNA sample from the jumpsuit to a public genetic genealogy database for comparison Hope to find people who share this.” These genetic matches served as clues for traditional genealogy research: First, family trees of the matches were created using online genealogy databases, newspaper archives and public family trees. Obituaries and other public records, whereupon genealogical research was used to enumerate the possible identities of the unknown person.

During the extensive investigation, a person of interest was identified as William Charles Kernan Jr. He also called himself “Bill.” He died in 2010. No confirmatory DNA could be collected because Kernan had been cremated and had no living biological relatives. At the time, Kernan was a student at a local college and knew the woman Maria was babysitting for the night she was murdered. Investigators also said Kernan had visited the apartment complex before.

“I’ve talked to them on the phone probably once a week for the last five years and they’ve come through for us,” said Maria’s brother, David Honzell. “I hope other families can feel the same way.”

After reviewing the case, the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office is “confident that the person responsible for the murder of Maria Honzell is William C. Kernan Jr.”