The brutal murder of 16-year-old Carol Sue Claber in 1976 haunted the community of Boone County, Kentucky, for almost five decades. The case went cold, leaving a trail of unanswered questions and a grieving family yearning for closure. Now, thanks to the tireless efforts of investigators and the groundbreaking advancements in genetic genealogy, the mystery has finally been solved, bringing a sense of justice and peace to Carol Sue’s loved ones.
The Disappearance and Discovery of Carol Sue Claber
Carol Sue Claber, a vibrant teenager known for her social butterfly personality, vanished on June 4, 1976. She was last seen alive by friends at Devou Park in Covington, Kentucky, talking to a young man driving a Pontiac Grand Prix or a similar two-door car, a popular model at the time. Witnesses described the man as approximately 5’10” tall with a slender build and shoulder-length blonde hair.
Carol Sue’s friends recalled seeing her put her bicycle in the trunk of the man’s car before leaving the park. Later, witnesses at her home saw her remove the bike from the car’s trunk. Shortly after, she left with the same man in the same vehicle, marking the last time anyone saw her alive.
The following morning, tragedy struck. Dr. Gaines Huey, a local dentist, discovered Carol Sue’s lifeless body on the side of Chambers Road in southern Boone County. The young girl had been brutally murdered.
The Initial Investigation and Decades of Dead Ends
Boone County Sheriff’s Office immediately launched an investigation, assigning Detective Jerry Keith to the case. Despite his tireless efforts, the trail went cold, leaving the case unsolved for decades.
The case file passed through several detectives’ hands over the years, with each investigator pouring over the scant evidence, desperately seeking a breakthrough. Detective Keith, even after retiring, carried the weight of the unsolved case, relentlessly seeking justice for Carol Sue.
Carol Sue ClaberA portrait of Carol Sue Claber, a young life tragically cut short.
A New Lead: The Power of Genetic Genealogy
In 2017, Detectives Coy Cox and Tim Adams inherited the cold case, determined to finally bring closure to Carol Sue’s family. They diligently pursued every lead, including DNA evidence collected from the crime scene.
In 2020, Cox and Adams partnered with Othram Labs, a cutting-edge laboratory specializing in genetic genealogy, a revolutionary technology that identifies potential suspects by comparing DNA evidence to public genealogy databases. Season of Justice, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding advanced DNA testing for cold cases, financed the analysis.
Within just two months, Othram Labs delivered groundbreaking news: a potential match. They identified Thomas Dunaway as a highly probable suspect.
A Shocking Revelation: Unmasking the Killer
The news of a potential suspect sent shockwaves through the investigation. Thomas Dunaway, the name that emerged from the genetic genealogy analysis, was not a stranger to law enforcement. In a chilling twist, Dunaway had a prior conviction for murder in Boone County. In December 1976, merely six months after Carol Sue’s murder, Dunaway fatally shot Ronnie Townsend. He confessed to the crime and received a life sentence. However, in a startling turn of events, he was released from prison in 1984, having served a mere seven and a half years.
The revelation of Dunaway’s previous murder conviction intensified the investigation. Detectives Cox and Adams dug deeper, uncovering startling new details about Dunaway’s past. They discovered that he had enlisted in the military shortly after Carol Sue’s murder, only to go AWOL six months later, coinciding with the timeline of Townsend’s murder. Further investigation revealed that Dunaway had also been involved in a string of other criminal activities, including car theft and arson.
A Bittersweet Victory: Justice, Though Belated, Prevails
Despite the breakthrough in the case, there would be no trial for Thomas Dunaway. He had passed away in 1990. However, armed with compelling DNA evidence, Detectives Cox and Adams obtained a court order to exhume Dunaway’s remains for confirmatory DNA testing. The results confirmed their suspicions: Thomas Dunaway was a 100% match to the DNA found on Carol Sue Claber’s body. The case was officially closed, finally bringing a sense of closure to a grieving family and a community forever marked by the tragedy.
Remembering Carol Sue: A Life Cut Short, But Never Forgotten
The solving of Carol Sue Claber’s murder serves as a powerful testament to the unwavering dedication of law enforcement and the transformative potential of forensic science. Though justice was delayed for 46 long years, it was not denied. The arrest brings closure to Carol Sue’s family, finally allowing them to grieve their beloved daughter and sister without the weight of unanswered questions. While the pain of her loss will undoubtedly linger, the knowledge that her killer has been identified brings a sense of peace and, most importantly, justice.
The Future of Cold Case Investigations: Genetic Genealogy Holds the Key
The successful resolution of Carol Sue Claber’s case shines a bright light on the burgeoning field of genetic genealogy, illustrating its remarkable power to unlock the mysteries of cold cases and bring long-awaited justice to victims and their families. As technology advances and DNA databases expand, we can expect to witness more cold cases being cracked, offering hope to those who have waited years, even decades, for answers. Carol Sue Claber’s legacy, though tragically cut short, will live on as a beacon of hope for other families awaiting justice and as a powerful reminder that even the coldest of cases can be solved.
