OWENSBORO, Ky. — A suspect was sentenced to decades in prison for a Kentucky cold case from 1994.
On December 5, 1994, a 19-year-old woman was kidnapped in Owensboro, Kentucky and ordered to drive to southern Spencer County in Indiana under the threat of physical harm.
When the victim arrived to Spencer County, she was sexually assaulted by an "unknown assailant," according to Indiana State Police (ISP).
The victim was then ordered to lie on the rear floorboard of her vehicle while the suspect drove back to Kentucky, parked the car and fled.
ISP and the Owensboro Police Department worked on the investigation together, but no suspect was ever identified.
In late 2022, the Owensboro Police Department contact ISP Jasper District about submitting DNA evidence collected in 1994 into the Combined DNA Index System in hopes of identifying a potential suspect.
In January 2023, a match was finally found.
Robert Shelton, 60, of Hickory, North Carolina, popped up.
Authorities said he had an unrelated conviction in 1996 in Kentucky that required him to submit a DNA sample.
The following month, police traveled to to Hickory, North Carolina to interview Shelton and get a confirmatory DNA sample.
ISP then confirmed in March 2023 that Shelton was the perpetrator of the 1994 assault.
An arrest warrant was issued for Shelton for a rape charge.
North Carolina authorities were contacted and Shelton was arrested at his home without incident. He was later extradited to Indiana.
On April 23, 2024, Robert Shelton was sentenced to 30 years at the Indiana Department of Correction after previously pleading guilty to the rape charge.
“This case exemplifies the proficient investigative abilities of both law enforcement agencies. Without their diligent efforts in collecting DNA evidence, this perpetrator would have never been held accountable for his crime," Spencer County Prosecutor Megan Bennet said. "The courageous victim in this matter finally sees justice after three decades of waiting.”
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