Robert Odell Waters allegedly stabbed, beat, and strangled Cathy Swartz in her apartment on Dec. 2, 1988, police said. (Inset image of Swartz: Three Rivers Police Department; mugshot of Waters: Beaufort County, South Carolina)
After more than three decades, cops say they have found the man responsible for murdering a young mother whose infant daughter was in the next room.
Robert Odell Waters, 53, has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of Cathy Swartz, 19. On Dec. 2, 1988, Swartz died after her killer repeatedly stabbed her, beat her viciously, and strangled her even as she managed to fight back, according to the Three Rivers Police Department in Michigan. Using genetic genealogy, investigators used blood found at the scene to track down and identity the suspect.
“While nothing can replace the loss of Cathy Swartz, and the impact this senseless tragedy has had, we hope the identification and arrest of a suspect will bring some long-awaited closure to her family and friend,” police said.
