Title: DNA Evidence Connects Suspect to 1982 Murder of Michigan Teenager
(News Organization) – After nearly four decades, a breakthrough has been made in the cold case of Kimberly Louiselle, a 16-year-old girl who was brutally murdered in Michigan in 1982. Michigan State Police announced that a suspect has finally been identified through DNA evidence, shedding new light on a long-unsolved crime.
Kimberly Louiselle was last seen on March 20, 1982, near Eight Mile and Merriman roads in Livonia. Her body was discovered almost a month later, on April 14, in the Island Lake Recreation Area in Green Oak Township, almost 20 miles away from where she was last seen. Despite years of dedicated investigation by the Michigan State Police and the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, the case had remained a mystery.
In a significant breakthrough, DNA evidence has linked 26-year-old Charles David Shaw to the crime. Shaw, who passed away in 1983, was connected to the evidence recovered from Kimberly’s body through the use of advanced forensic technology. The case was reopened in 2022 by the Michigan State Police’s First District Cold Case Unit, in collaboration with Michigan State University’s School of Criminal Justice. Through meticulous review and analysis, investigators and students were able to organize the case files and resubmit key items to the forensic science division.
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, conducting a separate investigation into the 1983 murder of 19-year-old Christine Castiglione, found a connection to Shaw through forensic genealogy. This discovery prompted the submission of Shaw’s DNA to the National Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). In June 2023, evidence from Kimberly’s case was resubmitted, leading back to Shaw.
Michigan State Police suspect that Shaw may have been involved in additional crimes during the early 1970s until his death in November 1983. Given the breakthrough in Kimberly’s case, investigators are urging anyone with information related to Shaw or other potential crimes to come forward.
Detective Sgt. Larry Rothman of the Michigan State Police can be reached at 313-407-9379 for anyone who may have relevant information.
The identification of a suspect in the 1982 murder of Kimberly Louiselle brings a renewed sense of hope and justice for her family and friends. Although this case highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement in solving cold cases, advancements in DNA technology and collaboration between agencies remain key to unraveling these mysteries and holding perpetrators accountable.
