First, Vicki Heath was found dead at a Super 8 Motel in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, in 1987. Margaret “Peggy” Gill and Jeanne Gilbert were killed two years later at separate Days Inn locations in Indiana. Then, in early 1990, a Jane Doe was sexually assaulted at the Days Inn in Columbus, Indiana.
For decades, these attacks remained unsolved as investigators worked to piece together what information they had to identify a suspect.
Now they’ve succeeded after more than 30 years.
Harry Edward Greenwell, who died in 2013, has been identified as the killer behind the “I-65” or “Days Inn” murders, Indiana State Police announced Tuesday, noting in a news release he had an “extensive criminal history” spanning from 1963 to 1998.
“Our family is extremely grateful to all of the agencies, along with agency partnerships, who have committed to keeping these unsolved cases at the forefront for more than 33 years, and who have worked tirelessly to bring these cases to resolution for all who have suffered from these crimes,” said Kimberly Wright, daughter of Jeanne Gilbert.
Greenwell was identified through a process called investigative genealogy. The technique involves uploading crime scene DNA to genealogy databases in an attempt to find any genetic relatives and locate the offender through their family tree, according to the release.
The Indiana State Police lab — with the help of the FBI’s Gang Response Investigative Team — was able to use investigative genealogy to match Greenwell with a close family member.
“Through this match it was determined that the probability of Greenwell being the person responsible for the attacks was more than 99%,” the release said.
“To the family members that are here,” police superintendent Douglas Carter said during a news conference Tuesday. “I hope that today might bring a little bit of solace to you, to know that the animal who did this is no longer on this Earth.”