Investigation into 1962 Rape and Murder of 9-Year-Old Girl Unravels After Years of Secrets
A nearly six-decade-old cold case in Bucks County has finally been solved after authorities identified the killer of 9-year-old Carol Ann Dougherty, who was brutally raped and murdered at a church in Bristol Township in 1962. The breakthrough came after a grand jury investigation revealed that William Schrader, a serial child abuser and longtime suspect, was the perpetrator.
Schrader, a man with a violent past marked by childhood trauma and a history of violent behavior, had been tracking down eyewitnesses, reviewing forensic evidence, and obtaining a confession from his stepson years after Dougherty's death. The case had remained cold for decades until investigators obtained timecards from Schrader's employer that proved he was not working at the church on the day of the murder.
The investigation began in earnest when police questioned Schrader after a witness reported seeing him cut through his lawn near the church on the day Dougherty went missing. Initially, Schrader denied any involvement but later provided a pubic hair sample, which investigators determined was linked to the crime scene. However, Schrader fled to Florida to evade further investigation and never returned.
Despite Schrader's attempts to avoid justice, his family members shared "deepest, darkest secrets" with detectives in recent years, including a confession made by his stepson, Robert Leblanc, that revealed Schrader had twice confessed to killing a little girl at a Pennsylvania church. The revelation was a significant breakthrough in the case and led investigators to track down another witness who reported seeing Schrader outside the church on the day of the murder.
Schrader's own history of violence against his family members is staggering, with reports of generational abuse committed by him against stepdaughters, biological children, and grandchildren. In one notable incident, he intentionally set fire to his family's home during a domestic dispute, resulting in the death of a 12-year-old girl the couple had been fostering.
The identification of Schrader as the killer has brought closure to Carol Ann Dougherty's family, particularly her sister Kay, who praised investigators and others involved in the case for their dedication. "After so many decades of unknowing, this finding finally brings closure and a truth to a wound that never healed," she said.
The resolution of the case is a testament to the perseverance of investigators and the power of new technology and forensic evidence in solving crimes that had gone cold. Schrader died while incarcerated in 2002, but his legacy of violence and abuse will live on as a reminder of the devastating impact of serial child abusers on families and communities.
A nearly six-decade-old cold case in Bucks County has finally been solved after authorities identified the killer of 9-year-old Carol Ann Dougherty, who was brutally raped and murdered at a church in Bristol Township in 1962. The breakthrough came after a grand jury investigation revealed that William Schrader, a serial child abuser and longtime suspect, was the perpetrator.
Schrader, a man with a violent past marked by childhood trauma and a history of violent behavior, had been tracking down eyewitnesses, reviewing forensic evidence, and obtaining a confession from his stepson years after Dougherty's death. The case had remained cold for decades until investigators obtained timecards from Schrader's employer that proved he was not working at the church on the day of the murder.
The investigation began in earnest when police questioned Schrader after a witness reported seeing him cut through his lawn near the church on the day Dougherty went missing. Initially, Schrader denied any involvement but later provided a pubic hair sample, which investigators determined was linked to the crime scene. However, Schrader fled to Florida to evade further investigation and never returned.
Despite Schrader's attempts to avoid justice, his family members shared "deepest, darkest secrets" with detectives in recent years, including a confession made by his stepson, Robert Leblanc, that revealed Schrader had twice confessed to killing a little girl at a Pennsylvania church. The revelation was a significant breakthrough in the case and led investigators to track down another witness who reported seeing Schrader outside the church on the day of the murder.
Schrader's own history of violence against his family members is staggering, with reports of generational abuse committed by him against stepdaughters, biological children, and grandchildren. In one notable incident, he intentionally set fire to his family's home during a domestic dispute, resulting in the death of a 12-year-old girl the couple had been fostering.
The identification of Schrader as the killer has brought closure to Carol Ann Dougherty's family, particularly her sister Kay, who praised investigators and others involved in the case for their dedication. "After so many decades of unknowing, this finding finally brings closure and a truth to a wound that never healed," she said.
The resolution of the case is a testament to the perseverance of investigators and the power of new technology and forensic evidence in solving crimes that had gone cold. Schrader died while incarcerated in 2002, but his legacy of violence and abuse will live on as a reminder of the devastating impact of serial child abusers on families and communities.
anyway i feel bad for carol anns fam theyve been living with this trauma for 60 yrs its crazy how schraders family kept secrets from investigators but thats not surprising considering his history of abuse 
he needs to be remembered for who he was not for the fact that he got caught
it's crazy to think she was only 9 yrs old when this happened... serial child abuser is like, so messed up in every way 
anyone who thinks they're above the law or can hide behind family secrets needs a big dose of shame 
and i'm so glad justice has finally been served for Carol Ann's family 
it's amazing how technology & forensic evidence could crack this cold case after all these yrs... just wish more people were held accountable for their crimes ASAP 
Finally some justice for Carol Ann after all these years 
. It just goes to show how messed up our society was back then - allowing this kind of abuse and violence to go unchecked for so long is just disturbing 
.
. It's crazy how one person can be so evil, leaving a trail of suffering behind them. I'm glad justice was finally served for Carol Ann's family 
. The tech & forensic evidence played a huge role in solving this case, it's wild to think about how far we've come 
