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Missouri man arrested in Indiana woman's 1993 stabbing death

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Missouri man arrested in Indiana woman's 1993 stabbing death


A Missouri man was charged with murder and rape in the fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old woman more than three decades after she was found dead in her Indianapolis apartment, authorities said Tuesday.

Dana Shepherd, 52, was arrested Aug. 20 in the 1993 killing of Carmen Van Huss after investigators used genetic genealogy — a technique that uses DNA evidence and genealogical research — to help identify her suspected killer, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in a news release.

Authorities in Boone County, Missouri, surveilled Shepherd and took him into custody, deputy police Chief Kendale Adams told reporters.

Boone County jail records show Shepherd is being held without bond. Prosecutors in Marion County, Indiana, are seeking his extradition back to that state, according to the news release.

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It wasn’t clear Tuesday if he has has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.

Carmen Van Huss.Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department

Shepherd declined to speak with investigators after he was taken into custody, the police department said.

Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Van Huss’ brother said his sister was killed when he was a freshman in high school.

“There’s a lot of people that miss Carmen all these years,” Jimmy Van Huss said. “She had a lot of family, a lot of friends. She had cousins that loved her like a sister. She had an aunt and uncle that loved her like a daughter.”

“For my dad to have to find his daughter after what was brutally done to her makes this day bittersweet,” he added. “I wish he was here to see it.”

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Carmen Van Huss was found dead in her apartment north of downtown Indianapolis on March 24, 1993, according to the news release.

After a co-worker at Pizza Hut told her father she hadn’t shown up to work, he found signs of a struggle at her apartment and his daughter’s body on the floor, NBC affiliate WTHR of Indianapolis reported.

Citing the Marion County Coroner’s Office, the station reported that Van Huss had been stabbed 61 times.

In the decades that followed, detectives interviewed dozens of people and followed up on hundreds of leads, but the case remained cold until a detective provided a DNA sample in 2018 to Parabon NanoLabs, a genetic genealogy company that has worked with law enforcement agencies across the United States to solve cold cases.

Five years later, in the summer of 2023, a combination of that analysis and investigative work pointed to Shepherd as a suspect, the department said. Additional DNA testing showed that Shepherd’s genetic material matched evidence found on the victim’s body and at her apartment, the department said.

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“For 31 years, the family of Carmen Van Huss has been searching for answers and justice,” Adams said. “While nothing can ever replace their loved one, we hope that today’s arrest brings them some measure of peace.”



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Is ‘The Bachelorette’ happening? This Carmel contestant weighs in

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Is ‘The Bachelorette’ happening? This Carmel contestant weighs in


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Should ABC air the canceled-for-now season of “The Bachelorette”? A Carmel man who was set to compete on it seems to think so.

Matt Carroll, a 43-year-old Purdue basketball alum and Carmel resident, took to social media over the weekend to address the cancelation of season 22 of “The Bachelorette,” on which he appeared. Public opinion on whether the show should see the light of day is split, but the former Boilermaker forward and industrial real estate broker hopes the footage makes it to air.

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Disney and ABC pulled season 22 of “The Bachelorette” because its lead, “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul, faces an ongoing domestic violence investigations. The network announced the decision March 19 after TMZ leaked a video from a 2023 domestic violence incident involving Paul and her ex Dakota Mortensen.

Neither Carroll nor the show have officially commented on the cancelation, but that doesn’t mean he and other contestants haven’t hinted at their feelings on social media.

Carroll’s Instagram reel — in which he struts through the streets of Carmel, rose in hand, RAYE’s “Where the Hell is My Husband” soundtracking it all — breaks the ice. “So…about that,” he joked, tagging both “The Bachelorette” and Bachelor Nation, the franchise’s official hub for news and content.

The reel has garnered comments from fellow Carmel residents wishing Carroll well, even offering to set him up with local singles. Notably, though, some of Carroll’s followers have called for the season to air — and he agrees.

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“Trying to manifest that they still air this,” one comment from model Brittany Mason reads. “America wants it the world wants it!”

“From your lips to God’s ears,” Carroll replied.

Another response from him put it more plainly:

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“I’m still hoping they decide to air it.”

Whether “The Bachelorette” will air is unclear. Disney Entertainment Television’s official statement only indicated that it was halting the season “for now,” so it’s possible the network could dust off the footage and air it after all.

Contact IndyStar Pop Culture Reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@indystar.com. Follow her on X @hmb_1013.



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Game times announced for Saturday’s Final Four in Indianapolis

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Game times announced for Saturday’s Final Four in Indianapolis


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The 2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament’s Final Four is set.

Four teams have advanced to the Final Four and will compete for the national championship this upcoming weekend in Indianapolis.

The two national semifinal matchups will take place on Saturday. Tip times for the two games have been announced:

  • 6:09 p.m. EDT – No. 3 seed Illinois vs. No. 2 seed UConn
  • 8:49 p.m. EDT – No. 1 seed Michigan vs. No. 1 seed Arizona

The winners of Saturday’s games will then play in the National Championship Game on Monday, April 6.

Each game will take place inside Lucas Oil Stadium.

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Hundreds gather at Indiana State Capitol for ‘No Kings’ protest

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Hundreds gather at Indiana State Capitol for ‘No Kings’ protest


INDIANAPOLIS — Hundreds of Hoosiers gathered at the Indiana Statehouse Saturday morning as part of nationwide ‘No Kings’ events to voice their concerns about the current administration.

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Hundreds gather at Indiana State Capitol for ‘No Kings’ protest

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“I’m out here today because what’s happening in our government is completely trash,” Donna Sipes told WRTV. “It’s wrong. We need to do something about it.”

“I’m tired of every single day when the TV comes on to see what stupid thing he’s done next,” Lindi Marti said.

WRTV

Attendees noted the growing popularity of the demonstrations.

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“This is my fourth one to come to. I didn’t come to all of them when it was really cold, but I’m glad to see that they are getting a lot more people out here every time,” Marti added. “It seems like there’s more and more coming.”

Demonstrators highlighted specific foreign policy concerns, including the administration’s handling of the war in Iran.

“We’re bombing the heck out of them. We’re killing civilians,” Marti’s husband said. “We’re getting ready to send our Marines.”

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WRTV

Others focused on the administration’s handling of immigration.

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“That’s what I’m concerned about,” Reverend Kenny Little told WRTV. “Little kids, they’re taking them away from their family. And I’m just one of those people, I think everyone got rights.”

Indiana medical students also attended the rally to speak out against changes to the healthcare system.

“We’re really worried about the attacks on the health care system in general, but with Medicaid… current estimates range from anywhere from 325,000 to 450,000 Hoosiers will lose coverage by 2032,” Wade Catt said with concern.

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WRTV

With midterm elections approaching later this year, attendees emphasized the importance of now taking action at the ballot box.

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“If we don’t vote, then things are gonna not, they’re gonna stay the same,” a protester said.

Meanwhile, Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith says he’s happy to see Hoosiers exercise their First Amendment right to protest.

However, he takes issue with the idea that President Trump is acting like a king. Beckwith says the fact that people have the freedom to protest is proof that the president is not acting like a tyrant.

He acknowledges that bridging the gap between the sides is probably an uphill battle, but believes communication is key.

“I think when you sit down with people face to face, you’re confronted with humanity. There’s another human sitting across that table from you and talking to you. And so, all I have to say, I think that’s probably the thing I would encourage all Hoosiers to do is say, ‘Hey, if you don’t agree with somebody or if you don’t like somebody, why don’t you try grabbing coffee with them? And give it 30 minutes, and just see what happens.’ I bet most of the time people will walk away with a much softer heart and spirit towards that person before they came in,” Beckwith said.

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Beckwith is currently on a 92-county tour of the state. He says all sides are welcome to attend his events.

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