A man in South Carolina, linked to the killing of a Hudson Valley hospital worker, took his own life just days after police interviewed him regarding the 25-year-old cold case.
Authorities have connected Robert Young to the stabbing death of Nancy Smith, 32, whose body was discovered in her New Windsor home in December 2001, through a strand of hair found at the scene.
New Windsor Chief Daniel Valeri noted that detectives pursued around 1,000 leads and conducted numerous interviews and forensic tests over the years. However, a breakthrough came with advances in DNA technology.
Nancy Smith was remembered fondly as a caring aunt with a bright smile. Her parents found her deceased on December 5, 2001, after she failed to show up for work at Houghton Hospital in Middletown.
“My sister had a beautiful smile, but I can’t shake the thought that the last image her parents had of her was lifeless on the living room floor,” recalled Smith’s sister, Barbara Struff, during a press conference.
The investigation had been stagnant until 2023, when improvements in DNA analysis prompted detectives to retest old evidence.
This new analysis led officials to Myrtle Beach, where they legally took DNA samples from individuals potentially involved in the case.
Young’s DNA, collected across state lines, matched the hair found at the crime scene, as stated by Valeri. “It’s hard to believe,” he said, expressing how advancements in DNA technology have uncovered evidence that might have seemed insignificant at the time.
Young was questioned by local police, New York State Police, and the FBI in April 2026 but consistently denied any wrongdoing.
After this questioning, investigators returned to New York to strategize with prosecutors. However, they were soon informed by South Carolina authorities that Young had died by suicide.
The reason for the stabbing remains unclear, yet police feel confident about the evidence tying Young to the crime.
It’s believed that Young and Smith met at a music venue in Poughkeepsie.
“We always kept pursuing evidence, following leads, and using advances in forensic technology to seek answers for Nancy and her family,” stated Chief Valeri.
Nancy graduated from Newburgh Free Academy, obtained a degree from the State University of New York at Oneonta, and later earned an MPA from Marist College. Before her untimely death, she worked in the managed care office at Houghton Hospital.
After her parents passed away in 2024, Smith’s younger sister, Struff, was her only remaining immediate family.
Struff shared mixed feelings: “There’s some relief, but also lingering grief.”
Smith’s 2-year-old nephew often asked about his aunt after her tragic passing. “He’d question why she wasn’t around, and it’s heartbreaking to explain to a child,” Struff expressed, recalling, “He’d say a monster took Nei Nai away.”
