Investigation Update on Cold Cases in Massachusetts

Years after DNA evidence connected a 1991 murder to a 1993 rape case in Massachusetts, investigators have now identified a suspect using forensic genetic genealogy.

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Crews announced on Thursday that evidence from both cases has been submitted to the Integrated DNA Index System. The cases involve the murder of Shelly Bishop in 1991 and the rape of Donna Bell in 1993. Crews acknowledged the painful waiting period for the families, stating, “For decades, the Bishop and Bell families were kept completely in the dark about what happened to their loved ones. They carried these tragedies with them for the rest of their lives.”

Bishop, who was 28, was found strangled in a wooded area near her Brockton apartment in June 1991. Ms. Bell reported being raped in Brockton two years later.

Bishop’s body was discovered in Mulberry Park, with only socks and diamond earrings on. The cause of death was ruled as mechanical asphyxiation, and authorities classified it as a homicide.

During the initial investigations, DNA evidence was collected through a rape kit, but a suspect could not be identified at the time. As forensic genealogy technology advanced, the evidence was reanalyzed.

In Bell’s case, a rape kit was also used. According to Cruz, Bell was abducted off the street by a man in a car who threatened to strangle her if she resisted.

Investigation links between the two cases were established in 2016, but the DNA evidence couldn’t pinpoint a suspect until this recent breakthrough. “Their thorough investigative work and DNA sample match identified Robert Carey as the perpetrator,” Cruz stated.

The Texas Forensic Genealogy Laboratory facilitated the identification of a possible relative of the suspect, leading to the identification of Carey.

Carey, who passed away in June 2025 at the age of 64 due to natural causes, was residing at the Brockton Veterans Administration Medical Center, which is approximately 2.4 miles from both crime scenes.

Cruz expressed gratitude to the various law enforcement officials who contributed to solving these cases, emphasizing that without their efforts, this progress wouldn’t have been possible.