Arrest made in 1986 murder of Nancy Daugherty
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
An arrest has been made in connection with the 1986 murder of Chisholm woman Nancy Daugherty, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Chisholm Police Department announced Wednesday evening.
The suspect was arrested Wednesday and booked into St. Louis County Jail in Virginia on probable cause for second-degree murder. The Mesabi Tribune does not name suspects until they are formally charged.
Daughterty was last seen just after midnight on July 16, 1986. Chisholm police conducted a welfare check later that afternoon and located her deceased body inside her home. She had been beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
According to joint release by the BCA and CPD, evident indicated a struggle occurred inside and outside the home and witnesses reported hearing a woman screaming in the early morning hours.
The BCA obtained a full DNA suspect profile from bodily fluids found on the victim at the scene, but the DNA did not match any persons in the criminal database. Periodic case reviews occurred over the years, but failed to return a solid lead.
Earlier this year, the Chisholm Police Department approached the BCA about providing a DNA sample to Parabon, a company which analyzes public genealogy databases and helps law enforcement programs identify case leads. The BCA laboratory coordinated with the company to provide a DNA sample from the decades-old evidence. Based on their analysis and search, Parabon identified the suspect in July.
BCA agents and Chisholm investigators began surveillance of the suspect last week and surreptitiously obtained DNA evidence that was sent to the BCA laboratory for analysis. On Monday, the BCA laboratory reported a DNA match to the bodily fluids found on the victim and at the scene. Wednesday morning, investigators obtained a DNA sample directly from the suspect with consent. The BCA laboratory tested the known DNA sample, providing confirmation later in the afternoon of a DNA match.
“We are gratified to be able to provide some answers to this family and this community after all of these years,” Chisholm Police Chief Vern Manner said in the release. “We are grateful as well to the BCA and so many assisting law enforcement agencies that continued to work this case over more than three decades.”
“This case illustrates why no case is ever cold for us,” BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said. “Every time we hit a dead end, investigators and scientists go back to the drawing board. Solving this case is proof of the value of tenacious work – even when it’s over a span of decades.”
The suspect is expected to be charged by the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office and investigation is ongoing.
BCA and CPD have a news conference scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Wednesday.
Editor’s note (July 29, 2020): MPR News is not naming the suspect until the suspect is formally charged in the case.
