Home / Crime and Justice / DNA Solves 30-Year-Old South Jersey Cold Cases
DNA Solves 30-Year-Old South Jersey Cold Cases
10 Apr
Summary
- DNA testing linked two unsolved homicides from over 30 years ago.
- Investigative genetic genealogy identified Francis T. Schooley as the suspect.
- The suspect died by suicide in 2000 before charges could be filed.
Two cold cases from South Jersey, dating back over 30 years, have been solved thanks to breakthroughs in DNA testing. The homicides of Marebeth Welsh in 1993 and Jennifer Persia in 1994 were connected through investigative genetic genealogy, leading authorities to a suspect.
Marebeth Welsh, 24, was found murdered in Camden in 1993. The following year, 16-year-old Jennifer Persia was found dead in her Magnolia home. While DNA evidence was collected from both crime scenes, initial testing yielded no matches in systems like CODIS.
Last year, retesting clothing from Marebeth Welsh's case provided a new DNA profile. This profile matched an unknown male DNA sample from Jennifer Persia's case. Further investigation, including interviews and DNA from relatives, led detectives to identify Francis T. Schooley of Mantua as the suspect.
Authorities stated that Schooley would have been charged if he were alive; however, he died by suicide in 2000 at the age of 39. Investigators believe Schooley had prior connections to both victims. While criminal charges are not possible, this identification offers significant resolution to families who have sought answers for decades.
