In a case that remained unsolved for more than four decades, DNA evidence from semen and blood has tied a man to the sexual assault and murder of his teenage children. This tragic incident took place in their Arkansas home back in 1981. Although authorities have now identified Weldon Alexander as the suspect, he won't face justice because he passed away in 2014. If he were alive, he would have been charged with two counts of capital murder.
The heartbreaking story came to light during a recent news conference where Miller County Prosecuting Attorney Connie Mitchell stated that they can't issue warrants for a deceased individual. As a result, there is no legal action that can be taken against Mr. Alexander.
According to Calvin Seward, a retired Texarkana officer who played a significant role in solving the case, it's believed that the father killed his children when his daughter resisted a sexual assault, and her brother overheard the incident. He expressed his belief that things got out of hand.
The father had initially called the police, reporting a horrifying discovery when he arrived home from his graveyard shift on April 8, 1981. He found his son dead in the kitchen and his daughter still alive in her bed with a kitchen knife removed from her body.
Gordon was found dead in the kitchen, and Karen, although still alive, suffered from severe sharp injuries and later succumbed to them in the hospital. At the time of the tragic event, their mother was in a hospital due to mental health issues and later took her own life three years later.
Despite initial efforts, the case went cold, and in 1983, an inmate named Henry Lee Lucas confessed to the murders. However, DNA tests conducted decades later revealed that he had falsely confessed, including for the Alexander case.
The case was never forgotten by Seward, who, after being given autonomy in 2022 to reopen it, continued his relentless pursuit of justice. Over the next 18 months, he conducted numerous interviews, submitted DNA profiles to CODIS, and processed evidence.
The breakthrough came when DNA tests connected semen found on Karen's bedding to her father. This new evidence also provided a revised timeline, indicating that the children had been assaulted before their father left for work the previous night.
Furthermore, there was no sign of forced entry into the home, and Weldon Alexander was the last person to see his children alive. The children were even wearing the same clothes they had on the day before.
Additional evidence emerged during an autopsy, which revealed that Karen had been sexually assaulted in the days leading up to her death. Moreover, trace evidence found in dried blood on Gordon's hands and Karen's body contained materials used in tire construction at Cooper Tire and Rubber.
During a news conference, Seward expressed the satisfaction of finally bringing closure to this long-standing case and hoped that it would provide some solace to those affected.
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