Dad found college student stabbed 60 times in 1993, cops say. Now Missouri man charged
A man accused of a brutal 1993 killing in Indiana was found to be working as a custodian at the University of Missouri, reports say.
Dana Jermaine Shepherd, 52, is now charged with rape and two counts of murder following the ghastly homicide in Indianapolis, court records show.
A DNA sample taken from the home of 19-year-old Carmen Van Huss tied Shepherd to the killing, according to court documents obtained by WIBC. Police said his DNA matched a blood stain found at the scene.
Shepherd is due in court Sept. 4 for an extradition hearing, records show. McClatchy News has reached out to an attorney representing Shepherd and is awaiting a response.
What happened in March of 1993?
The last time Van Huss was seen alive was March 22 when she left her father’s home in Indianapolis to do laundry at her apartment, according to the FBI.
That night, neighbors said they heard Van Huss and an unidentified man talking and laughing as they entered her apartment, the FBI said. A loud fight was heard two hours later, and someone ran from the woman’s home.
It wasn’t until March 24 when Van Huss’ body was discovered, authorities said.
According to court documents obtained by WTHR, Van Huss did not show up to her job at Pizza Hut and one of her co-workers called her father out of concern.
Van Huss’ father called her and did not get a response, so he went to her apartment, where he found the grisly scene, WTHR reported.
Van Huss was found with 61 stab wounds across her head, face and body, according to WIBC. The assailant is accused of using a screwdriver or pocketknife in the attack, the FBI said.
Shepherd and Van Huss lived in the same apartment complex. WIBC reported.
“We hope after all this time people understand just how violent my sister’s murder was,” Jimmy Van Huss, the victim’s brother, told WXIN. “She was raped and stabbed over 60 times and my dad had to see her like that, blood everywhere, blood on walls, his daughter was naked, laying there … he had to see that. That changed him forever.”
Remembering Carmen Van Huss
The murder of Carmen Van Huss and the three-decades long investigation spurred podcast coverage, a website and multiple profiles on cold case websites.
But for 31 years, the case went unsolved.
Jimmy Van Huss said he hopes the arrest in his sister’s case can help bring attention to other cold cases.
“We want all of them to get this treatment. And by that, I mean the DNA, genealogy treatment,” he told WXIN. “We would love a bill, a law, a procedure — something in Carmen’s memory to get the attention other cases deserve. We are so thankful that (IMPD Captain) Bill Carter was told my sister’s name.”
Carmen Van Huss attended Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, her brother said. He remembered his sister as a “beautiful, 19-year-old art student” who was a lover of animals, according to WXIN.
The arrest of Shepherd
Shepherd, who according to KMIZ had been working at University of Missouri, was arrested Friday, Aug. 30.
“Dana Jermaine Shepherd is no longer employed by the University of Missouri, and his access to campus and all university property has been revoked,” a university spokesperson told KOMU. “He has been trespassed from MU, meaning that if he attempts to appear on campus he will be arrested. Safety of the campus community continues to be a top priority.”
The DNA evidence was entered into an online database in 2018, and in 2023, Shepherd was identified as a person of interest, KMIZ reported.
“The investigator wrote in court documents the unknown male DNA collected from the crime scene ‘matched the DNA profile of Dana Shepherd and is estimated to occur once in 5 billion unrelated individuals,’” according to the court documents obtained by KMIZ.
Shepherd is being held in Boone County, Missouri, court records show.
This story was originally published September 3, 2024 at 10:49 AM with the headline "Dad found college student stabbed 60 times in 1993, cops say. Now Missouri man charged."