1966 Stabbing of 18-year-old Victim: 79-year-old Man Apprehended
Eighteen-year-old Karen Snider was tragically discovered dead on November 12, 1966, at her home in Calumet City, Illinois, some 23 miles from Chicago. She had suffered a shocking 125 stab wounds across her entire body, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.
More than 57 years later, this horrific case has been solved. James Barbier, 75, was arrested this week in connection with Snider's murder.
Initially taken into custody in 1966, the case went unsolved for many years before being reopened in December 2022, revealing Barbier as a prime suspect through a DNA match. Police arrested him at his Missouri residence on Monday, the state's attorney's office confirmed.
To add to her grievous injuries, Snider was also covered in bruises, court documents show.
Interestingly, Barbier had been acquainted with Snider's husband and was pals with the couple.
On the fateful night of the murder, Barbier allegedly returned home with evidence of blood and cuts, making his wife slightly uneasy. He then hastily removed his soiled clothes, threw them in the washing machine, and seemed nervous, prosecutors noted.
Even at Snider's funeral, Barbier appeared to have lingering traces of blood on his body.
Despite the severity of the charges, authorities decided not to file a petition for his detention, opting instead for more restrictive pretrial conditions. These included restrictions on travel to Missouri or Illinois, surrendering his passport and firearms, and in-person and phone-in check-ins every two weeks.
"Despite the charge being detention eligible, given the defendant's advanced age, physical condition, and recent caselaw pertaining to the Pretrial Fairness Act and establishing 'a real and present threat,' the State is not seeking to detain," the state's attorney's office clarified to CNN.
It is currently unclear if Barbier has retained a lawyer.
Located near the Illinois-Indiana border, Calumet City is approximately 13 miles away from Gary, Indiana, where Barbier lived at the time.
Read also:
- Year of climate records: extreme is the new normal
- Precautionary arrests show Islamist terror threat
- UN vote urges Israel to ceasefire
- SPD rules out budget resolution before the end of the year
Source: edition.cnn.com
