Cold Case Solved: Bucks County Man Identified as 1962 Child Rape and Murder Perpetrator
A decades-old cold case in Bucks County has finally been solved after authorities identified the killer of 9-year-old Carol Ann Dougherty, who was raped and murdered at a church in 1962. William Schrader, a serial child abuser with a violent past, was confirmed as the perpetrator of the heinous crime.
Schrader's trail of terror began in his childhood, marked by time spent in reform school and dishonorably discharged from the Army. He later committed attempted murder, earning him a stint at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. Despite being convicted of other crimes, Schrader escaped justice for Dougherty's murder until now.
The breakthrough came after authorities tracked down eyewitnesses, re-examined forensic evidence, and obtained a confession from Schrader to his stepson years after the murder. Investigators initially focused on three other suspects but ruled each one out due to legitimate alibis.
A key piece of evidence was the pubic hair found in Dougherty's hand at the crime scene, which matched Schrader's DNA profile. However, at the time, DNA testing was not sufficient to convict him. In recent years, his stepson revealed that Schrader had confessed twice to killing a little girl, and another witness came forward to place Schrader outside the church on the day of the murder.
The case received renewed attention thanks to a podcast series produced by sports radio host Mike Missanelli, whose uncle was the police chief in Bristol at the time of the murder. The family's dedication to solving the case has finally brought closure and truth to the wound that never healed.
"It's an absolute predator, and a predator whose prey was little girls — and that was William Schrader," said Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn. "The generational sexual abuse that this man inflicted upon every female child and woman in his life, he didn’t stop until the day he died."
Schrader died in prison while serving other crimes. His legacy is one of evil and devastation, leaving behind a family shattered by decades of trauma and secrecy. The identification of Schrader as the perpetrator of Carol Ann Dougherty's murder marks a new chapter in bringing justice to victims and their families.
A decades-old cold case in Bucks County has finally been solved after authorities identified the killer of 9-year-old Carol Ann Dougherty, who was raped and murdered at a church in 1962. William Schrader, a serial child abuser with a violent past, was confirmed as the perpetrator of the heinous crime.
Schrader's trail of terror began in his childhood, marked by time spent in reform school and dishonorably discharged from the Army. He later committed attempted murder, earning him a stint at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. Despite being convicted of other crimes, Schrader escaped justice for Dougherty's murder until now.
The breakthrough came after authorities tracked down eyewitnesses, re-examined forensic evidence, and obtained a confession from Schrader to his stepson years after the murder. Investigators initially focused on three other suspects but ruled each one out due to legitimate alibis.
A key piece of evidence was the pubic hair found in Dougherty's hand at the crime scene, which matched Schrader's DNA profile. However, at the time, DNA testing was not sufficient to convict him. In recent years, his stepson revealed that Schrader had confessed twice to killing a little girl, and another witness came forward to place Schrader outside the church on the day of the murder.
The case received renewed attention thanks to a podcast series produced by sports radio host Mike Missanelli, whose uncle was the police chief in Bristol at the time of the murder. The family's dedication to solving the case has finally brought closure and truth to the wound that never healed.
"It's an absolute predator, and a predator whose prey was little girls — and that was William Schrader," said Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn. "The generational sexual abuse that this man inflicted upon every female child and woman in his life, he didn’t stop until the day he died."
Schrader died in prison while serving other crimes. His legacy is one of evil and devastation, leaving behind a family shattered by decades of trauma and secrecy. The identification of Schrader as the perpetrator of Carol Ann Dougherty's murder marks a new chapter in bringing justice to victims and their families.
... 50+ yrs later, it finally gets solved & all I can think is how many more girls suffered at his hands? The fact that he had a confession from his stepson all these yrs but was too scared to come forward & only revealed it now is just heartbreaking 
. And the DNA thing, I mean who would've thought pubic hair would be the key to unlocking this case? 
It's crazy how technology can finally bring closure to victims' families. The DA's words tho... "generational sexual abuse"... it gives me chills 
. This guy's legacy is literally evil incarnate, and I hope his family knows they're not alone in their pain 
.
This case is heartbreaking. It's just awful that someone like that was able to escape justice for so long. I feel for Carol Ann's family, it's never too late but now they finally have some closure. Her story needs to be told, so we can learn from this and make sure something like this never happens again 
, but my heart goes out to Carol Ann's family who've had to live with this unknown for 50+ years 
. It's crazy to think about how much DNA testing advancements have come since 1962 and how that played a huge role in catching Schrader 
. The fact that he confessed twice to his stepson after all these years is just chilling 
. I feel bad for the other suspects who were cleared due to alibis, but at least now we can start healing and talking about this case without all the unknowns 
. I'm glad justice will finally be served for Carol Ann and her family 
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. It's heartbreaking to think about what her family went through all these years, living with uncertainty and fear. The fact that the breakthrough came from a podcast series is amazing - who knew that listening to a sports radio host talk about true crime could lead to solving a cold case? 
. I hope that this brings some closure to Carol Ann's family and helps them start healing 
It's heartbreaking to think about the impact this must have had on their lives. The fact that a podcast series helped bring this case to light is just amazing 
. And finally, justice has been served 
. May it bring some semblance of peace to Carol Ann's family and all those affected by Schrader's heinous crimes 
It's like, how did people ever figure it out before?
. I mean, can you imagine how much easier it'd be now with all the tech and resources we have? But I guess that's just the way things go sometimes.
. And it's a good reminder that even though we can't change the past, we can still make progress and bring closure to victims' families 
hope this closure brings some peace to her family 
. and can you even imagine what carol ann went through as a child? 
The fact that this guy's stepson was able to get him to confess after all these years is just mind-blowing 
. But at the same time, I'm glad that finally someone confessed, even if it was years later. It's a bittersweet feeling, you know? 
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. but kudos to the investigators who didn't give up and kept pushing for answers. and that podcast series really helped bring new eyes to the case 
. anyway, I hope this brings some closure to the Dougherty family and that they can finally find peace 
. Anyway, I heard this news about the cold case being solved and it made me think that DNA testing has come so far since 1962 
, feels so good that the truth is finally out 
, hope that others who have suffered in silence can find justice too 
I just can't help but feel so much sadness and anger about this whole situation... The fact that William Schrader was able to live with himself for so long, hiding behind a mask of normalcy when in reality he was a monster who preyed on the innocence of children like Carol Ann. It's disgusting how he managed to escape justice for over 60 years, and it just goes to show you how much time and resources can be wasted trying to catch serial offenders before they're caught... but sometimes it takes a combination of new technology and determination from those affected by their crimes to finally bring closure to the victims' families.