Sen. Cornyn introduces Carla Walker Act to fund new DNA testing in unsolved cold cases
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, health science experts, and law enforcement in Fort Worth announced proposed legislation — the Carla Walker Act — designed to fund DNA research and help solve cold cases.
Cornyn was joined Friday by health experts and family members of victims at The University of North Texas Health Science Center, which is home to the Center for Human Identification, to discuss the legislation.
Named after a local murder victim whose case went unsolved for almost 50 years, the Carla Walker Act was made to create funding to conduct “cutting-edge” forensic genealogy DNA analysis in order to aid previously unsolvable cases, assist in the identification of criminals, and ultimately, provide closure for victims’ loved ones.
According to Michael Coble, executive director of the Center for Human Identification at UNT’s Health Science Center, the lab is the first publicly accredited in the world to conduct forensic genetic genealogy.
Forensic genetic genealogy DNA testing “has revolutionized criminal investigations by using advanced technology to identify human remains and help solve previously unsolvable cold cases,” according to a news release from Cornyn.
“We’ve been able to help the state of Texas to process criminal case work, sexual assault evidence, homicides, aggravated assault, property crimes for the state of Texas,” said Coble. “And through federal funding, thanks to the work of Senator Cornyn, we’re able to do additional sexual assault kit work for the state of Texas with federal assistance as well.”
CHI has been a “valuable resource” for law enforcement and medical examiners to provide identifications and investigative leads, Coble said.
Over half of unidentified human remains in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System and 64 percent of family references in the database were developed at UNT’s CHI, according to Coble.
“It’s a way that we can link crimes from all over the U.S.,” said Coble. “So it’s important that we get those profiles of convicted offenders into the database that we could potentially make hits with these unknown perpetrators who are committing crimes.”
Coble says that the new advances in forensic genetic genealogy and funding will help scientists to be able to look at very large fragments in human DNA, which can be used to analyze close relationships that forensic scientists typically cannot look at.
“This technology has been a real sea change in the field of forensic science,” said Coble.
“We’re excited about this technology, and personally, from our perspective, this is the game-changing technology we have all been waiting for,” said Jim Walker, the brother of Carla.
Jim was only 12 years old when Carla went missing. She was 17 when she was kidnapped by Glen McCurley on Feb. 17, 1974.
McCurley was drinking and driving around Fort Worth that night when he came across Carla and her boyfriend, who were parked outside a bowling alley. McCurley attacked the boyfriend and abducted, raped and murdered Carla.
Her body was found on Feb. 19, 1974, in a ditch south of Fort Worth. She had been strangled.
According to Jim Walker, forensic genetic genealogy that was conducted in his sister’s case generated thousands of markers, which are used to identify lineage of the suspect and, eventually, helped identify McCurley as Carla’s killer.
In addition to the new technology, Jim honored the work of local law enforcement who assisted in his sister’s case.
“They have worked hard,” Jim said about the Fort Worth Police Department. “Their hands have been tied because of the lack of technology being developed at the time, but they worked diligently. But in our city, we have way too many unsolved murders. And it’s not due to law enforcement not wanting to solve each and every case. It’s just a roadblock.”
In May 2023, a rally gathered outside of the Tarrant County Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth to raise awareness for 1,000 unsolved cold cases at the Fort Worth Police Department.
Rally attendees said under-staffing and lack of funding are the reasons for the unsolved cold cases. Many of them were looking forward to new technology, such as forensic genetic genealogy, to help solve the issue.
Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells said at the Friday announcement that cases that have evidence piled up have been waiting for this kind of technology.
“We’re not giving up on any case,” said Sorrells. “We’re excited about it and we’re ready to be in court and present this evidence, so that we can hold people accountable for what they’ve done wrong.”
Terry White, the granddaughter of Mary Hague Kelly, says that families of victims do not have to give up hope considering the funding and new advancements in forensic genetic genealogy.
Kelly was murdered and found dead inside of her home on Jan. 19, 1989, according to the Dallas Morning News. A medical examiner determined the 78-year-old was strangled.
“Unfortunately, we’re the kind of family after 33 years, we had given up hope,” said White at the event on Friday. “I am impressed with Mr. Walker, who their family fought so hard and didn’t give up hope. We, unfortunately, did not anticipate our case to ever be solved.”
But more than 30 years later, a suspect, David Rojas, was arrested and charged with capital murder in Kelly’s death, the Dallas Morning News reported.
“Thanks to the diligent work of the Dallas PD and the diligent work of the investigators and the cold case investigators and the amazing scientists, our case was solved,” said White. “I’m here today mainly because I want closure for all the other family members out there who have active, ongoing cold cases. Funding is received and granted and obtained so that not only this work, but all the other forensic work and genetic forensics can be expanded and can be readily available to all of the victims.”
Cornyn concluded the Friday announcement by stating that local law enforcement cannot fund programs on their own in order to solve crimes and bring perpetrators to justice.
He mentioned the Debbie Smith Act, which appropriates about $130 million a year to help local labs conduct comparisons of DNA to data stored in the CODIS database.
The funding that the Carla Walker Act will bring can also help target and prevent serial sexual crimes, Cornyn said.
“The other thing about sexual assault is nobody does this once,” he said. “Many people who have thought they’d gotten away with these crimes have been identified through that technology and brought to justice.”
Forensic genetic genealogy is not necessary in every case, said Cornyn, “but particularly in these cold cases, it’s absolutely critical.”
“This is a good day for us and a bad day for the perpetrators,” said Jim Walker.
