DNA evidence identifies suspect in Juanita Boyd’s 1981 killing
La Porte County investigators identified Carl David Phillips in Juanita Boyd’s killing after a forensic genealogy investigation. Phillips died in 2017 and will not face prosecution.
Juanita Boyd · FILE PHOTO- Development
- 10 November 2026
- Coverage
- Cold-case development
- Current status
- Investigation updated
- Source record
- 4 verified sources
Sheriff announces a DNA identification
La Porte County investigators announced on November 10 that they had identified Carl David Phillips as the suspect in the 1981 killing of Juanita Boyd. The announcement followed years of DNA testing and forensic genealogy work on evidence preserved from the original investigation.
Sheriff Ronald Heeg said several generations of investigators had reviewed the case. Officials told ABC7 Chicago that DNA collected from Boyd’s clothing led them to Phillips’ family, followed by further comparison with a relative. They said there was no known relationship between Boyd and Phillips. The announcement concerned an investigative identification, not a criminal conviction. [4]
A disappearance and a car found six days later
Boyd was 31 when she was reported missing on February 22, 1981, after failing to return to her home in La Porte. A law-enforcement taskforce searched for her and her recently purchased green Pontiac, according to the sheriff’s office release reproduced by WBBM Newsradio. ABC57 reported that she was last seen at Snyder’s Corner Tavern.
On February 28, the car was found stuck in mud on an agricultural lane in rural Coolspring Township. Boyd’s body was inside its trunk. Investigators collected clothing and other items from the vehicle, and her death was ruled a homicide caused by asphyxiation. [1] [2]
Preserved evidence supplied the genetic lead
The sheriff’s office said a DNA profile was eventually developed from biological material on Boyd’s clothing, but comparisons did not initially identify a match. As testing methods improved, investigators added forensic genealogy to the inquiry.
In July 2026, investigators obtained DNA from an immediate relative of a potential suspect. They learned in October that the comparison connected the original evidence to Phillips. The agency said Phillips lived in La Porte County at the time of the killing and had also lived near the recovery site when he was young. [1]
Detectives revisited the case in 2013
Chief of Detectives Captain Andy Hynek reopened the case in 2013, WVPE reported. Investigators worked with Parabon NanoLabs, using genealogy searches to develop a family tree and then narrow the inquiry.
WVPE reported that Boyd’s former boyfriend was eliminated as a suspect. ABC57 also reported that the new testing ruled him out. The investigation therefore changed both whom detectives suspected and whom the evidence excluded. Authorities said Phillips’ familiarity with the rural area was another part of the inquiry alongside the DNA evidence. [3] [2]
No prosecution will follow the identification
Phillips died on September 24, 2017. Investigators said prosecutors would have brought a murder charge had he still been alive, so the newly announced identification will not lead to an arrest or trial.
ABC57 reported that Boyd worked at the county courthouse and was a mother to a nine-year-old son. Family members attended the November 10 announcement but did not speak publicly. The sheriff’s office described the decades-old homicide as resolved following the identification; no court has returned a verdict against Phillips in Boyd’s death. [2] [4]
Sources & further reading
- Cold Case Homicide Investigation — Juanita Boyd: sheriff’s release reproduced in full ↗La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, via WBBM Newsradio / Audacy · 2026-11-10 · Primary source
- 1981 cold case murder of Juanita Boyd closed following identification of Carl David Phillips ↗ABC57 · 2026-11-10
- DNA advances lead LaPorte County detectives to 1981 killer ↗WVPE · 2026-11-10
- Cold case solved 45 years later through DNA evidence in northwest Indiana ↗ABC7 Chicago · 2026-11-10
Reader comments.
Keep it respectful and relevant to the report. No personal information, harassment or unsupported accusations. Comments are readers’ views.
Loading your sign-in status…