INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Feb. 27, 2015) – The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) held a last-minute news conference Friday, stating they wanted to clear up any misconceptions about one of their cold cases. Carmen Van Huss was killed in 1993 inside her Indianapolis apartment. Her family was contacted in 2013 by IMPD Sergeant Bill Carter. Carmen’s brother, Jimmy, said that phone call was the first sign of hope.
“The family had some hope because he was successful in solving the Amy Weidner case and he’s just a great man. (He) does all of this on his own time,” Jimmy Van Huss said.
Jimmy Van Huss told FOX59 they were under the impression Sgt. Carter had been pulled from the case. They did not want that to happen and they wanted him back.
“We want Richard Hite, the chief of police, to put Bill Carter back on the case,” Jimmy Van Huss said.
During IMPD’s news conference, Chief Hite said they temporarily told Sgt. Carter to stop assisting on the case until they figured out recent reports. Chief Hite said they would never tell an officer to stop working on any of their cases. The news conference happened as a result of this report by our partners at the IndyStar.
IMPD said Sgt. Carter has worked with the cold case unit in the past and that he did help with the prosecution of another case. IMPD said Sgt. Carter was never assigned to the case- only contacted to help after the lead of the cold case unit requested his assistance.
IMPD confirms their department had sent a sample previously for ancestry testing and it came back to the ancestry of the victim. Sgt. Carter then set up a crowdfunding page to raise money with the intention of getting another sample tested by an outside facility in Utah.
IMPD claimed their local lab conducted DNA testing in 2002 and it resulted in a partial profile. Then, in 2013, a forensic scientist processed more evidence and they developed a full DNA profile. The full profile was uploaded to the state and national database, but they have not received any hits.
IMPD says they are evaluating whether or not to send the second sample for further ancestry testing. They plan to return the crowdfunding money back to the people who donated.
IMPD said they plan to meet with the Van Huss family Saturday.
