In a landmark cold-case resolution, 92-year-old retiree Harold Jenkins was found guilty yesterday of murdering Mary Ellen Thompson—born in 1892—when he was just a teenager. New DNA technology, spearheaded by the FBI’s forensic genetics unit, linked Jenkins to evidence preserved from the 1955 crime scene, ending a 70-year search for justice.
@Reuters “92-year-old convicted in 1955 cold case after DNA match—victim born in 1892.” Read more
The jury deliberated for two hours before returning a guilty verdict on one count of first-degree murder, as reported by Reuters. Jenkins listened impassively, his frail hands gripping the defense table, as the judge scheduled sentencing for next month, where he faces up to life in prison without parole.
Mary Ellen Thompson was discovered dead in her rural Wisconsin farmhouse on April 12, 1955. Investigators found signs of a violent struggle but lacked the forensic tools to identify her killer. “We had fingerprints, footprints, and a single hair—but no way to match them,” former Green County Sheriff Walter Lowe told AP News. “We thought the case would go unsolved forever.”
@APNews “Decades-old hair sample leads to arrest of nonagenarian in Wisconsin cold case.” AP report
The breakthrough came last year when the FBI uploaded the preserved hair follicle from Thompson’s case into its expanded national DNA database under the Cold Case Genomics Initiative. Investigators then used familial DNA triangulation to narrow suspects to Jenkins and two of his childhood friends, now deceased. A direct cheek swab confirmed a 99.7% match.
Prosecutors introduced the DNA match at trial alongside Jenkins’s own 1955 statements in police interviews. Under intense questioning, he had boasted to classmates, “I made her pay for laughing at my cow,” referencing Thompson’s gentle ribbing during his milk-delivery rounds. That confession, although dismissed decades ago, gained new weight when paired with genetic proof.
@CNN “Teen boast from 1955 resurfaces in court—DNA cements guilt in historic murder case.” CNN coverage
At Jenkins’s plea hearing, his defense argued diminished capacity due to dementia. However, the judge granted the prosecution’s request for a fitness evaluation, concluding Jenkins understood the charges and could participate in his defense. “Age and infirmity do not negate responsibility for a heinous crime,” the ruling stated, according to The New York Times.
Legal experts say this case sets a precedent. “We are entering an era where no case is truly cold,” said Professor Elena Ross of Harvard Law School in an interview with BBC News. “Advances in genomic science will continue to unearth answers in long-stalled investigations, ensuring accountability regardless of time elapsed.”
@BBCNews “Genetic sleuthing overturns decades of mystery—cold cases face new dawn.” Watch report
Community reaction in Green County has been mixed. Some applaud the long-overdue justice, while others question the humanity of convicting a nonagenarian. “He’s a frail old man,” said neighbor Grace Thompson (no relation), quoted in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “But if he did it, he must face the consequences.”
Victim-advocate groups hailed the conviction as a victory for survivors and families. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network issued a statement praising forensic innovations that “give voice to decades-old victims.” Meanwhile, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children highlighted how similar DNA methods have solved child abduction cases from the 1970s.
@RAINN “Scientific progress honors victims—no crime should remain in the shadows.” Advocacy tweet
Jenkins’s sentencing hearing on September 15 will allow victim impact statements. Thompson’s great-niece, Laura King, plans to attend. “Our family has yearned for closure,” King told Forbes. “This verdict doesn’t bring her back, but it restores our faith in justice.”
As Green County moves forward, law enforcement is reviewing other unsolved cases. Sheriff’s Captain Marcus Lee confirmed to local station WISN News that detectives have identified 15 files ripe for reexamination under the new DNA protocols.
@WISN12News “Green County reopens cold cases after Jenkins breakthrough—dozens more may follow.” Local news tweet
The Jenkins conviction underscores a broader reality: with every technological stride, the past becomes less distant. For Mary Ellen Thompson and her family, the truth—once buried in time—has finally been unearthed. And for communities across America, it offers hope that even the oldest mysteries can be solved, and that justice, however delayed, is still possible.
