Boston Man Charged with Nearly 30-Year-Old Murder After DNA Evidence Surfaces.
A nearly three decades-old murder in Dorchester, Boston, has finally seen justice with Cornell Bell, a 54-year-old man, being charged with the crime of his life. Caryn Bonner, 34, was found stabbed to death in her kitchen back in 1999, and investigators have now linked Bell's DNA to the scene through advanced forensic science.
Bell is currently serving a life sentence after being convicted of murdering his girlfriend in 2022. The breakthrough came when the FBI's CODIS system matched his DNA with a cigarette butt found in Bonner's apartment. Furthermore, latent fingerprints discovered at the crime scene were individualized to Bell by investigators.
According to Bell's lawyer, Joseph Simmons, the prosecution had requested that Bell provide a DNA sample for comparison, but he objected, stating he would hire an expert to examine the fingerprint evidence and verify its reliability.
This is not the first case of its kind in Boston; another man, Brian Keazer, was indicted just last month for the 1997 murder of Ruth Foster. DA Kevin Hayden expressed his optimism that Bell's trial will provide closure to Bonner's family and friends.
Bell is expected to appear in court on February 19th and is being held without bail. The case highlights the importance of perseverance and advanced forensic techniques in solving long-standing crimes, giving victims' families a chance at justice after years of uncertainty.
A nearly three decades-old murder in Dorchester, Boston, has finally seen justice with Cornell Bell, a 54-year-old man, being charged with the crime of his life. Caryn Bonner, 34, was found stabbed to death in her kitchen back in 1999, and investigators have now linked Bell's DNA to the scene through advanced forensic science.
Bell is currently serving a life sentence after being convicted of murdering his girlfriend in 2022. The breakthrough came when the FBI's CODIS system matched his DNA with a cigarette butt found in Bonner's apartment. Furthermore, latent fingerprints discovered at the crime scene were individualized to Bell by investigators.
According to Bell's lawyer, Joseph Simmons, the prosecution had requested that Bell provide a DNA sample for comparison, but he objected, stating he would hire an expert to examine the fingerprint evidence and verify its reliability.
This is not the first case of its kind in Boston; another man, Brian Keazer, was indicted just last month for the 1997 murder of Ruth Foster. DA Kevin Hayden expressed his optimism that Bell's trial will provide closure to Bonner's family and friends.
Bell is expected to appear in court on February 19th and is being held without bail. The case highlights the importance of perseverance and advanced forensic techniques in solving long-standing crimes, giving victims' families a chance at justice after years of uncertainty.
... i mean, it's amazing what new tech can do these days, like that DNA match from a cigarette butt 
... the thing is, i feel bad for Caryn's family who had to live with not knowing who did this to her all these years... and poor Cornell Bell, sounds like he got caught up in some pretty serious trouble 
... anyway, glad that justice is finally being served 
. But it's also a bit eerie that Bell objected to providing a DNA sample at first... what was going on in his head back then? 
Anyway, I hope the trial brings some closure to Caryn Bonner's family and friends - 30 years is way too long to be waiting for justice 
. And it just goes to show how far forensic tech has come in helping solve crimes 
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. The fact that Cornell Bell is currently serving a life sentence for another murder makes this latest development even more poignant 
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. The fact that Cornell Bell tried to hide behind his lawyer's objections shows how desperate he must've felt 
. I hope the trial brings some peace of mind to her family, and that DA Hayden's optimism is well-deserved 
its wild how they were able to match his dna with that cigarette butt and fingerprints too. i can only imagine how emotional this must be for Caryn's family, i hope they get some closure soon 
. The DNA thing is insane - I mean, who knew those cigarette butts and fingerprints could hold the key to unlocking a murder mystery? 
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. And DA Hayden's right, it's gonna bring some much-needed peace of mind to Caryn's loved ones 
. Fingers crossed he takes a plea deal and gets the sentence he deserves 
This is insane! I mean, can you believe it's been 30 years since this girl was murdered? I feel bad for the family and friends of Caryn Bonner, they must have been living with all these unanswered questions for so long. It's crazy that DNA evidence just surfaced now to finally bring closure to them. 
. can you even imagine having to relive that pain all over again? anyway, i guess justice is finally served and the fam of Caryn Bonner will get some closure 
. on the bright side, this means we've got tech-savvy FBI agents now who are like super detectives 
but I'm sure it won't be easy, Bell's got a life sentence already 
lets keep those investigators working hard with advanced tech! 
, at least now they can get some closure. its amazing how far forensic science has come in bringin justice to these ppl