Bristol, PA — More than sixty years after 9-year-old Carol Ann Dougherty was raped and murdered inside St. Mark’s Church in Bucks County, investigators say they have finally identified her killer. A grand jury investigation has concluded that William Schrader was responsible for the horrific 1962 crime that haunted the Bristol community for decades.
Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn announced the findings during a news conference, revealing that a combination of eyewitness testimony, forensic evidence, and a family confession ultimately tied Schrader to the murder.
“For more than six decades, this tragic case has haunted the community and inflicted unimaginable pain on Carol Ann’s family,” Schorn said. “Despite the passage of time, the case was never forgotten and was consistently under review by law enforcement.”
A Case That Haunted a Community
According to the grand jury report, Carol Ann was last seen riding her bicycle to the Bristol Borough Free Library after stopping for candy and a soda. When she didn’t return home, her father searched for her and found her body inside the church. Investigators determined she had been raped and strangled with a ligature.
At the time, William Schrader, a local factory worker who lived just a block and a half away, was questioned by police and asked to provide a hair sample. He failed a polygraph test and later lied about his whereabouts on the day of the murder. Timecards from his workplace proved he was not at work, despite his alibi claim.
Shortly after being questioned, Schrader fled Pennsylvania, moving to Florida, then Texas, and eventually settling in Houma, Louisiana, where he lived until his death in 2002.
A 1993 forensic review found “significant similarities” between Schrader’s hair sample and hair found in Carol Ann’s hand. Out of 141 men tested over the decades, only Schrader could not be eliminated as the source. Additionally, Lucky Strike cigarettes found at the scene matched the brand Schrader smoked, according to Fox News.
Confession from a Stepson Broke the Case
A major breakthrough came in November 2024, when Schrader’s stepson, Robert Leblanc, contacted investigators with a confession his stepfather made years earlier.
“He told me he had to kill the girl in Bristol to keep her from talking,” Leblanc recounted during his testimony.
Investigators noted that Leblanc had no prior knowledge of the case’s specific details, making his statement highly credible. According to the grand jury, the information he provided “could only have come from the perpetrator.”
Eliminating Other Suspects
Over the years, multiple individuals were wrongly accused. The report officially cleared Frank Zuchero, Wayne Roach, and Rev. Joseph Sabadish, who were all named in early investigations. Zuchero’s confession was deemed coerced and unreliable, Roach was confirmed to be out of state, and Sabadish’s false statement about his location that night was determined to be unrelated to the crime.
A Pattern of Violence
Investigators also uncovered Schrader’s long history of violence against women and children. The grand jury report described him as having a “pattern of sexual violence,” particularly toward prepubescent and adolescent girls.
Schrader’s criminal record included assaults with deadly weapons and a 1985 conviction in Louisiana for the death of 12-year-old Catherine Smith, who died after Schrader set fire to his home knowing children were inside.
He also sexually abused numerous children, including his own daughter and granddaughters, all between the ages of six and thirteen, as well as two adult women with cognitive impairments who were unable to consent.
Expert Testimony
Dr. Veronique Valliere, a forensic psychologist, told the grand jury that Schrader displayed the traits of a psychopath driven by deviant sexual impulses and arrogance.
“He had a deviant sexual arousal for prepubescent victims… incredibly impulsive, with little or no self-control,” Valliere said. “Such offenders often want to share or brag due to arrogance and grandiosity.”
The jury concluded that her analysis aligned precisely with Schrader’s criminal behavior, the details of the church crime, and his later confessions.
A Family’s Long-Awaited Closure
At the press conference, Carol Ann’s sister, Kay Dougherty Talanca, fought back tears as she reflected on the news.
“Our family lived without answers and the uncertainty surrounding Carol’s death became a part of who we were,” she said. “After so many decades of unknowing, this finding finally brings closure and truth to a wound that never healed.”
Bucks County officials said the resolution of the case is the result of years of persistence by local detectives, the Pennsylvania State Police, and prosecutors determined to bring answers to the Dougherty family.
“This case has haunted the Bristol Borough community for years,” said Police Chief Joe Moors. “Their pursuit of the truth finally delivered answers for Carol’s family and our community.”
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