CHICAGO (CBS) -- An elderly man from Missouri was arrested on Monday for the murder of an 18-year-old woman nearly 60 years ago in a south suburb of Chicago.
James Barbier, 79, is charged with first-degree murder in the 1966 stabbing death of 18-year-old Karen Snider in Calumet City.
Husband discovers wife's body
Police said an autopsy revealed Snider had been beaten and stabbed 125 times. Barbier was considered a suspect at the time but was never charged.
"My father's side had always said, 'This is the man," the Sniders' daughter, Paula Larson, said after the court hearing on Thursday.
Discovering the Clues Behind the Murder Charges
After reopening the case in December 2022, police detectives dedicated over a year to scrutinizing evidence and locating witnesses for interrogation.
The detectives dispatched clothing and a bed sheet to the Illinois State Crime Lab for evaluation. Subsequently, in March of 2023, investigators in Missouri acquired a search warrant and procured a DNA sample from the suspect. The DNA analysis conclusively implicated Barbier in the murder.
Barbier, a family friend who had previously worked alongside Karen Snider's husband as a railroad employee, was a pallbearer at Karen Snider's funeral and was noted to have cuts on his hands, as detailed in court records.
Paul Snider passed away in 1989.
"The memory stayed with me from the moment my father disclosed the events," Larson recalled. "I was around 11 years old, but even at the age of five, I overheard classmates discussing it because their parents were talking about it."
Barbier was apprehended on Monday in Creve Coeur, Missouri, and transported back to Calumet City to confront the charges.
"I never imagined we would reach this point," Larson expressed. "The idea of a DNA match seemed far-fetched since DNA matches weren't feasible back then. I am immensely grateful for the well-preserved clothing articles."
During his first court appearance in Markham on Thursday, he was granted permission to return to Missouri while awaiting trial. As part of the conditions, he must surrender his passport, attend all court dates, and can only travel between Missouri and the court. Defense lawyers mentioned that Barbier, who has diabetes and suffered a stroke last year, is scheduled to appear in court again on May 21.
Bill Neaves, the brother of Karen Snider, expressed his feelings by stating, "I can't imagine seeing him sitting there after 57 years of being free, while my sister has been in the ground." Neaves emphasized the importance of ensuring that he faces consequences for his actions.
