Is Nacole Smith's killer Kelvin Arnold alive? Whereabouts explored ahead of Hulu's Cold Case Files: DNA Speaks

Hulu's Cold Case Files: DNA Speaks is the latest true crime show focused on solving old and neglected cases from the past, including the death of Nacole Smith, a 14-year-old student who was brutally assaulted and murdered on her way to her school. The case sent the town of Atlanta, Georgia, into a frenzy back in the mid-'90s.

This is one of the cases that are supposed to debut on Hulu's 10-part docu-series Cold Case Files: DNA Speaks. The synopsis for the show reads:

"A new, 10-part documentary series focusing on murder cases that remained unsolved for decades and were ultimately cracked with DNA evidence. It explores these stunning scientific developments – as well as the unwavering dedication of families and investigators – that eventually brought the killers to justice."

The twisted case took many years to resolve, giving it a place in Cold Case Files: DNA Speaks. The case was ultimately resolved much later in 2021, thanks to advancements in technology. It turned out that a repeat offender, Kelvin Arnold, was responsible for the assault and murder. By the time authorities reached this conclusion, Kelvin Arnold had already died from kidney and liver failure.

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Who was Kelvin Arnold and why did he kill Nacole Smith?

Nacole Smith was just a 14-year-old girl who was on her way to her school on the fateful day of June 7, 1995. Halfway through, she left her older sister and went back home to fetch an assignment. On the way, she took a shortcut trail but never made it to the other side.

At around 9:20 am, authorities received a call from a security guard who claimed to hear gunshots. As police reached the scene, they found that Nacole Smith had been shot twice in the head with a handgun and was naked from the waist down. It was reported that she was brutally assaulted.

As per reports, a maintenance man saw a black male running out of the woods with his T-shirt and a gun. But it would be a long time before there would be any real breakthrough in the case.

In 2004, another young girl, Betty Brown, was violently assaulted by a man at gunpoint in East Point, Georgia. After assaulting Betty, the man ran away. Betty soon provided the authorities with a description, and biological evidence was also collected from her body.

It turned out that the DNA of the perpetrator who assaulted Betty matched that of Nacole Smith's killer. But it was still some time before a new detective took charge and pursued the case to its ultimate resolution.

With the help of ancestral DNA databases and further advancements in criminal technology, the police zeroed in on a certain Kelvin Arnold, who happened to live in the area where Nacole Smith was murdered.

Sadly, Kelvin never received the punishment he deserved because, by the time police reached him with concrete evidence and matches, Kelvin had passed away from kidney and liver failure.

Authorities still tested his DNA sample and confirmed that he was indeed the murderer of Nacole Smith, giving the Smith family some justice decades after the crime.

This case will be explored in detail in Cold Case Files: DNA Speaks.