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ABC's 20/20 is all set to delve into two different murder cases this week, which includes young mother of one, Cathy Swartz. The brutal murder shook the community of Three Rivers, Michigan, but it took over three decades for the police to identify and arrest the criminal, only for him to kill himself before the trial.
This shocking murder will be the subject of 20/20's latest episode, which premieres on Friday, March 7, 2025, at 9 pm EST on ABC. The logline for the episode, as revealed by ABC News, reads:
"“20/20” co-anchor David Muir reports on the murders of two young women — each unsolved for decades — and how they are linked by cutting-edge forensic DNA technology that cracked open the cases and led to long-awaited justice. This all-new episode of “20/20”"
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As a long-drawn saga with many variables, this case is filled with chilling details that will appeal to all viewers who take an interest in true crime. Ahead of the episode, let us go over five such details.
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5 key details about the murder of Cathy Swartz
1) Cathy Swartz was killed in one of the most brutal manners possible
On December 2, 1988, Swartz's fiancee, Mike Warner, returned from work to find a shocking scene at their home. Cathy Swartz was lying in a pool of blood.
As the authorities arrived and conducted the autopsy, it was revealed that Cathy was beaten, strangled, and stabbed in the neck multiple times. She also had multiple defensive stab wounds on her arms. Authorities deduced that the killer attempted to assault her before killing her.
2) Many pieces of physical evidence were found on the scene, but the lack of technological developments meant authorities could not deduce anything from these
Multiple physical shreds of evidence were found at the crime scene, which included fingerprint on the phone in Cathy Swartz’s bedroom and a mixture of blood and water on the bathroom floor.
Despite having the killer's DNA, the authorities could not pinpoint a suspect.
3) Authorities had found three handwritten messages invisible to the naked eye and subsequently arrested Cathy’s ex-boyfriend, Troy Schulthies
In a surprising twist, using a forensic light wand in Cathy Swartz's house revealed three handwritten messages, two on the refrigerator and one on Cathy's inner thigh. The words "Metallica," "Harley was here," and "I was her" were all found.
This was connected with Troy Schulthies, Cathy's ex-boyfriend. He admitted to writing those messages months earlier but claimed he did not commit the murder. He was arrested, anyhow.
However, as the fingerprints found at the scene did not match him, he was let go a week later.
4) It took until 2022 to find a DNA match
The case initially went cold, and when it was reopened, a lot of evidence was lost to time. However, authorities did manage to get a DNA sample, and eventually, in 2022, they used genome sequencing to finally narrow down on one single family.
One of the four sons of the family, Robert Waters, was acquainted with Cathy and had even visited her weeks before the murder. He was arrested and charged for the murder.
5) Robert Waters committed suicide in his prison cell
Shortly after his arrest and before his trial commenced, Robert Waters hung himself to death in his prison cell in the Beaufort County Detention Center. The guards claimed he was not under suicide watch and showed no tendency for the same.
Cathy Swartz's daughter called him a coward for taking the easy way out.
The upcoming episode of 20/20 will cover this case in more detail.
