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The upcoming episode of 20/20 on ABC is all set to cover the decades-old murder of Cathy Swartz and delve into how authorities reached Robert Waters, the man who was arrested and charged with the murder years after it happened. The case remains a major example of how DNA technologies and their developments are crucial to solving crimes and delivering justice, even in the cases where everyone has given up hope.
Cathy Swartz's murder will be documented in the all-new episode of 20/20, which premieres at 9.00 PM EST on ABC on Friday, March 7, 2025. 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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Though the authorities did eventually arrive at Robert Waters, he never faced trial. He hung himself on May 6, 2023, while he was held in his cell. He was not under suicide watch. There was incriminating evidence against him in the murder of Cathy Swartz, but he was never found guilty of the same as he died before the trial date.
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The upcoming episode of 20/20 will cover this case in further detail.
How did the police arrive at Robert Waters as the suspect?
In 1988, young mother Cathy Swartz was found dead in her home. Her nine-month-old infant daughter was found alive and well in her crib. Cathy was stabbed in the neck, and the autopsy revealed she was also strangled and beaten. Authorities also alleged that the killer had tried to assault her. As there was no sign of forced entry, authorities knew it was someone Cathy knew or recognized.
But the case did not lead anywhere anytime soon, with every potential suspect having a strong alibi. While physical evidence was found at the scene, due to the lack of technological advancements in DNA genealogy, the case went cold.
But the police never gave up trying, and in 2022, with a new technology, Forensic Genetic Genealogy, they managed to single out one family, the Waters. The authorities alleged that one of the four children of the Waters was behind the crime.
While all the family members were interrogated, Robert Waters stood out because he was a former classmate of Cathy and had even showed up at her house sometime before the murder. Though he was in South Carolina at the time, he was eventually transported back, and it turned out that all the physical evidence found at the scene were a perfect match with the 53-year-old.
Hence, on April 30, 2023, almost 35 years after the murder, he was finally arrested and charged with the crime.
How did Robert Waters die?
Robert Waters was arrested and charged with the murder of Cathy Swartz. He was slated to be transferred to St. Joseph County, where his trial would take place. But five days before that, on May 6, 2023, Robert Waters killed himself in his cell. He hung himself to death using a sheet by tying it to the top of his bunk bed.
The prison guards reportedly found some Bible-based pamphlets in his Beaufort County Detention Center cell. He was not under suicide watch and did not suffer from any known mental issues.
Due to the amount of evidence against him, the case was closed despite him never going to trial.
The upcoming episode of 20/20 will cover this case in more detail.
