10-14-2015, 10:37 AM
18 Years Later....Arrest Made in 8-Year-Old's Abduction and Presumed Murder
![[Image: img-Investigators-refuse-to-give-up-on-m...-MWC-g.jpg]](http://www.koco.com/image/view/-/20150396/medRes/3/-/maxh/480/maxw/640/-/uycu84z/-/img-Investigators-refuse-to-give-up-on-missing-MWC-g.jpg)
Kirsten Hatfield ^ was abducted from her bedroom near Oklahoma City in 1997. Blood was reportedly found on Kirsten's windowsill and her underwear was found in her backyard, but the girl has not been seen since.
Earlier this year, an officer was assigned to follow up on the investigation and decided to re-submit some of the evidence for analysis, as technology has changed since the first days of the investigation.
After testing, OSBI reportedly said they located an unknown male's DNA in Hatfield's underwear.
According to the affidavit, the evidence shows that the eight-year-old may have been targeted for sexual assault.
![[Image: 9012733_G.jpg]](http://kris.images.worldnow.com/images/9012733_G.jpg)
^ Anthony Joseph Palma was a neighbor of the Hatfiled family. He gave a DNA sample in June to investigators. An affidavit released this week says results showed a match of one in 293 sextillion.
Police believe that Kirsten was killed shortly after her abduction, but her body has never been located despite heavy news coverage, advertisements and flyers asking for information -- as well as extensive searches throughout the years.
“We have worked this case continuously for 18 years,” Midwest City police Chief Brandon Clabes said. “We’re emotionally invested in this case and wanted to bring it to a logical conclusion.”
Investigators made the DNA match after collecting samples from men who were brought up in the investigation or had been in Hatfield's house back in 1997.
Kirsten's family says they're hopeful there will be justice for Kirsten. Palma, a groundskeeper, married and had a child after the murder. His wife and friends from his church say they don't believe he could hurt an 8-year-old.
I hope that Palma confesses to his crimes against Kirsten (and anybody else he might have hurt) and gives up the location of Kirsten's remains now that he's behind bars. He still lives in the house next to where the Hatfield's lived when Kirsten was abducted.
Refs:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/affidavit-dn...ma-girl-8/
http://www.newson6.com/story/30253771/ki...mas-arrest
http://kfor.com/2015/10/13/a-look-at-ant...ds-murder/
Kirsten Hatfield ^ was abducted from her bedroom near Oklahoma City in 1997. Blood was reportedly found on Kirsten's windowsill and her underwear was found in her backyard, but the girl has not been seen since.
Earlier this year, an officer was assigned to follow up on the investigation and decided to re-submit some of the evidence for analysis, as technology has changed since the first days of the investigation.
After testing, OSBI reportedly said they located an unknown male's DNA in Hatfield's underwear.
According to the affidavit, the evidence shows that the eight-year-old may have been targeted for sexual assault.
^ Anthony Joseph Palma was a neighbor of the Hatfiled family. He gave a DNA sample in June to investigators. An affidavit released this week says results showed a match of one in 293 sextillion.
Police believe that Kirsten was killed shortly after her abduction, but her body has never been located despite heavy news coverage, advertisements and flyers asking for information -- as well as extensive searches throughout the years.
“We have worked this case continuously for 18 years,” Midwest City police Chief Brandon Clabes said. “We’re emotionally invested in this case and wanted to bring it to a logical conclusion.”
Investigators made the DNA match after collecting samples from men who were brought up in the investigation or had been in Hatfield's house back in 1997.
Kirsten's family says they're hopeful there will be justice for Kirsten. Palma, a groundskeeper, married and had a child after the murder. His wife and friends from his church say they don't believe he could hurt an 8-year-old.
I hope that Palma confesses to his crimes against Kirsten (and anybody else he might have hurt) and gives up the location of Kirsten's remains now that he's behind bars. He still lives in the house next to where the Hatfield's lived when Kirsten was abducted.
Refs:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/affidavit-dn...ma-girl-8/
http://www.newson6.com/story/30253771/ki...mas-arrest
http://kfor.com/2015/10/13/a-look-at-ant...ds-murder/