Bucks County officials identify killer in 1962 rape and murder of 9-year-old Carol Ann Dougherty

Bucks County Officials Reveal Killer in 1962 Carol Ann Dougherty Case

A cold case dating back over six decades has finally been cracked as authorities have identified William Schrader, a serial child abuser, as the prime suspect behind the rape and murder of 9-year-old Carol Ann Dougherty. The break came after years of investigation by Pennsylvania State Police and Bucks County prosecutors, who tracked down eyewitnesses, reviewed forensic evidence, and obtained a confession from Schrader's stepson.

On October 22, 1962, Dougherty went missing while riding her bike to meet friends at the Bristol Borough Free Library. Her father later found her body inside St. Mark's Roman Catholic Church, where she had been brutally raped and strangled with a ligature. Male pubic hairs were clutched in her hand at the scene, leading investigators to pinpoint Schrader as their top suspect.

Schrader, who grew up in Luzerne County, had a history of violence that dated back to his childhood. He was convicted of attempted murder and served time at Eastern State Penitentiary before settling in Bristol with family members. Investigators initially focused on three other suspects but ruled them out after they provided legitimate alibis.

In 2002, Schrader died while serving a prison sentence for other crimes. However, his DNA was still matched to the pubic hair found at the scene of Dougherty's murder, and further investigation revealed that he had confessed to killing a little girl at a Pennsylvania church years after her death.

The breakthrough in the case came thanks to a confession from Schrader's stepson, Robert Leblanc, who shared his stepfather's darkest secrets. Leblanc told police that Schrader had twice confessed to killing a young girl at St. Mark's Roman Catholic Church. The confessions were corroborated by another witness who reported seeing Schrader outside the church on the day of Dougherty's murder.

Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn hailed the identification as a major victory for justice, saying that it brought closure to the case and provided a sense of resolution to the Dougherty family. "The generational sexual abuse that this man inflicted upon every female child and woman in his life, he didn’t stop until the day he died," she said.

Carol Ann's sister, Kay Dougherty, praised Missanelli, whose uncle was the police chief in Bristol in 1962, for producing a podcast series that helped revive interest in the case. "After so many decades of unknowing, this finding finally brings closure and a truth to a wound that never healed," she said.

Schrader's legacy as a serial child abuser will be forever etched into history, serving as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of his crimes on families and communities.

man I cant even imagine how traumatic it must've been for the Dougherty family all these years... 60+ yrs of not knowing what happened to Carol Ann and finally getting some answers is just heartbreaking the fact that she was only 9 when this happened is just devastating... and the fact that her killer had a history of violence and was able to cover his tracks for so long is just mind-boggling it's crazy how technology and new leads can crack old cases like this... but at the same time, you gotta wonder what could've been done differently back then to prevent all this from happening

just heard about this & i'm shook ‍ can't even imagine what the Dougherty family went through all those years ago . how messed up is it that schrader thought he could just keep committing these heinous crimes & get away with it? and to think his own stepson was the one who finally spilled the beans still can't believe it took so long for justice to be served . at least now we know the truth & the Dougherty family gets some semblance of closure

This is just a classic case of bad luck for the perpetrator, not some kind of heroic breakthrough . I mean, come on, 63 years to crack this thing? That's just ridiculous. And let's be real, Schrader's confession wasn't exactly like he was saying "I'm guilty!" in a dramatic courtroom moment. No, he just quietly confessed to his stepson and expected him to cover for him . And now we're supposed to feel all warm fuzzy inside about justice being served? Give me a break . This is just another example of how people always seem to find the one guy with a dark past who's connected to an old cold case and suddenly it's solved . Just peachy .

I'm so relieved that this cold case has finally been solved . It's just heartbreaking to think about what happened to Carol Ann all those years ago . The fact that her family gets to have some closure is truly a blessing . I do wish they had caught him sooner, though - 6 decades is way too long for someone to be committing such heinous crimes . But I guess it's a reminder of how technology and forensic science are getting better over time . The confession from Schrader's stepson was a game-changer, no doubt about it . It's just sickening to think about the abuse that guy inflicted on so many people .

I feel bad for William Schrader , he was already serving time for other violent crimes before they pinned this on him too. It's crazy how one confession from his stepson changed everything . I think it's messed up that people judge someone based on what their family members do or say . The fact that Robert Leblanc came forward with those confessions is really admirable, but also super scary for him and his family . We should be giving credit to Missanelli's uncle too for helping get this case reopened.

I'm seeing this news and it's just soooo sad . The whole thing is just crazy - 63 years old and still not knowing who did it... but then they found out ! William Schrader, a serial child abuser, was the one all along. It's like he thought he could get away with it forever .

I feel for Carol Ann Dougherty's family and her sister Kay, who's finally getting some closure after so many years of not knowing what happened to her sister . And I'm just thinking about how many other people might have been affected by Schrader's actions... it's just so messed up .

[ Diagram of a broken heart with a serial killer symbol overlaid on top ]

idk why ppl think its cool 2 make light of childs death but this guy schrader was literally a monster he had a history of violence & abused kids for yrs & got away w/it till now 2002 cant come soon enough 4 him 2 die in prison anyway its good 2 know whos responsible now hope the Dougherty family gets some kinda closure

omg what a dark day in america's history 60 yrs too late for carol ann but glad her family finally got some answers tho it's wild that schrader was able to confess after carol anns death & still managed to live life like nothin was wrong... his legacy is def one of the worst human beings i've ever read about can u even imagine how many other lives he ruined besides carol ann?

Finally! Justice has come to Carol Ann Dougherty after 63 long years . Schrader's DNA was enough to bring him down . A confession from his own stepson is what cracked the case . How many more lives will be ruined because of his heinous crimes? And the fact that he confessed to killing another girl at a church... still gives me chills . The Dougherty family deserves closure and it's been coming for decades . Good on Missanelli for keeping the case in the spotlight . Now let's hope his legacy is remembered as one of evil, not in some twisted way .

it's crazy how some cases can just get cold and then suddenly get reopened. i mean, 63 years is a looong time to not know what happened to carol ann . but seriously, the fact that investigators were able to track down schrader's stepson and get a confession from him is just mind-blowing. it's like he was just waiting for someone to crack under pressure or something . and now that we know what really happened, i can only imagine how hard it must be for the dougherty family to finally get some closure . but at the same time, it's still wild to think about how many other cases like this are out there just waiting to be solved

This is insane! Some dude who was like 10 when Carol Ann got murdered is now known to have confessed to killing her . And get this, he had a whole thing going on where he abused and killed all these young girls . I mean, what's even more messed up is that this guy was only caught because his own stepson told the cops everything . Like, who does that? His stepson basically took down a serial killer with a confession from his own dad . The fact that it took 60+ years to catch him is just wild . I hope justice is served now and that Carol Ann's family finally gets some closure

I cant even imagine how much pain the Dougherty family must've gone through all these years... it's like, this guy was living right under their noses and nobody suspected a thing until now? It's so crazy that some dude's stepson came forward with a confession and turned out to be the key to solving the case. That takes a lot of guts, you know?

And omg, the fact that they matched Schrader's DNA to the pubic hair found at the crime scene was like, the final piece of the puzzle I mean, it's just so satisfying to see justice finally served after all these years. It's a reminder that even though time may pass, truth and accountability can still prevail. Fingers crossed that this case brings some closure to the family and helps others who might've been affected by similar crimes

Still can't believe they found out who did it after all these years... 63 years is a long time to not have answers . I'm just glad that justice has finally been served for Carol Ann's family, even if it's late in the game . It's heartbreaking thinking about what happened to her and how he must've lived with those demons his whole life. And now we know that he had a history of violence, which is even more disturbing... . The fact that someone would confess years later just shows you that these kinds of people don't take responsibility for their actions and will do whatever it takes to avoid getting caught . At least the investigators were able to track down some leads through Robert Leblanc's confession, which was a game changer...

I gotta say, I'm all about this new development . It's wild to think that 60+ years after Carol Ann went missing, we've finally got a name and some semblance of closure for her family . The fact that it took a confession from Schrader's stepson to crack the case is pretty eerie... I mean, in a good way? But seriously, what kind of childhood does someone grow up with enough darkness to commit such atrocities? And it's messed up that his stepson had to be like "hey, dad's a serial killer" . Anyway, glad justice is finally being served

the fact that it took 63 years for the killer in this case to be identified is just mind-blowing, you know? i mean, we've come so far with dna testing and technology and all that, but sometimes it still feels like justice is a really slow process. and the way they finally cracked the case was through a confession from schrader's stepson... that's wild, right? especially since he had confessed to killing another little girl years after her death. it's just heartbreaking to think about all the pain and suffering he caused those families.

i also want to give some props to missanelli for producing that podcast series that helped revive interest in the case. it's amazing what can be done with determination and a passion for justice. and i'm glad that kay dougherty was able to find some closure, even if it is 63 years later. it's just not right that we have to wait so long for answers in cases like this.

anyway... schrader's legacy is definitely one that we don't want to remember too much. he's a sick individual who caused so much harm and trauma, and it's good that he's finally held accountable for his actions. let's hope that this case serves as a reminder of the importance of perseverance and justice, even in the face of adversity.

.. this case is super messed up . I feel bad for Carol Ann and her family but at the same time, it's kinda interesting that it took so long to crack... I mean, 63 years? It's like he was just able to fly under the radar that whole time . And can you believe his stepson's confession basically solved the case? Like what would make him do that? . The fact that he confessed to killing another girl at a church all those years later is wild too... it's like he just couldn't help himself, you know? . I guess it's good that justice has finally been served but it's also kinda sad that this guy was able to lead such a twisted life without getting caught sooner .