What happened to Cathy Swartz? Police identify suspect in 1988 murder of teen mom

On Monday, May 1, the Three Rivers Police Department announced that they have made an arrest in the 1988 murder of Cathy Swartz, the 19-year-old who was stabbed and strangled to death while her then nine-month-old baby was in the next room. Officials have identified the prime suspect in the slaying as 53-year-old Robert Waters, who had been residing in South Carolina.

The Three Rivers Police Department noted that while the case had gone cold for more than three decades, new forensics technology allowed them to make a breakthrough.

The Daily Beast reported that on Sunday, Robert Waters was taken into police custody. The suspect is currently awaiting extradition.

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Cathy Swartz was choked to death

According to Law&Crime, Cathy Swartz was living with her boyfriend at the time of the murder. After he left home on the day of the slaying, Robert Waters supposedly entered at some point, but officials said that there was no sign of forced entry.

Mike Mohney, an investigator who looked into the case in 1988, had said that Cathy Swartz and Robert Waters engaged in a long struggle that began in the downstairs kitchen. The two appeared to fight while Swartz tried to escape upstairs, to her room.

Waters allegedly followed her before stabbing her, beating her, and ultimately choking her to death. Courtney Swartz, Cathy's daughter, was in the next room as the victim was murdered.

Later that day, Cathy Swartz's boyfriend returned to the bloody crime scene. Responding officers discovered that the killer had left behind a footprint, a fingerprint, and blood. They believed that he had changed his clothes before he left the scene of the crime.

The case went cold for decades. David Swartz, the victim's father, said that he raised Cathy's daughter Courtney with his wife. Courtney is now a mother as well.

In 2022, the case was reopened after developments in DNA technology. Authorities used the 1988 blood samples to do geanological tests, leading them to Waters' family. They ultimately began to suspect that Robert Waters was the most likely perpetrator.

In the aftermath of the announcement that Waters had been arrested, Cathy Swartz's daughter expressed her gratitude.

She wrote:

"You guys!!!!!!! I haven’t got to talk to anyone yet but I just want to reach out and say thank you soooooo much this was a long time waiting and definitely needed."

The police announced via a press release:

“While nothing can replace the loss of Cathy Swartz, and the impact this senseless tragedy has had, we hope the identification and arrest of a suspect will bring some long-awaited closure to her family and friend."

The case against Waters is currently ongoing.