Where is Courteney Swartz now? All about Cathy Swartz’s daughter ahead of 20/20 on ABC

Courteney Swartz was just nine months old when her mother, 19-year-old Cathy Swartz, was murdered in their Three Rivers apartment in Michigan on December 2, 1988. Authorities discovered Cathy’s body inside the home, while Courteney was found unharmed in another room, as per Wilcox Newspapers, dated March 4, 2025.

The case remained unsolved for over three decades despite extensive forensic investigations, including fingerprint and DNA testing. In 2023, advancements in forensic genetic genealogy led to the identification of Robert Waters as the primary suspect according to Detroit News (May 1, 2023).

Courteney Swartz had hoped to see her mother’s killer face justice in court, but Waters died by suicide in a South Carolina jail days after his arrest, as noted in WoodTV, June 22, 2023. Now 36 years old, Courteney works as an activities assistant at Edgewood Manor Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Port Clinton, Ohio.

As ABC’s 20/20 revisits the case on March 7, 2025, the episode will explore how DNA technology helped solve her mother’s murder, and will provide insights into Courteney Swartz’s life today.

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In 2009, Courteney Swartz began a long-term relationship with Rob Jones, whom she considers her soulmate

Representative Image of Investigation (Image via Getty)

Courteney Swartz, the daughter of Cathy Swartz, has built a stable life despite the tragedy that defined her early years. In 2009, she began dating Rob Jones, and the two have remained together through the challenges of life.

Their relationship deepened over time, and in 2021, they got engaged. While they have not yet married, they share a life, raising their four children- two sons, Petey and Solo Jones, and two daughters, Rosie and Amaya Jones.

Beyond her personal life, Courteney Swartz has pursued a career that allows her to balance work and family. She previously worked at American Axle & Manufacturing before taking on a role at Edgewood Manor Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in September 2024.

As an Activities Assistant at the facility, Courteney Swartz manages professional responsibilities while also prioritizing her family.

Courteney Swartz was only nine months old when her mother, Cathy Swartz, was found murdered in their Three Rivers, Michigan, apartment on December 2, 1988.

Representative Image of Investigation (Image via Getty)

The 19-year-old mother had been brutally beaten, stabbed, and strangled, while Courteney was left unharmed in another room. Her fiancé at the time discovered the crime scene when he returned home from work, as per Wilcox Newspapers, March 4, 2025.

Investigators initially had little to work with beyond blood, fingerprints, and a footprint left at the scene. Cathy had fought back against her attacker, leaving defensive wounds on her body, and police suspected the killer may have been injured during the assault, as noted in wmich.edu.

However, despite extensive investigations, the case remained unsolved for more than three decades. Even after the introduction of the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) in the 2000s, there was still no match to the DNA found at the crime scene, as per Wilcox Newspapers.

In 2022, forensic genetic genealogy provided a breakthrough. Police, working alongside Michigan State Police and forensic experts, were able to narrow down the suspect pool to a single family. Interviews, fingerprinting, and DNA testing eventually identified 53-year-old Robert Waters as the prime suspect reported in Detroit News, on May 1, 2023.

Waters had lived in Michigan at the time of the murder but later moved to South Carolina. When confronted, he was taken into custody on April 30, 2023. For Courteney Swartz, the arrest of Robert Waters was a long-awaited moment. Courteney Swartz had spent years hoping her mother's killer would be brought to justice.

When she learned of his capture, she prepared herself to see him in court and confront him. She wanted him to acknowledge her presence.

“I’m the baby; here I am 35 years later,” she said as per WoodTV on June 22, 2023.

However, before she could face him, Waters died by suicide in a South Carolina jail just five days after his arrest, as per WoodTV on June 22, 2023. Waters’ death left Courteney with unanswered questions. She had planned to ask him how he had been able to live a normal life for decades after committing such a brutal act.

“Just how could you do that, especially with her own baby in the room next, in the apartment? You left her in there, you left me in there, and then to just leave and act like nothing ever even happened,” she said (WoodTV, June 22, 2023).

The technology that led to Waters’ arrest was critical in finally closing the case. Unlike traditional DNA databases that rely on prior criminal records, forensic genealogy allowed investigators to analyze familial connections and trace unknown suspects through relatives’ DNA profiles.

According to Three Rivers Police Detective Sam Smallcombe, Waters had managed to avoid law enforcement detection for 35 years because he had never been fingerprinted or had his DNA entered into official databases.

“I truly believe without [genealogy testing], we would have never solved this case,” Smallcombe stated (Wilcox Newspapers, March 4, 2025).

Waters was ultimately found to have acted alone in Cathy Swartz’s murder. After his death, Three Rivers Police Chief Scott Boling stated:

“The forensic evidence and investigation indicated that Robert Waters acted alone and was responsible for the death of Cathy Swartz” (Wilcox Newspapers, March 4, 2025).

ABC’s 20/20 is set to air an episode on March 7, 2025, detailing how forensic genetic genealogy helped solve two long-standing cold cases, one of them being Cathy Swartz’s murder. The program will also examine the 1995 Texas murder of Mary Catherine Edwards and how similar DNA techniques led to the resolution of that case, as reported in Wilcox Newspapers.

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Stay tuned for more updates.