Nearly 40-Year-Old Cold Case Solved as Cops Use DNA to Track Down 8-Year-Old's Killer

For nearly 40 years, no one knew what happened to 8-year-old Kelly Ann Prosser. The Ohio girl was kidnapped as she walked home from Indianola elementary school in September 1982. She was never seen alive again. 

Thanks to DNA technology, homicide detectives say they were finally able to crack the case and determine Harold Warren Jarrell was guilty of the brutal murder.

Jarrell, who was originally from West Virginia, has since died.

Kelly Ann’s body was discovered two days later in a Plain City cornfield, and showed evidence that she was sexually assaulted and beaten before her death.

"There's a lot of law enforcement officers current and past that never forgot about this case," Columbus Police Deputy Chief Tim Becker said, according to WSYX.

Jarrell worked odd jobs and also at a local radio station. He had just been released from prison for another child abduction ahead of Kelly Ann’s disappearance.

Jarrell still has living relatives, and police were able to crack the case using samples of their DNA.

Kelly Ann’s family had been heavily involved in the case and authorities said they were happy to finally be able to provide an answer, despite being unable to bring Jarrell to justice for his crimes.

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