Naperville police charge man in 1972 murder of 15-year-old girl
NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Naperville police on Friday charged a man in the 1972 murder of a 15-year-old girl.
Barry Lee Whepley, 76, was arrested Wednesday for the murder of Julie Ann Hanson whose body was found in a field near 87th Street and Modaff Road almost 50 years ago.
Investigators said at the time that she had been stabbed 36 times and sexually assaulted.
No suspect was initially identified in the case and police continued to investigate the murder over the next half century before Friday's charges.
Whepley was 27 at the time of Hanson's disappearance and lived within a mile from her home.
He is now charged with first-degree murder in Hanson's death.
Barry Lee Whepley (left) and Julie Ann Hanson | Naperville police
Naperville police said DNA and genealogy databases led them to charge Whepley.
"This horrific crime has haunted this family, this community and this department for 49 years," said Naperville Police Chief Robert Marshall. "The investigation and resulting charges were truly a team effort that spanned decades, and I could not be more proud of the determination and resourcefulness of our investigators, both past and present, who never gave up on Julie."
Whepley, who lives in Mounds View, Minnesota, will be extradited to Illinois.
His bond was set at $10 million.