CROWN POINT, Ind. (AP) — A Kentucky man has been charged in the 1994 rape and murder of a northwestern Indiana woman found strangled to death with an electrical cord.
Sixty-year-old Gerald L. Smith of Madisonville, Kentucky, is charged with rape and murder in the killing of 69-year-old Gloria Hansell of Gary, Indiana.
Hansell, a widow who lived alone and relied on an in-home oxygen machine, was found dead in her home in June 1994. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled with an electrical cord attached to a box fan.
The Times of Northwest Indiana reports Smith was charged after his DNA matched DNA obtained from Hansell's sexual assault kit.
Latest Stories
-
Fever prepares for first home playoff game since 2016 with red-out
The Indiana Fever is hosting a red-out at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for their first home playoff game since 2016, with red shirts placed on every seat for fans.Cardi B announces Indianapolis stop on first tour in six years
GRAMMY Award-winning rapper Cardi B announced her first tour in six years, with a stop planned for downtown Indianapolis on Saturday, March 14, 2026.Taste the best of Indy at Indianapolis Monthly's 2025 Best Restaurants Event
The annual celebration brings together the best eateries and chefs from across central Indiana Sept. 22 at the Stutz building. WRTV's Kaitlyn Kendall got to experience one chef's creations in-person.Fountain Square homeless encampment to close by Thursday, OPHS says
The Office of Public Health and Safety confirms the Leonard Street encampment in Fountain Square will be fully closed by September 18.