"We believe there's two (suspects):" Detectives hope new technology will solve decades old cold case



WALWORTH COUNTY (WITI) -- Investigators hope an out-of-state crime lab can identify a suspect in a 32-year-old cold case. 32 years ago, Barbara Nelson's body was found in a field at Highway 11 and Bray Road near Elkhorn. Even though it has been decades, the Walworth County Sheriff's Department continues to get tips in Nelson's death, and they say they've investigated all of them. Now, they hope DNA technology will help to crack this case.

Barbara Nelson



"Barbara Nelson was a worker at a gas station back in 1982 in the Stoughton area," Walworth County Detective Robert Craig said.

Detectives believe Nelson was abducted from work. Her body was discovered five days later. She had been beaten and shot twice.

Investigators interviewed several people, but never made an arrest.

"A lot of the tips we get are ones we already have the information on. They did additional investigations, names would pop up every once in awhile, they would investigate," Craig said.

Now, 32 years later, detectives are hopeful some new DNA techniques can bright light to this cold case. They've sent some old evidence to a forensic lab in Utah.

"They have different types of tests they can run or newer techniques or newer tests. Stuff that our Crime Lab doesn't perform," Craig said.

Craig says these tests are meant to extract as much DNA as possible from a single item.

"This is a technique that's been around for five years now. Not a lot of places do it," Craig siad.

Investigators have been circulating two sketches for decades. The sketches show two men in their 20s -- as described by a witness who saw them in a dark blue or dark green truck.

Barbara Nelson cold case sketches



"I think it was a 1961 or '62 Champ pick up truck,"

Now for the first time, the Walworth County Sheriff's Office is releasing new sketches showing age progressions of the two suspects.

"We do believe there's two people, so if we get DNA on one person, that's the person we're gonna be talking to, and then that person maybe will lead us to the other person," Craig said.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact officials in Walworth County. You can do so in two ways:

Text-A-Tip to “CRIMES” (274637) then begin the message with tip4wc followed by your tip.

Go to www.tipsoft.com and go to "for citizens,” then “submit a web tip” and submit your tip. You can remain anonymous.