A shocking cold case from almost six decades ago has finally seen a breakthrough, as 79-year-old James Barbier has been arrested for the murder of 18-year-old Karen Snider, who was brutally stabbed more than 120 times in her suburban Chicago home in 1966.
Karen Snider’s husband, Paul Snider, discovered her lifeless body on the night of November 12, 1966, in their Calumet City, Illinois home. The case remained unsolved for years until police reopened it in 2022 and found a DNA match between the blood at the crime scene and Barbier.
Barbier, who had worked with Paul Snider at a railroad yard, was initially arrested in 1966 but was never charged. However, recent advancements in forensic technology led to his arrest at his home in Missouri on Monday, where he was charged with first-degree murder.
The gruesome details of the crime reveal that Karen Snider was stabbed around 125 times while her two-month-old daughter was unharmed in a crib nearby. The state attorney’s office stated that Barbier arrived home that night with cuts and blood on him, immediately washing his clothes in an attempt to cover up the crime.
Despite being released on Thursday due to his age and physical condition, Barbier is restricted from leaving Missouri or Illinois and must surrender his passport and firearms. He is set to appear in court on May 21, facing the long-awaited justice for the heinous crime committed over half a century ago.