How a drop of blood helped solve 33-year-old murder case of George and Catherine Peacock
DANBY, VERMONT: A 33-year-old unsolved murder case was finally closed on Thursday, October 13. Police apprehended a man who was allegedly linked to the fatal stabbing of George Peacock, 76, and his wife, Catherine Peacock, 73, in their home in Danby in 1989. The murders remained unsolved even though authorities had a suspect but lacked evidence. It all changed when the Vermont police nabbed Michael Anthony Louise, who was the Peacocks’ son-in-law at the time.
Vermont State Police officials announced the arrest of Louise, 79, of Liverpool, New York. At the time, police found no signs of forced entry and assumed that they were murdered by someone they knew. Their statement reads, "They had been stabbed multiple times, and there were no signs of forced entry or items of significance having been removed from the house." The police explained that the accused was married to one of Peacock's daughters and was identified as a suspect as quickly as two weeks later, but the lack of evidence kept him safe until May 2020 which is when a single drop of blood was found in Louise’s car a month after the crime and was linked to Peacock.
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The statement further read, "Forensic testing in May 2020 confirmed a DNA match to George Peacock in a spot of blood found inside Louise’s car in October 1989. The blood sample had been tested previously during the investigation, as DNA testing technology was emerging, and that earlier test had been inconclusive." Syracuse.com revealed that Peacock was found at the bottom of the first-floor stairway in a large pool of blood and Catherine was found dead facedown in an upstairs bathroom. The arrest affidavit obtained by the outlet explained that Peacock was involved in a struggle.
The police statement obtained by the outlet revealed that Louise and his wife were interviewed by police the next day and the accused claimed that he was driving back to Vermont from Syracuse at the time. However, he grew tired and decided to turn around and used a rental for the rest of the journey. After a relentless search for the original car, the cops found a dark red/brown stain on the driver's side floor mat which was not connected to Louise until recently. After two years of conducting additional interviews and gathering more information, the police found enough evidence to apply for an arrest warrant on October 11. The outlet further reported that Lousie agreed to the extrication to Vermont at an arrangement hearing which was on Friday, October 14. Louise was wheelchair-ridden. The cops had two weeks to bring him back to Vermont while Louise's Defense Attorney Charles Keller claimed in court that his client was more than eager to go back and contest his charges and allegations.
The affidavit further explained Louise's conflicting statement that made him a suspect in the first place. George's body was found when he was not seen picking up his newspaper, which was his daily routine. On the other hand, Louise told his wife that he was going to stop at her parents' house to pick up wood as he dropped her off at work. However, when questioned by the police, Louise said that he randomly stopped by the house to pick up wood, contradicting his own statement.