Many cases throughout history will go unsolved, but sometimes the authorities and families catch a break and suddenly they have a suspect.

Today we're digging back into the past to look at some strange and scary stories.

There are five cold cases from the 80s finally solved.

And number five, Risa Trexler. It's been 36 years since Riesa Trexler's horrific murder.

After a strenuous investigation, the case went cold for three and a half decades,

and only recently, with the use of DNA and genetic genealogy

investigators were able to shed light on who killed the young girl.

Back on June 15th of 1984 a gruesome scene unfolded in North Carolina.

15-year-old Risa was found in her bedroom at her grandparents' house.

She had been stabbed multiple times.

Some of the blows were so violent that her spinal cord had been completely severed.

The steel blade was still lodged in Trexler's right shoulder, but left behind was the DNA from the killer after he had assaulted her.

But back then, DNA wasn't a huge factor in solving a lot of crimes. The initial investigations went nowhere

and so for over three decades the case just sat cold. The rumors were rampant around the small town of Salisbury about who could have committed such a gruesome act.

Some even said that Trexler's sister, who was 13 years old at the time, was the culprit. She would go on to appear on the doctor Phil's show in 2018 to take a polygraph test to prove her innocence.

That appearance sparked new interest in the case.

According to Sergeant Travis Schullenberger from the Salisbury PD,

detectives went back and reviewed the evidence, conducted interviews, and collected DNA samples to try to solve this seemingly impossible case.

With the use of genetic genealogy, detectives were actually able to find a match the DNA left behind in Trexler's body

and so now the authorities were able to determine who the prime suspect was.

He was a man in his 40s during the time. who the prime suspect was.

He was a man in his 40s during the time of the crime, but according to police,

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