DNA breakthrough could solve murder of woman in 'USA's most gothic town' 33 years ago

33 years ago, the body of Shelley Watkins was plucked from the Trinity River in Texas, with her death still yet to be solved.

Her husband Jerry Mack Watkins briefly got the blame - pleading not guilty - but just days before the murder trial was set to commence, the case against him was dismissed over 'insufficient evidence'.

Now, according to true-crime podcaster and journalist Carol Dawson, significant technological upgrades mean that Watkins' killer could soon be finally identified.

Together with investigator Wes Ferguson, she discussed this 'hanging in limbo' case at length on the Unforgotten - Labor Day Ghost podcast, and through that they've managed to defrost the mystery so to speak.

"I've finally been given permission to announce that as a result of the podcast, law enforcement reengaged with this case and because there is an enormous advance in DNA technology, there are now three different law enforcement agencies deeply involved in investigating it," Dawson told The Sun US.

"I'm not allowed to say more than that, but I can say that I do truly think that finally this case is going to get resolved and that Shelley is going to receive the justice she deserves."

Shelley Watkins' murder has mystified US police since 1993 (Sandy Cripps)

Dawson went on to confirm that new evidence in the case is directly related to DNA.

"All it takes is a nanogram of DNA to produce an identification," she noted.

Back in 2024, the two podcasters revealed that DNA present on the plastic wrapping of Shelley's corpse was sent to a Californian laboratory five years prior.

A profile was successfully recovered, but it didn't match any member of the Watkins family, leading police to believe there's more than one criminal at large linked to her murder.

The mum-of-two, who hailed from Toledo, Ohio, was discovered wrapped up in the water with duct tape, and two cinder blocks weighing her down.

At least eight cuts were embedded in the back of her head, plus a ligature mark on the throat.

The 35-year-old was married with children at the time of her death (Sandy Cripps)

During the original 1993 search of the Watkins homestead, investigators came across three apparent bloodstains in the garage (where the husband and wife had argued the night she disappeared), and one near the entrance.

"The entire concrete floor of the garage where that last huge argument, that dispute took place, had been completely repainted, the driveway had been completely repaved and re-gravelled," Dawson shared.

"Shortly after our podcast aired its episode about the bloodstains in the garage and DNA, literally the next day there was a crew in that garage jack-hammering up a section of the garage floor.

"Why would you do that?" she asked. "The day after this podcast episode aired in which we pointed out the bloodstains and the possibility of getting DNA from them."

Can our great scientific advancements bring a much-delayed criminal to justice?