The state and the FBI agreed, and in July 2021, an FBI agent specializing in genetic family tree instructed Suffolk County detectives she’d discovered a distant relative of the unknown suspect, together with a final title: Rice. Working on that information, detectives landed on Herbert Rice, who was lengthy lifeless. Unable to get a DNA pattern to affirm their idea, they tracked down one in all his sons. After failing to accumulate a DNA pattern from him covertly, Bottari, the detective, knocked on the son’s door and instructed him what they have been attempting to do.
The son mentioned he hadn’t been shut to his father and allowed the detective to swab his cheek, Bottari mentioned. The DNA pattern verified in late August that the son’s father was the killer.
Bottari instructed the son and his mom, who stuffed in additional of the story.
At the time of the homicide, the son’s mom mentioned, she had kicked Rice out of their home, in accordance to detectives. Rice had moved in together with his mom, who lived about 4 homes from the yard the place Eve Wilkowitz’s physique was found on March 25, 1980, detectives mentioned. In the case file, detectives noticed that Rice’s mom had been questioned by police who canvassed the neighborhood. She instructed them she hadn’t seen something, Bottari mentioned.
Rice’s son had executed nothing incorrect, however he instructed detectives he nonetheless wished he may apologize to Wilkowitz’s household, police mentioned.
Rice’s son couldn’t instantly be reached for remark. The son’s mom declined to remark.
Unanswered questions
On Dec. 6, Bottari and a sergeant from the murder unit visited Irene Wilkowitz in Rhode Island to inform her what they’d discovered.
Wilkowitz, who works as a nanny, shares an condo with her son, as a result of she stays afraid to reside alone. Knowing the probabilities of a breakthrough have been slim, she thought that the detectives have been most likely coming to say they’d hit a closing lifeless finish. She launched them to Evan and made small speak whereas Bottari used FaceTime to patch within the FBI agent who’d executed the genealogical investigation.
“These are the most exciting kinds of visits we can do, to give a family some sort of answer,” Bottari mentioned. “Especially for her. We had decades of detectives who worked on this.”
Wilkowitz cried in her son’s arms whereas the detectives gave her Rice’s title and birthdate. They instructed her how they’d figured it out. It amazed her.
She thanked the detectives, and after about half-hour, they left. Wilkowitz leaned towards her kitchen island for some time, crying. Still shaking, she known as Beyrer and thanked him.
Wilkowitz mentioned she was open to speaking to Rice’s son. Bottari tried connecting them. The son has instructed detectives he’s contemplating it, Bottari mentioned.
“I just want to say thank you,” Wilkowitz mentioned, “and how sorry I feel for him and his family to know that a family member is responsible for a crime like this and they have to live knowing that. It’s horrible for them as well.”
Before saying the case was solved, Suffolk County authorities wished to ensure they’d the best man. So they acquired a search warrant to exhume Rice’s physique. The outcomes got here again March 23, practically 42 years to the day Eve went lacking. The samples taken from the stays matched the suspect’s DNA, Bottari mentioned. It was him.
“There is no way we would have gotten to where we are today had it not been for science and genetic genealogy to let us dig deep, find family members and get us to Mr. Rice,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison mentioned.
Beyrer praised Wilkowitz for retaining consideration on the seek for the killer.
“She deserves the credit and I think she’s the star in this case,” Beyrer mentioned.
The case is now closed. But Wilkowitz nonetheless suffers from the trauma of dropping her sister, and of going many years not realizing who killed her. She nonetheless has questions that may by no means be answered.
“I can’t ask him anything — why did he do it? Why did he pick on an innocent beautiful woman who was just walking home?” Wilkowitz mentioned. “There are no real answers, no reason why.”
