Summary
On Tuesday, January 8th, 1985, 62-year-old Hokie Shepherd, a retired school teacher who lived alone at 1100 E. Caswell St. in Kinston, North Carolina, was found murdered in her home by a friend. The Kinston Police Department responded to the scene and determined that Shepherd had died from an apparent gunshot wound and assault. Her 1983 burgundy Cadillac had also been stolen, which was eventually found at a local elementary school. Despite countless hours of investigations, the person responsible for Hokie’s brutal attack and murder could not be identified.
While forensic DNA testing was in its infancy at the time of Shepherd’s murder, investigators did successfully collect evidence that could be used in future testing. Over the years, the investigation was revisited as advancements in forensic science were made. An STR profile was eventually developed from evidence collected at the crime scene and entered into CODIS. The CODIS search did not yield a match, and Hokie’s assault and murder went unsolved for decades.
In 2023, the Kinston Police Department, in collaboration with the FBI and NCSBI, submitted forensic evidence to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas in hopes that advanced DNA testing could help to identify the male suspect in the case. Othram scientists used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown suspect. After successfully completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to the FBI's forensic genetic genealogy team and the FBI team performed the necessary work to generate new investigative leads in the case.
Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted, leading investigators to potential relatives of the man. This investigation allowed investigators to narrow in on the suspect, who was identified as Thomas Williams Wade Jr. At the time of the offense, Thomas was 28 years old and was initially interviewed as a potential person of interest. Shortly after the crime, he relocated from the Kinston area and lived the rest of his life in Granville County, where he passed away in 2007. If Thomas was alive today, he would have been charged with 1st degree murder as well as larceny for the theft of Shepherd's car.
The identification of Thomas Williams Wade Jr. represents the 11th case in the State of North Carolina where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Most recently in Reidsville, North Carolina, Jesse Eugene Settle, who died in a house fire, was identified in 2024.
Michael Vogen
Director of Case Management
Michael works with law enforcement agencies throughout the United States and Canada on “unsolvable“ cases that can benefit from advanced DNA testing methods. He helps these agencies use cutting edge DNA sequencing and new forensic techniques to develop investigative leads for their cases.