Plymouth County District Attorney's Office, Brockton Police Department, & Massachusetts State Police Team with Othram to Identify Donna Bell's 1993 Attacker

After 32 years, the suspect who assaulted Donna Bell in 1993 in Brockton, Massachusetts has been identified as Robert Carey, who is now known to have killed another woman two years prior.
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Published April 23, 2026 by Dan Miller
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Summary

In April 1993, Donna Bell was sexually assaulted by an unidentified man in Brockton, Massachusetts, which is located in Plymouth County. Donna fought her attacker and was able to escape, surviving the brutal attach. The Brockton Police Department responded, collecting evidence and launching an investigation. As part of the investigation, an STR DNA profile and uploaded to CODIS. Investigators were able to connect the DNA profile of Bell's attacker to a DNA profile collected from the unsolved 1991 murder of 28-year-old Cherie Bishop. Despite an exhaustive investigation, no suspect was identified and Donna Bell's and Cherie Bishop's cases went cold.

In 2023, the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office and Massachusetts State Police worked together to submit forensic evidence from Donna Bell's 1993 assault to Othram in The Woodlands, Texas. Othram scientists successfully developed a DNA extract from the provided evidence and then used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing® to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the suspect. Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new investigative leads that were returned to law enforcement.


Using this new information, a follow-up investigation was conducted leading investigators to potential relatives of the suspect. Reference DNA samples were collected from a relative and compared to the DNA profile of the unidentified suspect. This investigation led to the positive identification of the suspect, who is now known to be Robert Carey, born in 1960. Prosecutors say that Carey, who died in 2025 at the age of 64, lived within a few blocks of both crimes.

This case is a reminder that every piece of preserved evidence has the potential to unlock long-awaited answers. If you would like to support efforts to solve more cases like this, consider contributing your DNA data to the DNASolves database which aids law enforcement in identifying suspects and giving families the answers they deserve.

This is the 11th publicly announced case in the State of Massachusetts where officials leveraged Othram’s technology. Explore other cases on Othram’s website.

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Dan Miller

Dan Miller

Director of Customer Service

832-906-4247
2829 Technology Forest Blvd Suite 100, The Woodlands, Texas 77381
media@othram.com

Dan guides law enforcement agencies across the United States and internationally through every step of the forensic process—from crime scene to courtroom. He ensures investigators have the support and resources they need to navigate advanced DNA testing and maximize the impact of forensic evidence in their cases.

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About Othram Inc.

Othram is the world’s first private DNA laboratory built specifically to apply the power of modern parallel sequencing to forensic evidence. Othram’s scientists are experts at ... Read morerecovery, enrichment, and analysis of human DNA from trace quantities of degraded or contaminated materials. Founded in 2018, and located in The Woodlands, Texas, our team works with academic researchers, forensic scientists, medical examiners, and law enforcement agencies to achieve results when other approaches have failed. Follow Othram on Twitter @OthramTech or visit Othram.com to learn how we can help you with your case. With dnasolves.com anyone can make a difference and help solve the next cold case.