Police in Naperville, Illinois announced Friday that a Mounds View man has been arrested and charged in the 1972 murder of a Naperville teen.
Barry Lee Whelpley, 76, of Mounds View was arrested in Minnesota on Wednesday and charged with three counts of first-degree murder for the stabbing death of Julie Ann Hanson.
Investigators say Hanson disappeared on July 8, 1972 and was found the same day in a field in Naperville. Hanson, who was 15 years old at the time, died from multiple stab wounds.
The case sat cold for 49 years until a breakthrough came through technological advancements in DNA and genetic genealogy analysis.
Whelpley, a former resident of Naperville, was 27 at the time of the murder and investigators say he lived within a mile of Hanson's residence.
“This horrific crime has haunted this family, this community and this department for 49 years,” said Naperville Police Chief Robert Marshall. “The investigation and resulting charges were truly a team effort that spanned decades, and I could not be more proud of the determination and resourcefulness of our investigators, both past and present, who never gave up on Julie.”
If anyone has additional information regarding this investigation, they are encouraged to contact the Naperville Police Department at (630) 420-6665 and ask for the Investigations Division.
Whelpley's being held on $10,000,000 bond.