The Murder of Katherine Devine
Katherine Merry Devine, Kathy to friends, was a 14-year-old schoolgirl. Described as soft-hearted and poetic she lived in Seattle with her family.
On 25th November 1973, Katherine was last seen hitchhiking by friends in Seattle, she had just broken up with her boyfriend and wanted to visit relatives in a neighbouring city. Her family realised she was missing but reported her as a runaway.
Katherine's sister, Sherrie, was watching television weeks after her younger sister disappeared and saw a body had been found in a campground. Sherrie recognised the clothing as Katherine's and the body was able to be identified.
Katherine's throat had been slashed and she was laying face down, her underwear had been ripped and cut open and she had been subjected to a violent assault.
For years the case remained unsolved and it was heavily speculated that Katherine had been a victim of serial killer Ted Bundy despite Bundy's denial. 28 years after Katherine went missing the case took a surprising twist- authorities revealed DNA testing had identified 55-year-old William E Cosden Jr as Katherine's killer. Cosden was already in prison for rape and had a history of sexual violence.
Further evidence revealed that Cosden had been seen with what looked like bloodstains on his shirt in the early hours of 26th November at a truck stop frequented by young hitchhikers. Cosden had been a suspect for a long time but finally, the DNA evidence was strong enough for a conviction- he was charged and found guilty of Katherine's murder.