The Boone County Sheriff's Office says detectives have the DNA of the person who killed a Florence couple more than a year ago. Officers released new information on Thursday morning in the case of Bill and Peggy Stephenson at a news conference in front of the condo where they died.
The Stephenson's bodies were found in their Oakbrook condo on May 29, 2011, after the 74 year olds failed to show up for church.
Today, officers said they have the killer's DNA and the profile has been entered into the FBI Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS. If there ever is a match, officials say they will arrest that person for the Stephenson's murder. Detectives say they are certain that the DNA they have is that of the killer's, based on where it was found in the crime scene.
Detectives also say they know the time of the Stephenson's death-between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. on that Sunday. Detectives also say they know the killer spent a "significant amount of time in the condominium afterward" arranging the crime scene in a manner they describe as "unique."
The Stephenson family also announced today that they've increased the amount of the award-to $100,000. In anticipation of tips, they've set up a dedicated phone line (859-334-8496) and created a page on our website (
www.boonecountyky.org/SO) to follow the case and provide information.
They're also placing giant banners along I-75 in hopes of tips.
Two Boone County detectives have remained on the case full time. A Sheriff's spokesperson says the pair has followed up on leads in 14 states -- from New England to Texas. They've interviewed more than 225 people, and sent pictures of the crime scene and other information to the FBI for analysis.
The Stephensons' nephew Steve is accused of killing a woman in Aurora. Officials say the DNA they collected from Bill and Peggy's condo does not belong to Steve Stephenson.
