DNA From 1986 Led Police to a Suspect 40 Years Later

Teresa Ann Houck was 23 when she was found dead in Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park in October 1986. Investigators preserved biological evidence from the case, but decades passed without a publicly identified suspect. In 2005, forensic testing produced a male DNA profile that was entered into CODIS. For almost 20 more years, there was no publicly announced match. Then, in September 2025, Maryland authorities reported a high-stringency DNA database match to David Alexander Williams. Investigators later obtained a new DNA sample from Williams, and prosecutors say laboratory testing confirmed him as the sole contributor of biological evidence recovered during Teresa’s autopsy. In September 2026, Williams was charged with first-degree murder and related offenses. David Alexander Williams has been charged, not convicted, and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. This WatchCaseveil documentary reconstructs Teresa Houck’s final known timeline and explains how evidence preserved in 1986 eventually became central to an active prosecution nearly four decades later. Subscribe to WatchCaseveil for evidence-led cold cases, disappearances, and unresolved investigations. Chapters 00:00 Evidence From 1986 00:31 Teresa Houck’s Final Night 01:10 The Druid Hill Park Discovery 01:42 Evidence Preserved for Decades 02:06 A DNA Profile Is Created 02:39 Why CODIS Had No Answer 03:03 The 2025 DNA Match 03:40 Investigators Obtain a New Sample 04:08 What the Lab Confirmed 04:35 DNA Match vs. Proof of Murder 04:58 The 2026 Murder Charge 05:13 Nearly 40 Years Later #TeresaHouck #ColdCase #TrueCrime