The upcoming episode of “Cold Case Files: DNA Speaks” on A&E examines the tragic death of 30-year-old Susan Woods from Stephenville, Texas. On July 28, 1987, Susan’s father, Joe Atkins, made a grim discovery – Susan’s body was found submerged in a bathtub filled with water. Her absence from work for two consecutive shifts had prompted her employer to alert Atkins.
The investigation initially focused on Susan’s estranged husband, Michael Woods, as a potential suspect. However, a breakthrough came nearly two decades later when it was revealed that Michael’s fingerprints did not match those found at the crime scene. This led cold case detectives to turn to the FBI’s electronic national fingerprint database, which identified Joseph Scott Hatley as a match in 2006.
Hatley entered into a plea deal the following year and was subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of Susan Woods.
Cold Case Files: DNA Speaks – Death of a Yellow Rose airs on Friday, July 26, 2024, at 9:00 PM on A&E.
