Authorities say a South Carolina man identified through advanced DNA testing died by suicide after investigators questioned him in a long-unsolved homicide case.
NEW WINDSOR, N.Y. — A 25-year investigation into the stabbing death of a Hudson Valley hospital worker appeared to reach a major turning point this spring when authorities identified a South Carolina man as their primary suspect through DNA evidence, only for the man to die by suicide days after being interviewed.
Police announced that advances in forensic technology helped investigators connect Robert Young of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to the December 2001 killing of Nancy Smith, a 32-year-old hospital employee from New Windsor. The case had remained unsolved despite decades of investigative work, thousands of hours of detective effort and more than 1,000 leads. Officials said the identification was made possible through renewed testing of evidence collected at the crime scene, bringing long-awaited answers to surviving family members while leaving some questions unresolved.
Smith was found dead inside her New Windsor home on Dec. 5, 2001, after she failed to report to work at Horton Hospital in nearby Middletown. Concerned by her absence, family members went to check on her and discovered her body. Investigators determined that she had been fatally stabbed. The homicide shocked residents of the Orange County community and prompted an extensive investigation involving local, state and federal authorities over the following years. Detectives interviewed numerous people, reviewed evidence repeatedly and pursued hundreds of tips, but no arrest was made. As time passed, the case became one of the region’s most notable cold-case investigations. Even as leads dried up, investigators continued reviewing evidence and preserving material collected from the scene in hopes that future forensic advances might provide new answers. That possibility began to emerge more than two decades later when improvements in DNA testing created opportunities unavailable when the crime was first investigated.
According to authorities, a key piece of evidence was a single strand of hair recovered during the original investigation. Detectives said the item could not provide a definitive identification when the crime occurred because DNA technology was far less advanced at the time. In 2023, investigators submitted previously collected evidence for additional analysis using newer forensic methods. The results eventually directed detectives and FBI agents toward South Carolina. Authorities said they lawfully obtained a DNA sample from a person believed to have potential ties to the case. Testing later indicated that the DNA profile matched the hair recovered from Smith’s residence. New Windsor Police Chief Daniel Valeri said investigators were surprised that such a small piece of evidence ultimately became the breakthrough that moved the case forward. Officials have not publicly disclosed every detail of the forensic process, but they said the scientific findings gave them confidence that Young was connected to the homicide. Investigators also said they believe Young and Smith may have crossed paths at a music venue in the Poughkeepsie area years before the killing, though the exact nature of any relationship remains unclear.
For Smith’s family, the announcement marked the latest chapter in a tragedy that stretched across nearly a quarter century. Smith was remembered by relatives and friends as a caring daughter, sister and aunt whose death left a lasting void. She graduated from Newburgh Free Academy and later earned degrees from SUNY Oneonta and Marist College before working in hospital administration. Family members described years of uncertainty as investigators searched for answers. During a recent public briefing, Smith’s sister, Barbara Stolfe, reflected on the emotional impact of the case and the memories left behind after the killing. She spoke about the grief experienced by their parents, who died in 2024 without seeing the case formally resolved. Stolfe also recalled difficult conversations with her young son after the homicide. The passage of time did not erase the effects of the crime, she said, and each major development reopened old wounds while also renewing hope that investigators would someday identify the person responsible.
The investigation accelerated in early 2026 after authorities concluded that the DNA evidence pointed to Young. Law enforcement agencies from multiple jurisdictions coordinated efforts to interview him. Police said Young was questioned in April by investigators from the New Windsor Police Department, New York State Police and the FBI. During that interview, officials said, Young denied involvement in Smith’s death. Investigators returned to New York and began consulting with prosecutors regarding potential next steps. Before any criminal charges could be filed, however, authorities in South Carolina informed New York investigators that Young had died by suicide. His death effectively ended the possibility of a criminal prosecution. Police nevertheless said they remain convinced that the evidence identifies him as the person responsible for Smith’s killing. Because no trial occurred, many details that might have emerged through court proceedings may never become public. Authorities have also acknowledged that they still do not know the motive behind the attack.
The announcement brought a mix of relief and sorrow to those who followed the case over the years. Investigators described the development as the result of persistence and technological progress rather than a sudden breakthrough. Officials noted that detectives continued revisiting evidence long after many cold cases would have gone dormant. Community members who remembered Smith said the news reopened memories of a crime that once generated widespread concern throughout the region. Family members expressed gratitude to the investigators who remained committed to the case across multiple generations of law enforcement personnel. At the same time, the suspect’s death means some questions may never be answered directly. Authorities said they expect to continue reviewing records connected to the investigation and to preserve the findings that led them to Young. For Smith’s relatives, the identification provides a measure of certainty after years of waiting, even if it cannot fully resolve the loss that began in December 2001.
Officials say the homicide investigation has largely reached its conclusion, with forensic findings identifying a suspect but no criminal case expected because of Young’s death. Law enforcement agencies have indicated they will continue documenting the evidence and communicating with Smith’s family as the case file is finalized.
Author note: Last updated May 29, 2026.