Carol Ann Dougherty, seen here holding her younger sister, Kay, was killed in October 1962. Read more Courtesy Bucks County District Attorney's Office

by Vinny Vella Published Oct. 29, 2025, 3:43 p.m. ET

Nearly 63 years to the day that Carol Ann Dougherty was raped and murdered inside the Bristol church that was a fixture in her community and her family’s life, Bucks County officials publicly identified her killer.

William Schrader, “an absolute predator” with a documented history of sexually abusing children, killed Carol Ann inside the choir loft of St. Mark’s Catholic Church on Oct. 22, 1962, District Attorney Jen Schorn said at a news conference Wednesday.

Schrader, who was long considered a suspect in the cold case, died in 2002 at 62 years old after serving time in a

See Full Page