A 79-year-old man has been charged with murder of an 18-year-old woman who was stabbed more than 120 times in her suburban Chicago home almost six decades ago.

Karen Snider was found dead by her husband Paul Snider on the night of 12 November 1966 after he returned late to their house in Calumet City, Illinois.

James Barbier was arrested at his home in Missouri on Monday and charged with first-degree murder.

Police reopened the case in 2022 and sent items from the scene, including the victim’s dress and blood-stained bedsheet, for testing, according to Sky News’ US partner network, NBC News.

The blood matched Barbier’s DNA and following his arrest he was extradited to Illinois.

Mrs Snider was stabbed about 125 times, according to the medical examiner, while her two-month-old daughter was in a crib, unharmed.

Barbier, who worked with her husband at a railroad yard, was arrested in 1966 but never charged.

Baby among at least five killed as tornadoes leave trail of destruction in central US

Jason Karels: US man pleads guilty to killing his three children

Father of freed teen hostage shares update on her condition – as Hamas issues video of release

“The defendant arrived home and appeared nervous and was observed by her to have cuts on him, blood on him and blood on his clothes,” the state attorney’s office said.

“The defendant went inside their home right away, took off his clothes and put them in the washing machine.”

Read more from Sky News:
Bodies found in search for Australian brothers missing in Mexico
Health warning issued as heatwave grips South and Southeast Asia

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

The state’s attorney office said Barbier was released on Thursday after prosecutors did not seek to keep him in jail because of his age and “physical infirmity”.

But he is prohibited from leaving Missouri or Illinois and was required to give up his passport and firearms.

It was not clear if Barbier has an attorney and he faces another court hearing on 21 May.

Related posts:

Giuliani’s law licence suspended in New York after ‘uncontroverted evidence’ he made false statements Human remains found in Florida wilderness belong to Gabby Petito’s fiance, FBI confirms British engineer and his family’s death in California caused by extreme heat – not toxic algae Robert Durst charged with murder of former wife who vanished in 1982 ‘Genocide is happening’: US basketballer further criticises China over Uyghur human rights abuses Alec Baldwin film shooting: Police investigate premises of firearms supplier over live rounds on the set Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed as first black woman to sit on US Supreme Court Murder suspect and teenage daughter killed in police shootout Man executed for killing girlfriend and three children despite claiming innocence US vote to end one of few remaining COVID travel requirements Man arrested after ‘allowing 10-year-old son to drive pick-up truck on freeway’ Biden says US will ‘respond’ after three American troops are killed in drone attack in Jordan