ABC’s 20/20 returns Friday, August 22, 2025, with a rebroadcast of its powerful two-hour special, The Code Breakers. The episode, led by co-anchor David Muir, delves into two separate but equally haunting cold cases—the 1988 murder of Cathy Swartz in Michigan and the 1995 killing of Catherine Edwards in Texas. Both cases went unsolved for decades before advancements in forensic genealogy finally revealed the killers’ identities. With interviews from victims’ families, detectives, and forensic scientists, this special report sheds light on how science and perseverance brought long-awaited answers.
Contents
- The 1988 Murder of Cathy Swartz
- The 2023 Breakthrough in the Swartz Case
- Community and Academic Collaboration in the Swartz Case
- The 1995 Killing of Catherine Edwards
- Identifying the Killer Through Forensic Genealogy
- Trial and Conviction of Clayton Foreman
- The Role of Othram and the Future of Cold Case Investigations
- Conclusion: Justice After Decades of Silence
The 1988 Murder of Cathy Swartz
Cathy Swartz was a 19-year-old mother living in Three Rivers, Michigan. On December 2, 1988, her fiancé returned home from work to a devastating scene. Cathy had been brutally beaten, stabbed, and strangled in their apartment. Nearby, her 9-month-old daughter Courteney was found unharmed in her crib, just feet from the violence.
The crime scene showed evidence of a fierce struggle. Cathy had multiple defensive wounds, suggesting she fought to protect herself—and likely her child. Detectives recovered DNA evidence, bloody fingerprints on a pink phone, and a footprint in the bathroom. Despite the wealth of physical evidence, no matches were found in national fingerprint or DNA databases. The investigation ran cold, and for over three decades, Cathy’s family, including her daughter Courteney, waited for justice.
The 2023 Breakthrough in the Swartz Case
In 2022, the Three Rivers Police Department partnered with Michigan State Police and forensic DNA lab Othram. Using forensic genealogy, Othram’s scientists narrowed the DNA evidence to four brothers, one of whom—Robert Waters—had been a childhood friend of Cathy’s fiancé. Waters, then 53, was living in Beaufort, South Carolina.
Authorities visited Waters, collected his DNA and fingerprints, and confirmed a match to the evidence found in Cathy’s apartment. He was arrested on April 30, 2023, and held in custody awaiting extradition. However, before he could face trial, Waters died by suicide in jail just days after his arrest. Although his death denied Cathy’s loved ones a courtroom resolution, the evidence left no doubt. Authorities officially closed the case, naming Waters the sole perpetrator.
Community and Academic Collaboration in the Swartz Case
Western Michigan University students played a pivotal role in assisting detectives. As part of the Cold Case Program, students organized over 10,000 documents in the case file, developed timelines, and indexed potential suspects. Their work helped streamline investigative efforts and provided valuable training in real-world criminal investigations.
Detectives credited the students’ contributions and the advanced forensic tools provided by Othram as essential in solving the case. The successful resolution demonstrated how collaboration between law enforcement, academia, and private laboratories can breathe new life into forgotten files.
The 1995 Killing of Catherine Edwards
On January 14, 1995, 31-year-old schoolteacher Catherine Edwards failed to show up for a lunch date with her parents and identical twin sister, Allison Brocato. When family members checked her home in Beaumont, Texas, they discovered Catherine’s body in the bathroom. She had been handcuffed and left facedown in the tub. There were no signs of forced entry, suggesting she may have known her killer.
Police collected DNA from the bedspread and performed a rape kit. Still, no matches appeared in the national database. With no suspects and no new leads, the case soon went cold. For years, Catherine’s family mourned without answers, holding onto hope that justice might one day be served.
Identifying the Killer Through Forensic Genealogy
In the early 2020s, Beaumont police revived the case with help from Othram. Genetic genealogist Shera LaPoint and Detective Tina Lewallen used advanced DNA sequencing and public genealogy databases to build a suspect family tree. Their research led them to Clayton Foreman, a former resident of Beaumont who had once attended the same high school as Edwards.
Further digging revealed an eerie connection: Catherine and her twin had been bridesmaids in Foreman’s 1982 wedding. Investigators also uncovered Foreman’s 1981 conviction for aggravated assault in a case with striking similarities to Edwards’ murder. He had not been entered into CODIS because his conviction predated mandatory offender DNA collection.
Trial and Conviction of Clayton Foreman
Clayton Foreman was arrested and charged with the murder of Catherine Edwards. At his 2024 trial, Paula Ramsey, the survivor of the 1981 assault, delivered compelling testimony detailing her attack and why she had chosen to speak publicly decades later. Her story underscored a chilling pattern of violence that Foreman managed to conceal for years.
The jury convicted Foreman, and he was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. He is currently appealing the decision. For Catherine’s family, especially her twin sister Allison, the conviction brought long-awaited closure.
The Role of Othram and the Future of Cold Case Investigations
Both the Swartz and Edwards cases were solved with help from Othram, a private forensic laboratory based near Houston, Texas. Founded by David and Kristen Mittelman, Othram specializes in forensic genealogy using cutting-edge DNA technology. The lab has also contributed to major investigations such as the Idaho student murders and the Gilgo Beach serial killings.
David Muir’s interview with Othram highlighted how the lab’s tools—unavailable to investigators in the 1980s and 1990s—can now identify suspects from tiny DNA fragments. Othram’s methods involve extracting genetic material, generating a profile, and comparing it to genealogical databases to find familial connections.
Kristen Mittelman said she envisions a future where no victim remains unidentified and no perpetrator goes unpunished for decades. Their work is reshaping how law enforcement approaches cold cases, offering hope to families still waiting for answers.
Conclusion: Justice After Decades of Silence
For the families of Cathy Swartz and Catherine Edwards, the truth finally emerged thanks to a combination of forensic science, determination, and collaboration. Although both suspects evaded traditional justice—one through suicide, the other only recently convicted—their identities were revealed, and the mysteries that haunted these communities were resolved.
As DNA technology continues to evolve, the message of 20/20’s special is clear: the passage of time no longer guarantees anonymity. In a world of genetic records and forensic innovation, there is, indeed, no hiding from DNA.