DNA Database Leads to Arrest in 1996 Florida Murder of 11-Year-Old Girl

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Cherie Morrisette, an 11-year-old girl from Florida, went missing on December 2, 1996, after arguing with her sister over washing the dishes. Her clothed body was found six days later in the St. Johns River, 13 miles away, with no signs of foul play initially detected. However, forensics testing revealed evidence of semen, leading detectives to classify the case as a homicide. Despite numerous efforts to use DNA from Cherie's body to solve the murder, it wasn't until last year that a DNA profile was developed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The profile was matched with a DNA sample from Robert Shelton Mitchell, 43, who had been convicted of sexual contact with a 13-year-old in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, in 2003. Mitchell had given a DNA sample to the Connecticut sex offenders' registry, which was entered into the nationwide DNA bank. He was arrested on charges of rape and murder and is being held on a $5 million bond, awaiting extradition to Florida.

Key Takeaways:

  • Cherie Morrisette, 11, was found murdered in the St. Johns River in Florida six days after going missing on December 2, 1996.
  • Initial autopsy found no signs of foul play, but forensics testing revealed evidence of semen, leading detectives to classify the case as a homicide.
  • DNA profile from Cherie's body was developed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in 2019 and matched with a DNA sample from Robert Shelton Mitchell, 43, in the Connecticut sex offenders' registry.
  • Mitchell had been convicted of sexual contact with a 13-year-old in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, in 2003 and was living in New Britain on probation at the time of Cherie's murder.
  • Mitchell falsely denied any involvement in the murder until confessing after being questioned by Florida detectives.
  • Cherie's uncle, Morris Foor, welcomed the news of Mitchell's arrest and disputed the initial theory that Cherie may have gone for a walk and drowned.

Statistics:

  • Cherie Morrisette was 11 years old when she was murdered in 1996.
  • Her body was found 13 miles from her apartment in the St. Johns River six days after her disappearance.
  • It took 23 years from the time of Cherie's murder for authorities to develop a DNA profile that matched with a suspect.
  • The DNA match was made through the nationwide DNA bank, using a DNA sample from Robert Shelton Mitchell's registry entry as a sex offender.
  • Mitchell was arrested and held on a $5 million bond, awaiting extradition to Florida, where he will face charges of first-degree murder and capital sexual battery.

Sources:

  • Connecticut State Police
  • New Britain Police Department
  • St. Johns County Sheriff's Office in Florida
  • Florida Department of Law Enforcement
  • Associated Press