Advances in DNA testing have led to the indictment of a 67-year-old Newark man by a Licking County grand jury in connection with the 1989 cold case homicide of Helen Stuart.
"Just over 36 years after the brutal killing of Helen Stuart, Lincoln County grand jury returned an indictment against now 67-year-old, Delbert Saunders Jr. for the aggravated murder, murder, aggravated burglary, kidnapping and rape of Helen Stewart," said Licking County Prosecuting Attorney Jenny Wells during a joint press conference with the Newark Police Department, which aired on WSYX ABC 6.
According to Licking County Court Clerk online records, Saunders is scheduled for an initial bond hearing and first arraignment on June 24.
During the press conference, Newark Police Chief Erik McKee provided details about the case. He said that Stewart's body was found in her vehicle along State Route 16 east of the Newark city limits on April 21, 1989. The Ohio State Highway Patrol initially began the investigation before Newark detectives joined since Stewart lived within city limits. Four months after the homicide, the case was handed over to the Newark Police Department. McKee noted that Saunders, who was Stewart's neighbor, quickly became a person of interest; however, there was insufficient evidence at that time to make a probable cause arrest.
McKee further explained that several pieces of evidence were submitted following a March 2021 cold case review by Newark detectives and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations. A DNA profile established a connection between Saunders and the crime. In 2024, additional evidence linking him to the crime was submitted.
According to Wells in the WSYX video of the press conference, "a lot of work remains with challenges and hurdles involved in preparing and prosecuting a 36-year-old case."
