A tragic chapter in a New York cold case has come to a close as a man from South Carolina took his own life shortly after being confronted by police about a crime that had remained unsolved for 25 years. The man, identified as Robert Young, became a suspect in the murder of Nancy Smith, a cherished employee at a Hudson Valley hospital, due to a crucial piece of evidence—a single strand of hair found in her home.
Smith, who was just 32 years old, was discovered lifeless in her New Windsor residence in December 2001. Her parents made the heart-wrenching discovery after she failed to show up for work at Horton Hospital in Middletown. The murder case had languished for decades, despite the efforts of investigators who pursued over a thousand leads, interviewed countless individuals, and conducted extensive forensic analysis.
The case saw a breakthrough thanks to what New Windsor Chief Daniel Valeri described as “incredible” advancements in DNA technology. These advancements allowed detectives to revisit and reanalyze evidence that had been collected years earlier. This renewed investigation led them to Young, who was confronted by law enforcement, only to end his life days later.
Smith’s family continues to grapple with the loss, holding on to memories of her as a devoted aunt and a woman with a radiant smile. “While I remember my sister with her beautiful smile, my parents’ last image of their child was covered in blankets, dead on her living room floor,” Smith’s sister, Barbara Stolfe, shared during a press conference, as reported by CBS 2.
The resolution of this cold case underscores the critical role of technological advances in forensics, providing hope that other such cases may one day be solved, offering closure to grieving families.
The probe stalled until 2023 when improved DNA technology encouraged detectives to submit previously collected evidence for further testing, according to New Windsor police.
The analysis led local police and FBI agents to Myrtle Beach, where they lawfully scooped up a DNA sample of someone possibly linked to the case, authorities said.
Young’s DNA was obtained across state lines and the evidence — a strand of hair collected at the crime scene — was a match, Valeri said.
“It’s incredible,” he said in an interview. “I’m sure that the investigators at the time never thought that it would have come to that single strand of hair, but as the DNA technology advanced over the years that’s exactly what happened.”
Young was interviewed in April 2026 by local police, New York State Police and the FBI, but insisted he wasn’t involved, police said.
Investigators returned to New York and started working with prosecutors to map out next steps, but was told by South Caroline authorities shortly after the interview that Young died by suicide, law enforcement said.
It remains unclear what the motive behind the fatal stabbing was, but police officials said they were confident the evidence shows Young was behind the murder.
It’s believed the suspect and victim met at a music venue in Poughkeepsie, according to the Times-Union.
“We never stopped pursuing evidence in this case, following leads and utilizing advancements in forensic technology in an effort to advance this investigation and provide long-awaited answers for Nancy and her family,” Chief Valeri said in a statement.
Smith was a graduate of Newburgh Free Academy and earned a degree from SUNY Oneonta and MPA from Marist College, according to a memorial page.
She worked in Horton Hospital’s managed care office before her death.
The only surviving member of Smith’s immediate family is her sister, Stolfe, after their parents died in 2024.
“People say there’s closure. In a piece of it, there’s closure,” Stolfe said, according to ABC 7. “There’s relief and there’s a little bit of peace,.”
Smith’s 2-year-old nephew always asked where his aunt was following her violent death.
“We’d go to my mom’s house. [He’d ask,] ‘Why isn’t Naynay here? She doesn’t love us anymore?’” Stolfe said, according to CBS 2.
“What do you tell a 2-year-old? I told him that a monster took Naynay away.”
