America’s Crime Lab – “Crimes in Two Cities: The Sumpter Siblings Cold Case”

Podcast: America’s Crime Lab
Episode Date: October 1, 2025
Host: Alin Letzlesser
Producer/Co-Host: Katherine Fenollosa
Featured Guest: Shannon Hodder (Senior Assistant District Attorney, DeKalb County, Georgia)

Overview

This episode centers on the 1990 murders of siblings Pamela and John Sumpter in Stone Mountain, Georgia—a brutal cold case left unsolved for over thirty years. The show explores how evidence from the crime scene, particularly a decades-old rape kit, eventually intersected with modern forensic DNA technology and cross-state investigation to finally identify and convict their killer, Kenneth Perry. The episode highlights the challenges of cold case work, improvements in forensic science, and the emotional impact on victims' families.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Sumpter Siblings Crime Scene (02:13 – 08:19)

• Initial Incident: On July 15, 1990, Pamela Sumpter staggered wounded to a neighbor’s doorstep, covered in blood, stating she’d been stabbed and raped. Police responding discovered her brother John Sumpter murdered in their shared apartment.

  • Pamela's Statement: Before surgery, Pamela described her attacker as an unknown, muscular, dark-skinned man, possibly called "Al" or "Eddie," whom her brother had brought home. (03:28 – 04:49)

• Events Leading Up To Crime:

  • John and the suspect went out clubbing; Pamela declined to join and went to bed. She woke to find the man naked and armed with a knife in her bedroom before being attacked.
  • Pamela underwent emergency surgery but succumbed to her injuries two weeks later, never regaining consciousness after initial interviews. (08:04 – 09:24)

“She says the guy’s name was maybe Al or Eddie. She can’t really remember… He was dark-skinned and he was built like a bodybuilder.”
—Katherine Fenollosa [05:17]

The Investigation and Evidence (09:28 – 12:20)

• Crime Scene Details:

  • Police meticulously collected evidence: fingerprints from plates and doorknobs, a suspected murder weapon, and biological samples including Pamela’s rape kit. The phone lines had been cut, and the apartment was in disarray.
    • “They were able to collect the knife that was near John’s body that was the suspected murder weapon.” —Shannon Hodder [11:16]

• Forensic Limits (1990):

  • DNA databases like CODIS weren't widely available; at the time, DNA evidence could only be compared directly if police had a specific suspect.

Decades of Frustration & The Unsolved Case (12:20 – 19:18)

• Case Goes Cold:
  • With no viable leads, the case stagnated, and the collected rape kit went untested for decades.
  • “Without any tips or leads coming in, the case wasn’t really ever looked back at again.” —Shannon Hodder [18:56]

DNA Backlogs & The Turnaround (19:28 – 21:29)

• Federal Push for Testing:

  • In 2022, a federal initiative funded the testing of backlogged rape kits (Sexual Assault Kit Initiative). The DeKalb County DA’s cold case task force began reviewing cases, focusing on those (like Pamela’s) likely to have useful DNA evidence.
  • “I believe the GBI sent off over 700 rape kits, and Pamela Sumpter’s case was one of the ones that really stuck out to us.” —Shannon Hodder [20:22]

• The Rape Kit Is Tested:

  • Pamela’s kit returned a male DNA profile (from semen) — but at first, there was no match in state or national criminal databases.
  • “We had no hits whatsoever.” —Shannon Hodder [22:08]

Breakthrough via Genetic Genealogy (22:27 – 32:47)

• Cold Case Strategies:

  • DA Shannon Hodder saw the chance to use forensic genetic genealogy, building family trees from DNA to tease out suspects when criminal databases fail.

• Unexpected Match:

  • While uploading the DNA profile into CODIS, it matched not a person—but an unsolved 1990s Michigan sexual assault case.
    • Michigan police had questioned someone (Kenneth Perry) in that case and collected his DNA but did not prosecute. Now, with the match, investigators had both a name and a potential link.
  • “They had to go back to their archives. They told us ahead of time, listen, manage your expectations. We had a huge flood in our archives...” —Shannon Hodder [24:10]
  • After two weeks, Michigan’s file with Perry’s identity was miraculously found intact.

“I believe the GBI sent off over 700 rape kits, and Pamela Sumpter’s case was one of the ones that really stuck out to us.”
—Shannon Hodder [20:22]

• Genealogy and Evidence Converge:
  • Othram Lab built a criminal profile using genealogy, confirming the DNA belonged to Kenneth Perry’s family tree.
  • Perry’s fingerprints were matched to those found at the Sumpters’ apartment.

Arrest and Conviction (31:53 – 34:45)

• Arrest:

  • A stakeout led to Perry’s arrest at a restaurant; police confirmed his identity with a DNA swab.

• Court Case:

  • At trial, Perry testified with “one of the most outrageous, disgusting stories I’ve ever heard as a prosecutor,” falsely accusing the victims of assaulting him.
    • “He tried to flip the script and turn the Sumters into his attackers.” —Shannon Hodder [32:49]

• Justice and Family Impact:

  • Perry received three consecutive life terms plus 100 years. Shannon Hodder delivered the news, in person, to Pamela and John’s mother—just weeks before her 100th birthday.
    • “She honestly said she could only believe that it was the work of God, it was the hand of God delivering justice to her to make sure that she saw the person responsible convicted and tried and held accountable...” —Shannon Hodder [34:20]

Reflections on Cold Case Work and DNA Technology (34:45 – 37:34)

• Unresolved Motive:

  • The precise motive or backstory linking Perry to the Sumpters remains unknown. But the episode emphasizes the healing power of closure.

• Broader Lessons and Hope:

  • The hosts and guests reflect on how new genetic technology can prevent serial offending if used early.
  • “To live in a world where perpetrators are caught the first time… to prevent that second and third and fourth and fifth attack, especially in sexual crime, where they’re repetitive…”
    —Alin Letzlesser [36:02]

• The Emotional Cost of Cold Case Work:

  • Shannon Hodder describes the rollercoaster of cold case work, where decades-old evidence is often lost or destroyed, but in rare cases like this, everything aligns.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Pamela’s courage:
  “Bravery, even to have the wherewithal to do that.”
  —Alin Letzlesser, on Pamela giving her attacker’s description despite critical injuries [06:44]

• On the scale of untested rape kits:
  “It makes me angry, the fact that there are these 700 rape kits just sitting there, and that’s just at one agency...”
  —Alin Letzlesser [20:52]

• When the match came in:
  “We got a hit. It was a hit to another unsolved case in Michigan. Then I’m really excited. Now we have a potential suspect. And that really is the true goal here, to solve this case and to bring justice to the Sumpter family.”
  —Shannon Hodder [23:09]

• On telling the Sumpters’ mother:
  “She honestly said she could only believe that it was the work of God, it was the hand of God delivering justice to her…”
  —Shannon Hodder [34:20]

• On genetic genealogy’s potential:
  “When people know that even if they leave trace amounts of DNA, you’re still going to get caught.”
  —Alin Letzlesser [36:19]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Pamela’s assault & initial recollections: 03:28–08:19
• Crime scene details/Evidence collection: 09:28–12:20
• Case goes cold; DNA limitations in 1990s: 12:20–18:56
• 2022 backlog testing and SAKI initiative: 19:28–21:29
• DNA profile—no match in database: 21:38–22:27
• CODIS match to Michigan case: 23:01–24:10
• Genealogy and fingerprint match: 30:31–31:45
• Arrest, trial, and verdict: 31:53–34:45
• Prosecutor’s statement to victims’ mother: 34:20
• Reflections on technology and closure: 36:02–37:34

Tone and Style

The hosts blend investigative curiosity with deep empathy for the victims and their families. The language is candid, occasionally raw, reflecting both the horror of the crimes and the relief brought by solving them. The episode illustrates the emotional toll and triumphs of cold case investigations.

For new listeners:
This episode is both a moving crime story and a powerful testament to forensic science’s capacity for justice, offering both closure for the surviving family—and hope that, with modern technology, future victims will not have to wait decades for answers.