DNA: ID — The Sarah Yarborough Case, Part 2 of 2

Host: Jessica Bettencourt
Episode Date: June 9, 2025
Podcast Network: AbJack Entertainment

Episode Overview

This episode concludes DNA: ID's investigation into the murder of Sarah Yarborough, a 16-year-old cheerleader murdered in 1991. Host Jessica Bettencourt details how decades of investigative frustration gave way to a breakthrough using investigative genetic genealogy (IGG). The case is painstakingly retraced—from the challenges of DNA matching, to tracking and arresting the perpetrator, Patrick Leon Nicholas, and through the details and implications of his trial and sentencing. The episode asks not only "who" but "why," exploring what is known and unknown about this tragic crime.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Genetic Genealogy Breakthrough

• Timeline: (00:49 – 03:55)
• In 2019, detectives engaged Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick and her team at Identifinders International to analyze the suspect's DNA via IGG.
  • Upload to GEDmatch yielded familial clues—a top match (141 cM) and a secondary (82 cM)—but family trees were complicated by a non-paternity event and unknown adoption.
  • Investigators eventually zeroed in on two brothers, Edward and Patrick Nicholas, as potential suspects.
  • Edward was quickly cleared as his DNA profile (in CODIS due to a prior rape conviction) did not match. Focus turned to Patrick Nicholas.

Quote:

"All signs were pointing to 55 year old Patrick Leon Nicholas."
— Jessica Bettencourt (03:17)

2. Surveillance & DNA Collection

• Timeline: (03:55 – 08:11)
• Direct surveillance was chosen over a risky family trash pull. Detectives staged a casual encounter, observed Nicholas, and collected discarded cigarette butts and a napkin.
• Lab results established a perfect DNA match between the items and the crime scene DNA.
• Arrest and buccal swab warrants were rapidly obtained. Nicholas was found at a sports bar and arrested without incident.

Quote:

"The unknown male profile at the scene of Sarah Yarborough's death has now been identified as the DNA of Patrick Leon Nicholas."
— Detective Decker's affidavit, as read by Jessica (06:45)

3. Nicholas Interview and Initial Investigative Findings

• Timeline: (08:11 – 14:00)
• Nicholas waives his rights and discusses his life history with detectives, revealing details that lined up with witness observations (e.g., left-handedness, no driver's license, reliance on buses).
• When confronted with evidence, he never denies involvement—instead, he goes silent and asks what year the murder took place.

Quote:

Detective Decker: "Do you know why we're here?..."
Nicholas: "What year?"
— (13:13)

4. Search of Nicholas' Home and Evidence

• Timeline: (14:00 – 19:20)
• His residence, described vividly as "more like a dump," yields disturbing items:
  • A 1994 newspaper with Sarah Yarborough's photo,
  • Notes on rape and child molestation,
  • Pornographic images and explicit cartoons (often with red-haired women and feline heads),
  • A magazine picture of a cheerleader.
• DNA analysis of a buccal swab confirms the match with Sarah's scene. Probabilities of a match by chance were astronomical (1 in 120 quadrillion).

Quote:

"Some items of evidence were found... the most significant item found by the searchers was a magazine picture of a pretty young woman dressed in a cheerleader's uniform."
— Jessica Bettencourt (18:40)

5. Community and Eyewitness Reactions

• Timeline: (19:20 – 21:10)
• Community members—including those who saw Nicholas at the scene as boys—express a mix of relief, disbelief, and ongoing trauma.

Quote:

"Seeing evil face to face like that and knowing it's real and there, that's a very scary thing to come to grips with."
— One of the original boy witnesses, interview excerpt (20:12)

6. The Trial of Patrick Nicholas

• Timeline: (23:09 – 30:19)

• Prosecutors present Sarah's background, timeline, eyewitness accounts, and powerful DNA evidence (including DNA under Sarah's fingernails).

  • Defense attacked IGG as unreliable "wacky" science, attacked methods such as hypnosis and polygraphs, and questioned connections.
  • Defense floated alternative suspects and pointed to the lack of a direct connection between Nicholas and the high school.
  • The prosecution demonstrated bus routes and schedule that typical brought Nicholas past the crime scene.

• Poignant moment:

  • Sarah’s actual drill team uniform shown in court.

Quote:

"Beyond the DNA, there is nothing and so the DNA has to be right beyond a reasonable doubt."
— Defense attorney David Montes (25:09)

7. Verdict and Sentencing

• Timeline: (30:20 – 34:20)
• The jury finds Nicholas not guilty of premeditated murder but guilty of felony murder (killing during attempted rape/indecent liberties).
  • Sentenced to over 45 years (548 months). Survivors and family give emotional statements.
  • Judge Josephine Wiggs condemns Nicholas’s pattern of violence in sentencing.

Quote:

"He does not belong in free society with the rest of the people in this room."
— Andrew Yarborough, Sarah's brother (32:51)

8. Nicholas’s Criminal Past and Missed Opportunities

• Timeline: (36:48 – 54:00)
• Nicholas’s sexual violence began in his teens—juvenile rapes, a 1983 attempted rape where he admitted "I realize I have a problem concerning raping girls."
• Inadequate sentencing and a failed system allowed his release years before Sarah's murder.
• In 1993, accused of molesting his stepdaughter; plea deal means his DNA never entered CODIS.
• Had the system worked different, Sarah might have been saved.

Quote from Nicholas’s 1983 intake form:

"I was going to force the girl to have sex with me that day in the park. And I realize that is not right. I want help for my problem."
— Prisoner intake form, read by Jessica (49:25)

9. How the Crime Occurred (Speculative Narrative)

• Timeline: (50:00 – 52:00)
• Reconstructs December 1991: Sarah arrives early at school and is targeted when Nicholas gets off the bus, seeking a lone victim.
• Similar M.O. in prior crimes: women approached near cars, threatened/attacked with knife.

Quote:

"Nicholas was a dangerous sexual predator from a very young age."
— Jessica Bettencourt (52:00)

10. Family Impact and Final Reflections

• Timeline: (52:00 – 53:34)
• Laura Yarborough’s heartfelt letter acknowledges the long shadow the unsolved case cast.
• She credits IGG and police persistence for closure.
• The episode closes with a powerful message: If you are one of the bad guys, they are coming for you.

Quote:

"Her murder left such a hole in our lives... Knowing Sarah's killer is locked up and hopefully will stay that way has brought a measure of peace."
— Laura Yarborough, Sarah's mother, in a letter to Dr. Fitzpatrick (53:05)

Memorable Quotes & Moments (by Timestamp)

• "All signs were pointing to 55 year old Patrick Leon Nicholas."
  — Jessica Bettencourt (03:17)
• "The unknown male profile at the scene of Sarah Yarborough’s death has now been identified as the DNA of Patrick Leon Nicholas."
  — Detective Decker’s affidavit (06:45)
• "Do you know why we're here?" "What year?"
  — Detective Decker & Patrick Nicholas (13:13)
• "Beyond the DNA, there is nothing and so the DNA has to be right beyond a reasonable doubt."
  — David Montes, defense attorney (25:09)
• "He does not belong in free society with the rest of the people in this room."
  — Andrew Yarborough, brother (32:51)
• "If he had still been in prison, he wouldn’t have been around to kill our daughter."
  — Laura Yarborough, Sarah’s mother (31:59)
• "I realize I have a problem concerning raping girls...I want help for my problem."
  — Nicholas’s 1983 prison intake form (49:25)
• "Her murder left such a hole in our lives... Knowing Sarah's killer is locked up and hopefully will stay that way has brought a measure of peace."
  — Letter from Laura Yarborough (53:05)
• "If you are one of the bad guys, they are coming for you."
  — Jessica Bettencourt (closing, 53:20)

Structure of the Investigation (Section Timestamps)

• Genetic genealogy lead, building family trees & suspect identification: 00:49 – 03:55
• Physical surveillance & DNA collection: 03:55 – 08:11
• Arrest & interview: 08:11 – 14:00
• Search of suspect’s home, evidence collected, and lab confirmation: 14:00 – 19:20
• Reactions from witnesses and the community: 19:20 – 21:10
• Trial process, defense strategies, and prosecution’s argument: 23:09 – 30:19
• Verdict, sentencing, and victim impact statements: 30:20 – 34:20
• Nicholas’s biography, criminal history, and missed systemic interventions: 36:48 – 54:00
• Family’s personal letter, closing thoughts on justice and closure: 52:00 – end

Summary for New Listeners

This episode offers a comprehensive, compelling, and sometimes unsettling walkthrough of the DNA-driven resolution of the Sarah Yarborough murder. It weaves together the intricate details of the investigative process—family tree complications, DNA matching, surveillance, suspect interrogation, and courtroom drama—with powerful first-hand accounts from Sarah’s family and those affected. The story underscores both the promise and limitations of forensic science and IGG, explores systemic breakdowns that allowed evil to persist, and ultimately, shows the enduring pursuit of justice. 

Listeners will come away with a vivid sense not only of how this case was solved, but what it means to those left behind—and how new tools are finally bringing long-awaited answers and peace.