Cold case: Kentucky man charged with rape and murder in 1994 death of Gary woman

GARY, Ind. (WISH) — A Kentucky man was arrested for the June 1994 rape and murder of a Gary woman, according to the FBI. The case had gone cold until 2020 when investigators took another look.

In late September, prosecutors charged 60-year-old Gerald Smith with the rape and murder of 69-year-old Gloria Hansell. Police say Smith raped Hansell before strangling her to death inside her Buchanan Street home.

According to the FBI, Hansell was a widow who lived alone and relied on an in-home oxygen machine due to poor health.

In 2020, state police requested the FBI’s Gang Responsive Investigative team to reexamine evidence from the case. Analysis of male DNA found collected at Hansell’s autopsy led investigators to Smith.

While looking into the case, FBI GRIT investigators learned Smith was in Gary shortly before Hansell’s murder and that the two knew each other.

A witness said Smith, who was 32 at the time, went to Hansell’s house twice in the weeks before her murder. Smith had asked Hansell if he could cut her grass for money, but Hansell said no, according to the witness.

Smith tried to make an unwanted advance toward Hansell inside her house, including kissing her on her neck, the witness told investigators.

Smith is being held at the Hopkins County Jail in Madisonville, Ky. He will be extradited to Indiana to face charges.

Anyone with information on this case was asked to contact the FBI GRIT team at 219-942-4899.