A North Carolina man was arrested Thursday in connection with the brutal 1988 slaying of a woman who worked at an answering service in downtown Orlando, authorities said.
Willie J. Carpenter, 68, was taken into custody July 9 by the U.S. Marshals Service in North Carolina, the Orlando Police Department said. Carpenter is awaiting extradition to Orlando on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Diane Matthews, 43, who was killed Sept. 8, 1988.
How investigators linked a suspect decades later
Police said DNA collected at the crime scene in 1988 was preserved and later compared against samples entered in criminal databases. Carpenter’s DNA was added to a database after a separate arrest in North Carolina, which led investigators to identify him as a potential match.
Detectives interviewed Carpenter in 2013; at that time he denied knowing Matthews and refused to provide a DNA sample, according to the department. He was re-interviewed in 2024 and voluntarily provided a sample. Laboratory results returned in 2025 confirmed his presence at the scene, police said.
"Time does not diminish our commitment to justice," Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said. "No matter how many years pass, the Orlando Police Department’s Homicide Unit will continue to pursue the truth until every possible avenue has been exhausted and those responsible are held accountable."
Evidence, interviews and prosecution
Following the DNA confirmation, investigators spent months gathering additional evidence and building a case with prosecutors. That work resulted in an arrest warrant and Carpenter’s eventual capture by federal marshals.
Matthews was found at her workplace after being beaten so severely that coworkers identified her by her hair, police reports at the time said. No further details about the specific evidence or what led detectives to re-interview Carpenter in 2024 were released in the department’s announcement.
- Victim: Diane Matthews, 43, killed Sept. 8, 1988
- Suspect: Willie J. Carpenter, 68, arrested July 9 in North Carolina
- Charge: First-degree murder; awaiting extradition to Orlando
| Year | Key event |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Death of Diane Matthews; DNA evidence collected |
| 2013 | Initial interview of suspect; refused DNA sample |
| 2024 | Suspect re-interviewed and provided DNA sample |
| 2025 | DNA results confirmed presence at scene |
| 2026 | Arrest made July 9; awaiting extradition |
The arrest underscores the role of preserved biological evidence and modern forensic testing in resolving cold cases, officials said. Orlando Police Department Homicide Unit detectives and prosecutors collaborated for months to prepare the case for an arrest warrant, according to the department’s release.
Carpenter faces state prosecution in Orlando. No trial date or additional court proceedings were announced. The department did not provide further comment on whether any other suspects remain under investigation.
Community members and relatives of victims from cold cases often watch such developments closely as forensic advances lead to overdue accountability. The Orlando Police Department’s statement stressed that the passage of time does not end investigative efforts.
Anyone with information about the case is typically asked to contact the Orlando Police Department’s Homicide Unit; the department’s release did not include a specific tips number.
Reporting was based on a press release from the Orlando Police Department and statements provided by law enforcement.
