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ORLANDO, Fla. (BFMG) — Nearly 38 years after Diane Matthews was found murdered at her downtown workplace, Orlando police say a suspect has been charged in her killing.
The Orlando Police Department has charged Willie Carpenter with first-degree murder in connection with Matthews’ 1988 death. Carpenter was arrested Thursday, July 9, by U.S. marshals in North Carolina and is awaiting extradition to Orlando, police said.
Matthews was found dead in September 1988 inside the answering service where she worked in downtown Orlando. Her injuries were so severe that investigators could not identify her by appearance and instead relied on her hair to confirm her identity.
Detectives collected DNA and other physical evidence from the scene, but authorities say the technology was not yet widely used in criminal investigations. The evidence was preserved as detectives continued to pursue leads over the years. No suspect was identified and the case eventually went cold.
About two decades later, Carpenter was arrested in North Carolina in an unrelated case, and his DNA was flagged as a possible match to the DNA collected in Matthews’ homicide. Orlando detectives interviewed Carpenter in 2013; police say he denied knowing Matthews and refused to provide a DNA sample.
Detectives spoke with Carpenter again in 2024, when he agreed to submit a DNA sample. Investigators used that sample to conduct additional testing through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Based on the results and new forensic analysis, detectives established probable cause and sought an arrest warrant for Carpenter earlier this year.
He was taken into custody in North Carolina and now faces first-degree murder charges tied to the decades‑old case.
