Attorney General Dave Sunday and Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz, in conjunction with the 54th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury, announced charges against an Indiana man who allegedly kidnapped and raped 20-year-old Sabrina Kahler in Erie County in 2002.
Attorney General Sunday’s recently-formed Cold Case Section collaborated with local investigators and the grand jury, which returned a presentment recommending murder, rape, and kidnapping charges against David Heck.
Heck, now 50, allegedly took Sabrina swimming on June 24, 2002, before taking her to a wooded area near Lake Erie where he raped and killed her. Her body has not been located.
“A totality of evidence that included key grand jury testimony from previously-reluctant witnesses led to a single conclusion — that David Heck raped and murdered Sabrina Kahler 24 years ago,” Attorney General Sunday said. “This is a historical development that brings some answers for Sabrina’s loved ones and the Erie community, but it is not a day of celebration as we have not yet brought Sabrina home. Efforts will continue to answer that one remaining question of “where is she?””
“Sabrina Kahler has never been forgotten. Her family never stopped remembering her, this community has never stopped seeking answers,” Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz said. “This case has represented more than an unsolved homicide. The homicide of a young woman leaves a lasting mark on the community.”
Sabrina’s case was referred to the Office of Attorney General and ultimately brought before the grand jury which heard testimony from numerous witnesses, including Douglas Heim and Terry Kellerman, acquaintances of Heck who were with him in the hours after he reportedly killed Sabrina.
Heim testified before the grand jury that he helped move and bury Sabrina’s body. Kellerman testified that Heck made claims of killing a girl.
In the days after Sabrina was last seen, friends and family searched for her and ultimately reported her missing.
A court declared Sabrina deceased in 2009.
