Anthony Palma Child Killer 30 Year Cold Case Police interrogation

Neighbor is arrested for 1997 murder of Oklahoma girl, 8 - after he VOLUNTEERED a DNA sample that matched

Anthony Palma, 56, has been charged with the first-degree murder and kidnapping of Kirsten Hatfield
The eight-year-old girl went missing from her Midwest City, Oklahoma, home on May 14, 1997
Her body has never been recovered - if she were alive today, she'd be 26
DNA found on the windowsill of her bedroom and a pair of her underwear recovered from backyard led to Palma's arrest 18 years after the crime
Police say DNA test results showed a match of one in 293 sextillion
Palma served more than a year in prison for assault in the 1980s


An Oklahoma man has been arrested in connection to the cold-case disappearance of his eight-year-old neighbor who was abducted from her bedroom in 1997.

Investigators used DNA to link Anthony Palma, 56, to the murder of Kirsten Hatfield, who was reported missing from her Midwest City home on May 14, 1997.

An affidavit said Palma gave a DNA sample willingly in June to investigators who were following up on the case. Results showed a match of one in 293 sextillion.

Kirsten is presumed dead, although her body has never been found. If she were alive today, she would be 26.

Palma was arrested Monday on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping, according to the affidavit, which was released on Tuesday by Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes.


Clabes said investigators are searching Palma's home for any evidence. The suspect lives two houses away from where Kirsten's family lived in 1997.

Police tape could be seen around Palma's property on Monday night.

The request for his arrest warrant, which was issued Friday by Midwest City Police Detective Darrell Miller, stated: 'There have been no verified sightings or contact from Kirsten since May ... of 1997. Therefore, it can be concluded that she was killed shortly after her abduction.