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Cold Case Closed After 48 Years
Cold Case Closed After 48 Years
Bringing Closure To An Assaulted Mother And Her Son
In 1975, Carmalita Butcher Wilkes was the victim of a brutal sexual assault in Hopkins County, Kentucky. She reported the crime and identified Melvin Nicholson as her attacker, but the case was dismissed shortly after his arrest. Carmalita later gave birth to a son who was taken from her custody and adopted, leaving her to carry the trauma alone for nearly half a century.
The case took a pivotal turn in 2017 when her son, Christopher Savage, found and reunited with her. In 2021, attorney Alex Little took on the case, working with the Hopkins County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office to reopen the investigation. DNA testing confirmed Nicholson’s identity as the assailant, leading to a long-overdue indictment in 2022—48 years after the original crime.
"After 48 years of carrying such a heavy burden, we are so happy for Carmalita to gain some sense of justice and freedom from this traumatic experience, as well as a supportive son in Christopher who was instrumental along her side in securing this outcome," said Alex Little. "We would like to thank the Hopkins County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for their cooperation and steadfastness in revisiting this cold case in the name of justice for Carmalita and Christopher."
Key Facts
48 years delayed: The assault occurred in 1975; conviction secured in 2023.
DNA evidence: Modern testing led to a warrant and indictment nearly five decades later.
Family reunification: Her son, adopted as an infant, helped drive the case to resolution.
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