Cincinnati home invasion and shootout with police solved 16 years later

IN 2007. THEY FOUND A TIP THAT WAS NEVER FOLLOWED UP ON AND IT BROKE THE CASE WIDE OPEN. THIS WAS THE SCENE SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2007 CINCINNATI POLICE INVESTIGATING A HOME INVASION ROBBERY ON KASOTA STREET IN AVONDALE. SOURCES TELL ME A 17 YEAR OLD GIRL WAS BABYSITTING THREE KIDS WHEN FOUR MEN WITH GUNS RUSHED INTO THE HOME. POLICE SAY THE MEN RESTRAINED THE TEEN WITH DUCT TAPE AND DEMANDED MONEY, ACCORDING TO A POLICE REPORT. OFFICERS CONFRONTED ONE OF THE SUSPECTS NEARBY WHO SHOT TWICE AT OFFICERS. THE CASE WENT UNSOLVED FOR 16 YEARS UNTIL THIS FALL, WHEN A CRIMINALIST TOOK ANOTHER LOOK. THIS IS JUST THE TYPE OF WORK THAT OUR CRIMINALIST ARE ABLE TO DO WITH DNA TECHNOLOGY, JUST FOLLOWING THE LEADS, JUST BEING SO DILIGENT ABOUT NOT GIVING UP DNA LEFT AT THE SCENE IN 2007 TIED THE CRIME TO 43. YEAR-OLD DARNELL SHIVERS IN 2023. HE WAS INDICTED LAST MONTH BUT IS ALREADY IN CUSTODY IN WHITLEY COUNTY, KENTUCKY, FOR CHARGES STEMMING FROM ANOTHER HOME INVASION THAT ENDED IN A TRIPLE MURDER. SHIVERS AND TWO OTHER MEN WERE INDICTED IN 2019, ALL ACCUSED OF STRANGLING A HUSBAND AND WIFE AND THEIR 16 YEAR OLD SON IN 2017. THAT SAME YEAR, CPD GOT A HIT ON THE 2007 DNA SAMPLE, BUT THE LEAD WASN’T FOLLOWED UP ON. I ASKED POLICE CHIEF TERRY GEE WHAT HAPPENED. I BELIEVE EVERYBODY WAS DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE. THEY GOT A HIT THROUGH CODIS. WE STILL THEN AGAIN HAVE TO GO OUT AND DO OUR DUE DUE DILIGENCE TO GET, UM, SWABS FROM THE INDIVIDUAL. FOR COMPARISON, WE CANNOT RELY SOLELY ON A CODIS HIT. THE DEPARTMENT REASSIGNED ITS COLD CASE INVESTIGATORS EARLY THIS YEAR, CITING STAFFING SHORTAGES. I ASKED THE CHIEF IF SHE PLANS TO REINSTATE THEM. NOT AT THIS MOMENT. DO YOU THINK IN THE NEAR FUTURE, UH, TIME WILL TELL. LET’S SEE WHAT OUR RECRUITING EFFORTS BRING US. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF SPOTS THAT I’D LOVE TO FILL. LAST MONTH, THE HAMILTON COUNTY GRAND JURY INDICTED SHIVERS, WHO IS FROM INDIANA, ON CHARGES INCLUDING KIDNAPING, AGGRAVATED BURGLARY AND FELONIOUS ASSAULT. I’M TOLD CPD IS NOW WORKING WITH THE CRIME LAB TO CHANGE HOW NOTIFICATIONS ARE MADE TO INVESTIGATORS AFTER THERE’S A HIT ON DNA IN THE SYSTEM.

A frightening cold case in Cincinnati is solved, 16 years after the crime.In 2007, Cincinnati police responded to Kasota Street in Avondale where four armed men forced their way into a home. A 17-year-old girl was inside babysitting three children. The teen was bound with duct tape as the suspects demanded money.The incident ended with a brief shootout with police, but no arrests were made.The home invasion robbery happened on Sept. 14, 2007. Responding officers found one of the suspects nearby. The man allegedly shot at officers twice before one returned fire. The case went unsolved until this fall when a CPD criminalist was asked by investigating officers to look into the case. In the weeks that followed, DNA from the scene in 2007 was linked to Darnel Chivers, 43, of Indiana. Chivers was already in custody, being held in Whitley County, Kentucky on murder charges. He and two other men were indicted in 2019, all accused of breaking into a home and strangling a husband, wife and their 16-year-old son in 2017.According to sources, CPD got a hit on the DNA sample from the home invasion and shooting in 2017, but the lead was not immediately followed up on. WLWT Investigative Reporter Jatara McGee asked Chief Terri Theetge what happened."When I became aware of it last week, I asked for a chronological events as they happened from the day of the offense, and during that time, I believe everyone was doing their due diligence," she said. "They got a hit through CODIS. We still then again have to go out and do our due diligence to and get swabs from the individual for comparison. We cannot rely solely on a CODIS hit."Once that work was complete, the department moved forward with the case. In November, A Hamilton County grand jury indicted Chivers on charges of kidnapping, aggravated burglary, burglary, aggravated robbery and felonious assault. Sources tell WLWT the department is working with the crime lab to change and improve how notifications are made to investigators after there is a hit on DNA in the system. The case shines a light on the value of a fresh look at a case — what can happen when investigators re-examine cases that have gone cold and how advancements in technology can solve old crimes.Currently, Cincinnati police do not have investigators assigned full-time to cold cases as they have in the past. Those investigators were reassigned in early 2023 due to staffing. WLWT asked the chief if she plans to reassign officers to focus on cold cases in the near future. "Not at this moment... Time will tell. Let's see what our recruiting efforts bring us, and we have a lot of spots that I would love to fill."Theetge praised the work of the department's criminalists to solve this case after it went unsolved for more than 15 years."This is just the type of work that our criminalists are able to do with DNA, technology, just following the leads, just being so diligent about not giving up," she said. Chivers has not yet gone to trial for the triple murder in Kentucky. Currently, the plan is for the criminal case in Hamilton County to remain paused until the Kentucky case is resolved.

A frightening cold case in Cincinnati is solved, 16 years after the crime.

In 2007, Cincinnati police responded to Kasota Street in Avondale where four armed men forced their way into a home. A 17-year-old girl was inside babysitting three children. The teen was bound with duct tape as the suspects demanded money.

The incident ended with a brief shootout with police, but no arrests were made.

The home invasion robbery happened on Sept. 14, 2007. Responding officers found one of the suspects nearby. The man allegedly shot at officers twice before one returned fire.

The case went unsolved until this fall when a CPD criminalist was asked by investigating officers to look into the case.

In the weeks that followed, DNA from the scene in 2007 was linked to Darnel Chivers, 43, of Indiana.

Chivers was already in custody, being held in Whitley County, Kentucky on murder charges. He and two other men were indicted in 2019, all accused of breaking into a home and strangling a husband, wife and their 16-year-old son in 2017.

According to sources, CPD got a hit on the DNA sample from the home invasion and shooting in 2017, but the lead was not immediately followed up on.

WLWT Investigative Reporter Jatara McGee asked Chief Terri Theetge what happened.

"When I became aware of it last week, I asked for a chronological events as they happened from the day of the offense, and during that time, I believe everyone was doing their due diligence," she said. "They got a hit through CODIS. We still then again have to go out and do our due diligence to and get swabs from the individual for comparison. We cannot rely solely on a CODIS hit."

Once that work was complete, the department moved forward with the case. In November, A Hamilton County grand jury indicted Chivers on charges of kidnapping, aggravated burglary, burglary, aggravated robbery and felonious assault.

Sources tell WLWT the department is working with the crime lab to change and improve how notifications are made to investigators after there is a hit on DNA in the system.

The case shines a light on the value of a fresh look at a case — what can happen when investigators re-examine cases that have gone cold and how advancements in technology can solve old crimes.

Currently, Cincinnati police do not have investigators assigned full-time to cold cases as they have in the past. Those investigators were reassigned in early 2023 due to staffing. WLWT asked the chief if she plans to reassign officers to focus on cold cases in the near future.

"Not at this moment... Time will tell. Let's see what our recruiting efforts bring us, and we have a lot of spots that I would love to fill."

Theetge praised the work of the department's criminalists to solve this case after it went unsolved for more than 15 years.

"This is just the type of work that our criminalists are able to do with DNA, technology, just following the leads, just being so diligent about not giving up," she said.

Chivers has not yet gone to trial for the triple murder in Kentucky. Currently, the plan is for the criminal case in Hamilton County to remain paused until the Kentucky case is resolved.

Cincinnati home invasion and shootout with police solved 16 years later

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