Death of teen found naked in Ohio home was a mystery for years. Tumwater man now arrested

For decades, the brutal killing of a 19-year-old mall worker remained a mystery in Columbus, Ohio.

Now, 32 years after Amy Hooper was found dead in her home, an arrest has been made, according to news reports.

Bruce Edward Daniels, a 57-year-old man who now lives in Tumwater, Washington, has been charged with murder in Hooper’s death, according to WSYX and WCMH.

He is being held in the Thurston County jail in Olympia, records show.

Hooper worked for Bermans Leather in the Westland Mall in Columbus, and her family went to check on her when she did not show up for work on March 9, 1992, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

She was found dead on the floor of her apartment, authorities said. Her hands were loosely bound, her body naked and facing up.

Hooper had been “bludgeoned and stabbed to death,” according to the attorney general.

Investigators believe Hooper knew her attacker, as they did not observe signs of forced entry. The case eventually became cold as no one was charged for more than 30 years.

Daniels was identified as a person of interest earlier this year, according to court records obtained by WCMH. His DNA recovered in the trash in Washington was reportedly a match to the DNA found on the 19-year-old’s body.

It’s unclear how Hooper and Daniels knew one another, WSYX reported. Daniels was 25 when Hooper was killed.

The jail records show Daniels was arrested Dec. 5. He has an extradition hearing set for January, the news outlets report.

This story was originally published December 19, 2024 at 1:47 PM with the headline "Death of teen found naked in Ohio home was a mystery for years. Tumwater man now arrested."