In August 1996, in the Central Valley of California, 22-year-old Debbie Dorian was found bound and gagged in her northeast Fresno apartment. Dorian's death sparked a decades-long investigation that uncovered a pattern of s*xual assaults by a serial predator. For nearly 30 years, her family endured uncertainty until DNA technology provided the key to justice. The case is examined on ABC's 20/20 episode I'm Going to Get You, aired on November 14, 2025. The episode features exclusive interviews with Debbie Dorian's mother, Sara Loven, survivors, and detectives, revealing how forensic genetic genealogy linked the crimes and led to the suspect's conviction.20/20: Five crucial aspects of the Debbie Dorian case1) Debbie Dorian's life and the shocking discovery of her bodyABC's 20/20: I'm Going to Get You (Image via Unsplash/@JOSHUA COLEMAN)In August 1996, at the age of 22, Debbie Dorian had just graduated with a degree in economics from California State University, Fresno, and she lived alone in a northeast Fresno apartment. On August 22, 1996, her father arrived at her apartment, but found the door unlocked.Inside, he discovered Debbie Dorian's body on the living room floor. She had been bound at the wrists and ankles, gagged with duct tape over her eyes, nose, and mouth. She was s*xually assaulted and killed by asphyxiation. The autopsy showed she had been dead for about two days, reported ABC News.On 20/20, her mother, Sara Loven, recalled seeing her daughter 10 days earlier, saying, "She was beautiful." Fresno police launched a murder and s*xual assault probe, collecting semen evidence that produced an unknown male DNA profile. Early leads, including neighbor sightings of a stranger, faded quickly, leaving the family in grief, per ABC News.Also read: What happened to Pedro Bravo? Details explored ahead of 20/20 on ABC2) The case goes cold, and early connections to other crimes emerge View this post on Instagram Instagram PostFor over a decade, Debbie Dorian's murder remained unsolved despite active efforts by Fresno detectives. The DNA evidence was entered into the national CODIS database, but no matches were initially found, as per ABC News. Investigators canvassed the area and preserved the scene details, but the case stalled as tips dried up.A turning point came in 2006 when the DNA from Debbie Dorian's case matched a sample from a 2002 s*xual assault in Visalia, about an hour south of Fresno. This linked her killer to at least one other attack on a young woman. By 2009, Tulare County filed a "John Doe" complaint against the unknown DNA profile for multiple assaults in Visalia between 1999 and 2002.These crimes involved a masked man using a gun to threaten women living alone, forcing compliance under threat of death. One survivor, later called Jane Doe 1, reported her 1999 assault, describing the terror of a gun to her head. Although these links established a pattern, the perpetrator's identity remained hidden, keeping the cases cold, according to ABC News.Also read: 20/20: The Rose Petal Murder- A detailed case overview3) The DNA breakthrough with forensic genetic genealogyGenealogy research revealed that Nickey was the killer (Image via Unsplash/@Louis Reed)Inspired by the 2018 Golden State Killer case, investigators revisited Debbie Dorian's evidence later that same year. Fresno and Visalia detectives partnered with experts in forensic genetic genealogy, a method that uploads DNA to public databases to trace family trees.The technique identified distant relatives of the unknown profile, thereby narrowing down the suspects through genealogical research. This process, which took several months, ultimately led to Nickey Duane Stane, a resident of Visalia at the time. Confirmatory DNA testing matched him to the scenes, according to ABC News.The 20/20 episode explains how this tool revolutionized cold cases by combining science and public data, even in cases without direct suspects.4) Suspect identification, arrest, and revelations from interviewsNickey Duane Stane, a married father of two living an unassuming life in Visalia, emerged as the suspect in 2019. His attacks mirrored the brutality in Debbie Dorian's case: targeting young women who were living alone, using a covered face and gun for control.During police questioning, Stane admitted to the Visalia assaults but denied knowing Debbie Dorian. However, he later claimed a consensual encounter, which was dismissed due to a lack of evidence. Stane was arrested in late 2019 on charges including first-degree murder and four counts of s*xual assault. The cases were consolidated in Fresno County in January 2020, as reported by ABC News.5) The plea deal, sentencing, and path to closureNickey Duane Stane was sentenced to life without parole (Image via Unsplash/@Larry Farr)During a November 2023 preliminary hearing, a Visalia survivor testified, strengthening the evidence with details matching other attacks. Facing overwhelming proof, Stane pleaded guilty on May 15, 2025, to 12 felonies, including Debbie Dorian's murder and the assaults. He also waived appeals to avoid the death penalty.He was sentenced to life without parole on June 12, 2025, in Fresno County Superior Court. As reported by the Fresno Bee, Sara Loven addressed the court, saying:"He [Stane] will pay for his evil actions." Another survivor spoke of lasting trauma. The 20/20 episode captures these moments, noting how the plea brought finality after 29 years.Detectives like Vince Zavala reflected on the relief, crediting teamwork and technology for their success. For Debbie Dorian's family, it honored her memory while ensuring Stane could no longer harm others.Watch ABC's 20/20 episode I'm Going to Get You available on Disney+ and Hulu.