NOBLE COUNTY, Ind. (WOWO) – A man connected to the murder of a North Webster girl in 1975 was found guilty at a bench trial Tuesday.

Fred Bandy Jr. waived his right to a jury trial last month. 17-year-old Laurel Mitchell’s case went cold until last year when advancements in lab technology helped investigators identify two men–Bandy and John Lehman–to the homicide.

Both were arrested in February of last year.

The coroner ruled that Mitchell drowned in the Elkhart River all those years ago, but signs of a struggle led to the conclusion of a homicide.

Lehman will be in court Friday after taking a plea deal for a lesser charge.