Uncle of Kentucky Teen Killed in 1999 Charged With Sexual Assault, Sodomy and Murder of Niece

The man who was indicted for kidnapping and murdering a Kentucky teen was charged with sodomizing and sexually abusing two other girls three years after her death in 1999.

Stanley Dishon, uncle to Jessica Dishon, was not identified as a suspect in the death of the 17-year-old girl until April of this year, and wasn't questioned about the murder until very recently, according to Bullitt County Sheriff Dave Greenwell, who spoke with USA Today on Wednesday.

Fourteen years ago, FBI investigators found that Jessica had been "violently sexually assaulted." Dishon was convicted three years later for the sex offenses, with an added charge of abusing another niece. He was given a 10 year prison sentencing for those crimes, and was put on Kentucky's sex offender registry for life. Dishon was charged in August for allegedly raping, sodomizing and sexually assaulting another girl in 1982. He has pleaded not guilty on those charges.

Greenwell, who worked as a deputy when Jessica was murdered, talked to reporters at a news conference on Wednesday. He was the first officer to arrive at Jessica's home after reports that she'd gone missing surfaced in September 1999. During the media meeting, Greenwell questioned why Dishon hadn't been interviewed earlier. He added that detectives started examining the uncle after they were tipped off about his actions, but didn't say much more.

When USA Today asked Bullitt County commonwealth attorney Michael Mann why Dishon hadn't been questioned about Jessica's death, he declined to comment.

Another man, neighbor David "Bucky" Brooks, was previously charged as the murderer, but the case was dropped after a judge declared a mistrial. Brooks spent about two years in jail starting from January 2001.

Louisville defense lawyer and former prosecutor Kent Wicker said that the abuse charges against Stanley Dishon constituted an "obvious lead," and that it "should have been top of the list to follow up on."

Brooks' lawyer John Spainhour stated to USA Today that his ex-client hoped that the real offender would be found.

"He is hopeful that Jessica's death will have justice brought to it," Spainhour said.