NOBLE COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - One of two men tied to the 1975 killing of a North Webster teenager - a case that went cold until 2023 - has been convicted of murder. Fred Bandy Jr. was found guilty at a bench trial Tuesday. He waived his right to a jury trial in September. Laurel Jean Mitchell Laurel Jean Mitchell was 17 when she disappeared decades ago and was found in the Elkhart River. An autopsy showed she drowned, but had struggled. Her death was ruled a homicide. Bandy was arrested in February 2023 along with John Wayne Lehman in connection to the homicide. Advancements in lab technology allowed investigators to connect the two to Mitchell's killing. This past August, Lehman agreed to a plea deal that would change his murder charge to a conspiracy to commit murder charge. Lehman has a court hearing Friday. Bandy's sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 22.