packy
02-12-2009, 08:55 AM
Police say they finally solved a high profile murder case involving two young girls from 24 years ago.
"This community has some closure and the scar that we've had for the last 24 years can now start to heal," said Todd Walker, Deputy Chief, Decatur Police Department.
Back in 1984, near what used to be the Longview housing projects, three young girls were trick-or-treating. On that night, they were abducted and sexually abused and two of them were left strangled and killed in an apartment. One girl was found alive in a closet and cops say the man responsible is dead.
"There may be some answers that we'll never know, that's the unfortunate aspect when you don't have a chance to question your suspect," Deputy Chief Walker said.
Deputy Chief Walker says Melvin Johnson, a neighbor of the girls, murdered 12-year-old, Sherry Gordon and 9-year-old, Theresa Hall. Johnson was in and out of prison with lengthy criminal history of sexually abusing children and violence.
He'd now be 51-years-old. Cops say he died of stomach cancer and HIV five years ago. In late 2008, Decatur cops reported finding a tissue sample of Johnson's in a Texas hospital linking his DNA to the cold case.
Police blame lack of DNA technology back in 1984 for the delay in solving the case. Because of glitches in a system involving a national FBI database of DNA and other information, Johnson literally got away with murder.
http://www.wandtv.com/global/story.asp?s=9827070 (Picture and more at link)
"This community has some closure and the scar that we've had for the last 24 years can now start to heal," said Todd Walker, Deputy Chief, Decatur Police Department.
Back in 1984, near what used to be the Longview housing projects, three young girls were trick-or-treating. On that night, they were abducted and sexually abused and two of them were left strangled and killed in an apartment. One girl was found alive in a closet and cops say the man responsible is dead.
"There may be some answers that we'll never know, that's the unfortunate aspect when you don't have a chance to question your suspect," Deputy Chief Walker said.
Deputy Chief Walker says Melvin Johnson, a neighbor of the girls, murdered 12-year-old, Sherry Gordon and 9-year-old, Theresa Hall. Johnson was in and out of prison with lengthy criminal history of sexually abusing children and violence.
He'd now be 51-years-old. Cops say he died of stomach cancer and HIV five years ago. In late 2008, Decatur cops reported finding a tissue sample of Johnson's in a Texas hospital linking his DNA to the cold case.
Police blame lack of DNA technology back in 1984 for the delay in solving the case. Because of glitches in a system involving a national FBI database of DNA and other information, Johnson literally got away with murder.
http://www.wandtv.com/global/story.asp?s=9827070 (Picture and more at link)