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Podcast helps Louisiana State Police arrest 4 suspects in decades-old murder of teenage girl
Investigators used new evidence and DNA analysis to revive the decades-old rape and murder case and obtain warrants for four suspects.
- Louisiana State Police arrested four Covington men—Perry Wayne Taylor, Darrell Dean Spell, Carlos Cooper, and Billy Williams Jr.—on Tuesday in connection with the 1982 rape and murder of 16-year-old Roxanne Sharp, charging each with aggravated rape and second-degree murder.
- After remaining unsolved for 44 years due to limited physical evidence and minimal public cooperation, the Louisiana State Police Covington Field Office reopened the investigation in 2023, conducting comprehensive evidence reviews and DNA reanalysis.
- A 2025 podcast titled "Who Killed Roxanne," produced by State Police and local radio host Charles Dowdy, generated new witness cooperation and leads; investigators combined this with DNA analysis advancements to identify the suspects.
- While Taylor and Cooper were already incarcerated within the Louisiana Department of Corrections on unrelated charges, Spell was arrested in Dayton, Ohio, and Williams was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on Tuesday.
- District Attorney Collin Sims stated the arrests reflect an "unwavering commitment to pursue justice no matter how much time has passed." Authorities encourage anyone with information on violent crimes to call 635-3167.
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20 Articles
20 Articles
Podcast helps Louisiana police arrest 4 suspects in decades-old murder of teen girl Roxanne Sharp
Louisiana police say a podcast, “Who Killed Roxanne Sharp?” helped them solve the decades-old killing of a 16-year-old girl and announced four men now face criminal charges after her rape and murder.
·New York, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources20
Leaning Left6Leaning Right3Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution55% Center
Bias Distribution
- 55% of the sources are Center
55% Center
L 30%
C 55%
15%
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