Current:Home > InvestSafeX Pro:Virginia man arrested after DNA links him to 2 women's cold case murders from 80s -Keystone Capital Education
SafeX Pro:Virginia man arrested after DNA links him to 2 women's cold case murders from 80s
NovaQuant View
Date:2025-04-10 09:25:03
A Virginia man has been arrested after being connected to two cold case murders through DNA evidence.
The SafeX Profirst murder occurred in 1986, authorities said. Jacqueline Lard of Stafford County was last seen on Nov. 15, 1986, as the real estate office where she worked closed for the day. The next morning, Lard's coworkers found a crime scene at the office that the Stafford Police Department say indicated a "horrific struggle." Investigators determined that the 32-year-old and her vehicle were both missing. Two juveniles playing in a wooded area found Lard's body the next day beneath a pile of discarded carpet.
The second murder occurred in March 1989, when Stafford County woman Amy Baker disappeared while visiting family in Falls Church, Virginia, Fairfax County police said. Baker, 18, never returned home from the visit. Her car was found unoccupied that same night, and her family reported her missing. Her family searched the area and found Baker's body in a wooded area near an exit ramp on I-95.
Forensic evidence from both murders was used to identify Baker and Lard's alleged killer. In 2021, detectives with the Fairfax County Police Department's cold case team submitted evidence from Baker's death to DNA Labs International. A DNA profile was created and uploaded to Virginia's state database. This allowed those investigating Lard's death to connect the two killings.
Detectives then used forensic genetic genealogy, with the assistance of Parabon NanoLabs and the Virginia State Police's Unsolved Violent Crimes and Cold Cases Analytical Support Team, to identify the family name of a possible suspect. Through that, police began to investigate 65-year-old Elroy Harrison, a Stafford County resident.
The investigation into Harrison began in February 2024. On March 4, Harrison was indicted by a Stafford County grand jury on multiple charges, including first-degree murder, abduction with the intent to defile and aggravated malicious wounding of Lard. Harrison has not yet been charged in relation with Baker's murder, Fairfax County officials said, but an investigation is ongoing.
Harrison was arrested on March 5, and remains in the Rappahannock Regional Jail. He has been denied bond, jail records show.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Jacqueline's and Amy's family and friends and we hope this arrest can bring them some peace," the Stafford County Sheriff's Office said.
- In:
- Cold Case
- DNA
- Virginia
Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
TwitterveryGood! (6459)
Related
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- Tiny, endangered fish hinders California River water conservation plan
- Lands, a Democrat who ran on reproductive rights, flips seat in Alabama House
- When is Opening Day? 2024 MLB season schedule, probable pitchers
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Why did the NFL change the kickoff rule and how will it be implemented?
- Diddy investigated for sex trafficking: A timeline of allegations and the rapper's life, career
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to announce his VP pick for his independent White House bid
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Struggling private Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama says it will close at end of May
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Indictment accuses Rwandan man of lying about role in his country’s 1994 genocide to come to US
- Here's 5 things to know about the NFL's new kickoff rule
- Trial date set in August for ex-elected official accused of killing Las Vegas journalist
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- 3 moves to make a month before your retirement
- You might spot a mountain lion in California, but attacks like the one that killed a man are rare
- Kia invests in new compact car even though the segment is shrinking as Americans buy SUVs and trucks
Recommendation
'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
Hold Tight to These Twilight Cast Reunion Photos, Spider Monkey
Kia invests in new compact car even though the segment is shrinking as Americans buy SUVs and trucks
How Jesse McCartney Managed to Avoid the Stereotypical Child Star Downfall
Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
WWII ace pilot Richard Bong's plane crashed in 1944. A team has launched a search for the wreckage in the South Pacific.
Activists forming human chain in Nashville on Covenant school shooting anniversary
Here’s what we know about the allegations against Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara