Thirty-three years after deer hunters in Georgia found the physique of 23-year-old Mary Louicile Willfong within the woods, a person was arrested for her homicide, authorities stated.
New know-how allowed investigators to match the DNA proof discovered on the sufferer’s physique to Larry Padgett, 59, who on March 1 as arrested in Indiana, the place he lives, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Workplace in Georgia introduced.
Investigators consider Padgett sexually assaulted Willfong and strangled her to demise.
Willfong’s physique was found on Nov. 21 1989 in Monroe County. Willfong was reportedly final seen boarding a tractor trailer with a person at a farmer’s market in Forest Park, Georgia, simply south of Atlanta, officers stated.
A number of suspects had their DNA taken and had been interviewed by investigators on the time.
No DNA matches had been yielded, and the case went chilly.
Case re-opened in 2019
Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman requested his detectives to re-open the case in 2019, the sheriff’s workplace stated. Proof was despatched to a DNA Worldwide, a family tree lab based mostly in Florida.
That led to the identification of Padgett in Indiana.
In August, sheriff investigators contacted the Washington, Indiana Police Division for help of their investigation. He was finally arrested by Monroe County investigators who traveled to Indiana on March 1. Two days later he was booked into Monroe County’s jail, the place he stays.
The sheriff’s workplace stated they obtained additional proof linking Padgett following his arrest.
