According to multiple reports, a podcast helped solve the 1982 killing of 16-year-old Roxanne Sharp. Four men have been charged with aggravated rape and second-degree murder in connection with her death. The charged men are Perry Wayne Taylor (64), Darrell Dean Spell (64), Carlos Cooper (64), and Billy Williams Jr. (62).
Cooper and Taylor were already in prison on unrelated charges, while Williams and Spell were arrested earlier this week. Louisiana State Police spokesperson Marc Gremillion said Sharp was an acquaintance of the four suspects and frequented their neighborhood.
We appreciate the hard work and love that has been shown to Roxanne Sharp’s case. We hope that with justice will come healing and closure for our family, her loved ones, and the community.
The podcast 'Who Killed Roxanne Sharp?' was produced by Northshore Media and aired last year. According to Gremillion, the podcast generated crucial tips and prompted new witnesses to come forward. He said, "It helped our investigators piece together where Roxanne was days before to the time she died, to where we're at now. It was a very large help with getting that message out to the public, and then, therefore, those witnesses getting back to us."
According to The Independent - Main, Charles Dowdy, vice president of Northshore Media, described that when they started the podcast, they thought nobody cared but were quickly corrected as many people stepped up who knew Roxanne. He also described that the evidence clearly showed she had been grabbed on the street and dragged into the woods.
He thinks they’re putting him in for something he didn’t do. He says he would never in his life hurt anyone.
Billy Williams Jr.'s son, Billy Williams III, told The Independent - Main that his father is innocent and would never hurt anyone. No attorneys are listed for any of the suspects, according to the St. Tammany Parish clerk of court. Family members of Spell, Cooper, and Taylor did not respond to requests for comment.
Roxanne Sharp's niece, Michele Lappin, said in a statement: "We appreciate the hard work and love that has been shown to Roxanne Sharp's case. We hope that with justice will come healing and closure for our family, her loved ones, and the community."
When we started the podcast, we kind of thought nobody cared — we were quickly corrected. A lot of people stepped up and said they knew Roxanne, they remembered her, they were friends with her.
Police had once thought the case solved after serial killer Henry Lucas claimed responsibility, but Lucas was known for false confessions. The specific evidence leading to the charges and the exact role of each suspect remain unclear. It is also unknown why it took over 40 years to solve the case, and whether there are any other suspects or persons of interest.
It clearly showed that she'd been grabbed on the street and dragged into the woods.