GA Debbie Lynn Randall Jan. 13, 1972

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CRIME

Girl's killer identified more than 50 years after she was abducted in Georgia​

BY ALIZA CHASAN
SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 / 7:30 PM / CBS NEWS
Investigators identified a 9-year-old girl's killer more than 50 years after she was abducted less than a block from her Georgia home, officials said Monday.
Debbie Lynn Randall, a third-grade student, vanished on Jan. 13, 1972, Cobb County District Attorney Flynn Broady said. She had been on her way home from a laundromat. Randall's body was found 16 days later after an extensive search by thousands of people. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled. (...)
During the original investigation, officers with the Marietta Police Department recovered a hair from the suspect and a piece of cloth, Broady said. An October 2001 FBI test on the hair allowed investigators to rule out many potential suspects.

In May of 2015, the cloth recovered by police was sent to forensics for an updated analysis, which resulted in a partial profile attributed to an unknown male. Additional funding was obtained for DNA testing in 2019 and the cloth was analyzed again in 2022. This year, DNA Labs International was selected to conduct further testing.
They were able to find relatives of the suspect, officials said. Those relatives gave investigators additional DNA samples for comparison. Investigators landed on a man who had not been on their radar at any point during the investigation: William Rose, 24. He'd killed himself in 1974.
Girl's killer identified more than 50 years after she was abducted in Georgia

 

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Rose committed suicide in 1974, two years after Randall’s murder, authorities said.

At the news conference, Broady expressed sorrow for Randall’s parents who didn’t get the chance to know the case had been solved. Randall’s mother, Juanita, died of leukemia in 2018; her father, John, died in 2022.

“The loss of a loved one, especially one of such a tender age is difficult to comprehend. This family has waited for decades for an answer. This information will not replace the pain of losing Debbie Lynn,” Broady said.

Randall’s brother spoke briefly to reporters, WSB-TV reported.

“I wish my mother was here but I know she’s in heaven now and it’s finally over and we want to say we thank all of you for what you’ve done in making this day come to pass,” Marvin Randall said.

Cobb County Cold Case Unit solves the 1972 homicide of a 9-year-old girl - WABE

The more than 50-year mystery of who killed a young Georgia girl has been solved, authorities said. Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady Jr., at a news conference Monday, […]

www.wabe.org

 

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Cobb garden dedicated in honor of 9-year-old who was abducted, murdered in 1972

An organization is dedicating a garden to a 9-year-old girl who was abducted, abused, and murdered in 1972.

www.wsbtv.com

An organization is dedicating a garden to a 9-year-old girl who was abducted, abused, and murdered in 1972.

Channel 2 Action News was at the new Debbie Lynn Randall Memorial Butterfly Garden in Cobb County when it was on Wednesday.

The founder of Girls Inc., which was created in Randall’s honor, says this garden is to celebrate her recently solved cold case.

 

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https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/chilling-cold-case-finally-solved-after-51-years/news-story/ffb4497716f3ddfd4642c0dfc2850dea

Jasmine Kazlauskas December 10, 2023

Debbie was beloved by all her friends and family. Picture: Supplied

William B. Rose killed Debbie in 1972. He died by suicide two years later. Picture: Cobb Country Police Department
“He saw her by herself and abducted her.”

Rose had prior arrests for alcohol-related incidents.

Investigators added that it was possible Rose took his own life due to the guilt of what he had done, or it may have been due his fear of being caught.''