A Miramar, Florida, murder case that had gone cold for 37 years has been solved when investigators examined the files and uncovered a DNA sample that led them to the murderer.
On October 21, 1986, William “Billy” Halpern, 28, was “brutally” murdered in his Miramar home, according to a Facebook post from the Miramar Police Department.
The former firefighter worked at a gym in Hollywood, Florida, and was regarded as an obsessive bodybuilder.
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In January, investigators revived the investigation after discovering additional fragmentary DNA profiles accessible for examination. During a press conference, Miramar Police Detective Danny Smith, who was handling the investigation, stated that they had DNA samples but wanted names or someone to come forward with knowledge about the case.
The government published a notification about the case on Tuesday, after a request for public assistance.
Smith received numerous reports from the community, which led him to identify Harrier Collier, now deceased, as one of the culprits who murdered Halpern.
“If Harry Collier…were alive today, Miramar Police would be charging him with the murder of Billy Halpern,” police wrote on Facebook.
Police suspect Halpern was slain because he accidentally acquired information that was not intended for public release.
According to WSVN in Miami, Collier was killed in connection with two previous deaths near a former gym, including Halpern’s.
The scores of leads submitted to Smith were purportedly consistent with evidence connecting to a double murder in Tamarac around the same time, as well as Collier’s DNA.
“The way that the murder scene in Tamarac was laid out, very similar, if not exact, to the Halpern murder scene,” Smith stated.
According to the station, authorities believe Halpern’s killing was the first of two homicides that occurred at the gym.
Gil Fernandez, the gym’s proprietor, was a former Miami-Dade County police officer and bodybuilder with mob links. Fernandez was initially suspected of murdering Halpern, but DNA testing failed to implicate him. Nevertheless, he was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of another murder.
Detectives investigating Halpern’s death concluded that Halpern knew or heard something he should not have. While Collier has been identified as one of the culprits, the case has not been closed because there are more connections and probably more arrests to come.
“We are seeking for people who were present. We are seeking for anyone who may have ordered the murder. “There were people who were complicit,” Smith told the station. “We’re not going to stop.”
Anyone with additional information regarding the case can contact Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
Source: foxnews.com