Louisiana State Police charged four men on Friday with the aggravated rape and second-degree murder of 16-year-old Roxanne Sharp, killed in 1982 in St. Tammany Parish. A podcast titled 'Who Killed Roxanne Sharp?', produced by Northshore Media and aired last year, generated crucial public tips and new witnesses that broke the cold case. Spokesperson Marc Gremillion credited the series with helping investigators reconstruct Sharp's final days.
Roxanne Sharp was found dead in woods about 30 miles north of New Orleans. Police long struggled with scant evidence and reluctant witnesses until approaching Northshore Media for the six-part podcast. 'It helped our investigators piece together where Roxanne was days before to the time she died,' Gremillion told reporters. The effort renewed community interest, with Charles Dowdy, Northshore Media vice president, noting many came forward remembering Sharp as a friend or acquaintance of the suspects in their neighborhood. She frequented the area where the four men lived, Gremillion added. Dowdy helped recreate the crime scene, revealing Sharp had been grabbed on the street and dragged into the woods. Previously, serial killer Henry Lucas falsely confessed but later retracted, with evidence disproving his involvement. The suspects—Perry Wayne Taylor, 64; Darrell Dean Spell, 64; Carlos Cooper, 64; and Billy Williams Jr., 62—face charges. Cooper and Taylor were already imprisoned on unrelated matters, while Williams and Spell were arrested earlier this week. No attorneys were listed for them, and families of Spell, Cooper, and Taylor did not comment. Billy Williams III insisted his father is innocent, saying he would never hurt anyone. Sharp's niece, Michele Lappin, welcomed the news on behalf of the family, hoping for healing and closure. Covington Police Chief Michael Ferrell and District Attorney Collin Sims praised the persistence of investigators. 'Cold cases don't close themselves,' Ferrell said. Similar podcasts have aided other cold cases, including ones in Illinois and South Carolina.