Four people have been arrested in connection with the 1982 killing of a Louisiana teenager, investigators announced on Friday. State police troopers said tips generated by a true-crime podcast they helped produce, along with improvements in investigative technologies, led to the arrests in the murder of Roxanne Sharp, 16, about 44 years earlier.
Suspects Identified
Those suspected of murdering Sharp were identified as Perry Wayne Taylor, Darrel Dean Spell, Carlos Cooper, and Billy Williams Jr., all 64 and from the New Orleans suburb of Covington. Each faces charges of aggravated rape and second-degree murder. If convicted of either charge, they would receive mandatory life imprisonment.
The Crime
Sharp’s body was discovered on 12 February 1982, in a wooded area near Covington’s St Tammany Parish fairgrounds. Investigators determined that she had been raped and murdered before her body was left there. Scant evidence and limited public cooperation meant the case remained unsolved for more than four decades.
“Cold cases don’t close themselves,” Covington Police Chief Michael Ferrell said in a statement. “They close because people show up, year after year, and refuse to quit.”
Investigation Revived
The Louisiana news outlet nola.com reported that Covington police led the investigation until 2023, when state police investigators took over. They conducted new interviews with witnesses and possible suspects, resubmitted earlier evidence for DNA testing, and gathered additional materials.
In early 2025, Northshore Media Group released a podcast titled Who Killed Roxanne Sharp? featuring a tip line. Officials said the podcast—created with local radio host Charles Down and the state police’s public affairs office—generated new leads and witnesses. Combined with updated DNA testing technology, this helped identify and arrest the suspects.
Arrest Details
Troopers said Taylor and Cooper were already serving time in Louisiana’s state prison system when linked to the slaying. Williams was recently arrested and jailed in Covington, while Spell was apprehended at his home in Ohio and awaits extradition to Louisiana.
At a news conference on Friday, State Police Lt. Heath Miller said a “culture of fear … with the people involved” had undermined earlier efforts. He noted that a retrospective podcast released after those fears subsided played “a crucial part of getting us information that we needed.”
Podcasts and Justice
Podcasts and true-crime media have increasingly influenced the criminal justice system. While the genre has drawn criticism as exploitative, there have been positive outcomes. For example, in 2020, the podcast The Murder Squad led to an arrest in a 40-year-old cold case. In 2024, a South Carolina sheriff credited MurderETC with helping identify a victim in a 1975 killing.
Collin Sims, the local district attorney, said in a statement: “This case is a powerful example of what persistence, collaboration, and advancements in investigative technology can accomplish. For more than four decades, this victim and her family have waited for answers.” Sims added that the arrests reflect authorities’ “unwavering commitment to pursue justice—no matter how much time has passed—and to hold those responsible fully accountable.”
