How a Cigarette Butt Led to the Arrest of a Suspect in a 13-Year-Old Cold-Case Murder in Pennsylvania
A man from Pennsylvania has been charged in a 13-year-old murder case after a DNA match found at the crime scene, police said.
Frank Timothy Campbell Jr, 38, was charged with the murder of 35-year-old Leon Mickens that happened in Masontown, Independent reported.
Leon Mickens was fatally shot in August 2011 during a suspected drug deal, CBS News reported.
Campbell is the first accused to be charged in the case, Independent reported.
Mike Aubele, Fayette County District Attorney, shared that authorities took a fresh look at the case due to the urging of Leon Mickens' daughter, Herald-Standard reported.
"Basically, she has been pushing this case for a very long time… I met with her, it was earlier this year, about how the case hadn’t gotten anywhere. I told her I would do everything that I could," Aubele said.
Police had stored all the evidence collected from the scene of Mickens' murder, Herald-Standard reported. Authorities had found a "pristine" cigarette butt on the scene, and they managed to collect DNA from it during their renewed investigation.
Campbell had been a person of interest in the murder, and his DNA was taken for testing, Herald-Standard reported. Both the samples were a match and the prosecutors decided to charge him. "It puts him right there," Aubele said.
Campbell is serving a sentence for attempted murder in some other case at SCI Somerset, according to Aubele, Herald-Standard reported. Arrangements are being made to transport the suspect to Fayette County so that he can face the new charges.
According to online court records, Campbell also faces a felony charge of aggravated assault and misdemeanors of simple assault and reckless endangerment, Herald-Standard reported. The man is yet to be arraigned and no preliminary hearing date has been scheduled.
The victim's daughter, Destiny Mickens was happy with the progress, CBS News reported. "I feel a lot of emotions now." "I’m very blessed, my family is very blessed that this day has finally come," she added.