Nearly 20 years ago a woman was shot dead as she left the gym. Cop say they just arrested her killer
Police in Arkansas have made an arrest in a nearly two decade-old cold case, according to local law enforcement.
On Monday, the Jacksonville Police Department announced the arrest of Lavelle Demario Calvin in connection with the 2008 murder of 18-year-old Danick Adams.
In August 2008. Adams was shot and killed in Jacksonville as she was leaving the gym with one of her friends.
The gunman fled the scene using Adams’ car. Her friend called for help, but Adams ultimately died from her wounds.
According to the police, Calvin was arrested this week in Memphis and is being charged with capital murder.
One of the original investigators searching for Adams’ killer, Detective Cindy Harbour, joined an auxiliary group to continue investigating the case after she retired.
Jacksonville Police Chief Brett Hibbs praised Harbour and the rest of the department for making a break in the case.
“It’s enormous for us and those of us who have been here a long time, especially when this murder happened,” Hibbs said.
The police said that the case has been sealed, so further details on the latest development in the shooting will be withheld from the public.
Adams’ mother, Amy Adams, shared her feelings about the arrest with KARK.
“I’ve just always prayed that there would be an answer one day,” she told the broadcaster.
The elder Adams said she’s struggled to sleep since her daughter was murdered, and that the emotional pain still lingers. She said she’s happy there may now be closure to the tragedy, but added that even good news is still painful to process.
“I’m just so thankful and so happy… but at the same time, I just want to scream and cry,” she said. “Now I have a name to put with that. That’s different. Because there has always been a ‘Who? Why?’”
Hibbs, the city’s police chief, called the arrest and the potential closure of Adams’ case a “big deal,” and that the break gives him hope that other cold cases will eventually be solved.
“I am really proud of our department for working to bring answers to this family,” he said. “It gives me hope we can do more.”
According to Jacksonville Mayor Jeff Elmore, Adams’ death left a mark on the city. He said that seeing her killer brought to justice will hopefully help bring some peace to those who’ve carried the case with them for nearly two-decades.
“This has been very long in the making—just a couple months short of 17 years,” Elmore told KARK. “There were a lot of people emotionally involved in this who knew Danick.”
