GA GA - Joshua Randall Harmon, 8, Struck on Head and Strangled. Roswell. May 1988

[Fede]

"Neighbors told Joshua’s family he had stopped by their apartment around 7 p.m. to see if their son, a friend of his, could come outside to play, according to police. Because the boy’s family was having their own dinner, he could not.
Joshua told his friend he would wait for him at the fort, where they often played together."

Some questions: Did the friend finalky go to the fort? If yes, did he notice anything strange? Did someone see any suspicious person near where Joshua was last seen?

 

[watcher9]

"Neighbors told Joshua’s family he had stopped by their apartment around 7 p.m. to see if their son, a friend of his, could come outside to play, according to police. Because the boy’s family was having their own dinner, he could not.
Joshua told his friend he would wait for him at the fort, where they often played together."

Some questions: Did the friend finalky go to the fort? If yes, did he notice anything strange? Did someone see any suspicious person near where Joshua was last seen?

Hopefully, the friend was able to give information to LE at the time which would answer to your questions but that info has not been released to the public. Otherwise, maybe the friend or other kids at the time could go public now that they are much older to help move this case forward?

 

[dotr]

Teenagers roughing up a little kid? Wonder if they have been questioned again?
May 2019 rbbm.
Georgia police seek new info in 1988 cold case murder of 8-year-old Roswell boy
''There were plenty of potential suspects in the early days of the investigation. Authorities told the Journal-Constitution a convicted child molester had escaped from the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta the day he disappeared. Joshua had also had a run-in earlier in the day with some teenage boys who his family said "roughed him up" after he'd thrown a rock at the apartment where one of the boys lived.''
''All the potential suspects were ruled out.''

"In the last 31 years, we believe that the killer may have spoken to someone about this incident and disclosed their involvement," authorities said.''

 

[Dreacol23]

"Neighbors told Joshua’s family he had stopped by their apartment around 7 p.m. to see if their son, a friend of his, could come outside to play, according to police. Because the boy’s family was having their own dinner, he could not.
Joshua told his friend he would wait for him at the fort, where they often played together."

Some questions: Did the friend finalky go to the fort? If yes, did he notice anything strange? Did someone see any suspicious person near where Joshua was last seen?

I read somewhere that the friend never went to the fort. I also read that the friend and the friends dad have passed away recently

 

[Fede]

Teenagers roughing up a little kid? Wonder if they have been questioned again?
May 2019 rbbm.
Georgia police seek new info in 1988 cold case murder of 8-year-old Roswell boy
''There were plenty of potential suspects in the early days of the investigation. Authorities told the Journal-Constitution a convicted child molester had escaped from the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta the day he disappeared. Joshua had also had a run-in earlier in the day with some teenage boys who his family said "roughed him up" after he'd thrown a rock at the apartment where one of the boys lived.''
''All the potential suspects were ruled out.''

"In the last 31 years, we believe that the killer may have spoken to someone about this incident and disclosed their involvement," authorities said.''

I don't know if there was any sign of sexual abuse in Joshua's body. That can make a big difference

 

[PayrollNerd]

I don't know if there was any sign of sexual abuse in Joshua's body. That can make a big difference

The comments on the Roswell Police FB 5/15/2019 post will shed some light on this issue. I would consider it hearsay, not fact because LE has never publicly said anything.

Roswell Police Department

 

[Dreacol23]

I just drove through the apartment complex where he lived the other day. I was making a delivery. It was sad driving by the forest where he was most likely found and seeing the lake where he looked for turtles

 

[Tabech29]

Still here for Joshua. So glad the case is getting more attention since I first looked it up, all I found back then was the find a grave, and a vague mention of him on a newspaper article. I remember seeing his sweet little face and could not believe the details of the crime, and to find out that it was still unsolved with no leads was very heartbreaking. Praying that they are able to solve this soon.

 

[sds71]

11Alive confirmed Thursday night that an arrest had been made in the case. Sources said investigators linked the suspect to the little boy's murder from DNA evidence that was recently recovered.

The Roswell Police Department is expected to make a formal announcement about the arrest Friday morning.

Roswell boy Joshua Harmon murdered | Arrest made 33 yeas later | 11alive.com

@BrendanKeefe

Roswell Police solve a 33-year-old cold case — the 1988 murder of Joshua Randall Harmon in Georgia, my source close to the investigation confirms. DNA on recently-recovered evidence matched an ex-con who just got out after serving ~20 years for unrelated conviction.

 

[sds71]

Kristen Holloway
@KHollowayWSB

Happening Now: Roswell Police & the GBI announcing the arrest of 56yr-old James Coates for sexual assault and the murder of 8yr-old Joshua Harmon after the case went cold for 33-years.

 

[Harvath]

So glad they finally got the perpetrator. This case happened a few months before I was born and just a mere 10 miles from the house I grew up in. Driving on the main road near the apt complex was almost a daily occurrence for me growing up. Truly awful what Joshua had to go through. Hopefully now his soul is at peace and his family can finally have some closure….32 years later but some closure none the less.

 

[Kell1]

Glad theres a conclusion

 

[PerhapsIt'sYou]

I wonder if the suspect who was arrested was a suspect back in 88?

 

[sds71]

Woodstock man arrested, charged in murder of Roswell 8-year-old in 1988 (ajc.com)

 

[KatzEye]

JMC has a prior conviction for child molestation / enticement of a child from 1993.

Georgia Sex Offender Registry

 

[rob525]

This guy was 23 when the murder happened. I wonder where he was for the decade prior? Guys like this need an express lane to the executioner.

 

[KatzEye]

Woodstock man arrested, charged in murder of Roswell 8-year-old in 1988 (ajc.com)

From this article :

In February, Harmon’s body was exhumed. New evidence and additional funds from Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council allowed Roswell police to pursue DNA testing, which officials said linked Coates to the killing.

I'm curious what new evidence was found that was not present in 1988. Or was this a matter of funding being unavailable ? Coates was incarcerated in 1993, and served around 20 years. As a RSO, wouldn't his DNA have been on file at some point ?

All just my musings and MOO. Happy that Joshua has finally gotten justice and his family now has answers. His Mom passed last year - I wish she could have been alive to see this. I will not link her obituary, but it is easily found using Google.

 

[sds71]

From this article :



I'm curious what new evidence was found that was not present in 1988. Or was this a matter of funding being unavailable ? Coates was incarcerated in 1993, and served around 20 years. As a RSO, wouldn't his DNA have been on file at some point ?

All just my musings and MOO. Happy that Joshua has finally gotten justice and his family now has answers. His Mom passed last year - I wish she could have been alive to see this. I will not link her obituary, but it is easily found using Google.

the investigators exhumed Joshua's body to collect DNA.

 

[Slawsb]

From this article :



I'm curious what new evidence was found that was not present in 1988. Or was this a matter of funding being unavailable ? Coates was incarcerated in 1993, and served around 20 years. As a RSO, wouldn't his DNA have been on file at some point ?

All just my musings and MOO. Happy that Joshua has finally gotten justice and his family now has answers. His Mom passed last year - I wish she could have been alive to see this. I will not link her obituary, but it is easily found using Google.

Well she was reunited with him last year so she already had the answers.
So glad they got him.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I wonder if the suspect who was arrested was a suspect back in 88?

That is what I was wondering too. Did they have a registry back then for offenders or were the local police aware of his behavior, any rumors, complaints, etc about this disgusting monster.

Glad Joshua's family has answers. His poor Momma.