FL Lora Ann Huizar,11, ST. LUCIE COUNTY raped and murdered by Deputy 1983

[sds71]

St. Lucie County sheriff’s officials Thursday announced they closed the 1983 unsolved homicide of an 11-year-old girl as detectives named a former deputy as “the only probable suspect in this case.”

The body of Lora Ann Huizar was found Nov. 9, 1983, three days after being reported missing. Asphyxiation was listed as the cause of death.

Investigators named Deputy James Howard Harrison as the suspect in the death of Lora Ann Huizar. He is unable to be charged because he died in 2008.

“We have established probable cause to determine that Harrison abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered the juvenile victim and later altered the crime scene by placing the victim in a drainage ditch in an attempt to destroy physical evidence,” said St. Lucie County Chief Deputy Brian Hester in a statement.

Officials said Harrison worked for ten separate law enforcement agencies across Florida since the 1960s. During this time, they said he showed a pattern of inappropriate behavior involving juvenile females.

This pattern leads detectives to believe he may be responsible for other sexual assault cases across the state.

Anyone with information regarding Harrison and his possible involvement in any case is asked to case the St. Lucie County Criminal Investigation Division at [URL='https://www.websleuths.com/forums/tel:772-462-3230']772-462-3230.
[/URL]
Florida deputy identified as murder suspect in 1983 cold case


Suspect in 1983 slaying of Lora Ann Huizar, 11, named as dead deputy

 

[PayrollNerd]

Wow. An officer that children are taught to trust turns out to be an evil monster.

10 different law enforcement offices and nobody could make anything stick??? I wonder how many of his colleagues had their suspicions about him at the time.

 

[JaxFlaGal]

At least one of his colleagues was concerned enough about the deputy's previous behavior that he made a formal complaint - and that man is now the St. Lucie County Sheriff, Ken Mascara.
Long excerpts from the press conference can be watched here (WFLA New Channel 8).

Full press conference also streamed from St Lucie Sheriff's FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1338382983343216

Per the news clip/press conference, the current St. Lucie County Sheriff, who spoke at the presser, said he used to work with the deceased suspect in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Direct quote from his press conference: "He actually was a zone partner of mine when I was on the road. And, I want to guess it was sometime around '79 or '80, I had made a complaint to my supervisors that I thought this deputy...[video skipped for a second here] relationships with young adults. Not sexual, not anything like that, but his interactions with young adults were inappropriate."

Per the Sheriff, that complaint went up the chain and he was told by his supervisor that because the deputy was a preacher, he was spiritually mentoring children at risk and teenagers at risk.

I am so disgusted to hear the Sheriff say that this man abused his position of authority as a deputy and also his position of church leadership to rape and murder this child, and potentially others. There is a special place in Hell for people like that.

MOO

 

[JaxFlaGal]

For anyone interested, the St Lucie Sheriff's Office press conference has a great amount of info on the cold case investigation (which received a great deal of funding from the Florida Sheriff's Association Cold Case Advisory Commission). Excellent Q&A with Det. Paul Taylor of the cold case unit.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1338382983343216

At about 32 minutes into the press conference, Detective Taylor explained why her picture is hanging in his office.

Det. Taylor explained that he lost his only child to suicide 5 years ago. Been a while after he died and one night he had a dream of his son (rarely dreamed of him). “Pappy, I found her! I found her!” the son told him. Then the detective (in his dream) looked over and saw Lora standing there, and she said “keep digging”. He woke up.

He pulled out her picture the next day and wrote on it "Keep digging. Lora Ann"

 

[JaxFlaGal]

Another note from the last part of the press conference that I linked above. They did provide a list of the central Florida law enforcement agencies that the deputy had worked in. Remember in the 1970s and 1980s, this area of Florida still had a lot of agricultural and rural area (still does), and the detective noted his concern that migrant workers in those areas of central Florida back in that time period, in particular, were at high risk of not coming forward at the time if a law enforcement officer who was also a preacher was the person they'd be accusing of inappropriate behavior. From the press conference, they provided the agencies he was employed by (most of them were for a couple of years). The detective has the employment periods but did not list them specifically.


Agencies he was employed by (most were a couple of years):

• Orange County SO
• Brooksville PD (in Hernando County)
• Groveland PD (in Lake County)
• Hernando County SO
• Osceola County SO
• Edgewood PD (in Orange County)
• St Lucie County SO (twice)
• Glades County SO
• Okeechobee County SO
• Okeechobee PD

Here's a map with those counties highlighted. Except for Orange County (the Orlando area), most of these counties won't ring bells to people unfamiliar with Florida.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Another note from the last part of the press conference that I linked above. They did provide a list of the central Florida law enforcement agencies that the deputy had worked in. Remember in the 1970s and 1980s, this area of Florida still had a lot of agricultural and rural area (still does), and the detective noted his concern that migrant workers in those areas of central Florida back in that time period, in particular, were at high risk of not coming forward at the time if a law enforcement officer who was also a preacher was the person they'd be accusing of inappropriate behavior. From the press conference, they provided the agencies he was employed by (most of them were for a couple of years). The detective has the employment periods but did not list them specifically.


Agencies he was employed by (most were a couple of years):

• Orange County SO
• Brooksville PD (in Hernando County)
• Groveland PD (in Lake County)
• Hernando County SO
• Osceola County SO
• Edgewood PD (in Orange County)
• St Lucie County SO (twice)
• Glades County SO
• Okeechobee County SO
• Okeechobee PD

Here's a map with those counties highlighted. Except for Orange County (the Orlando area), most of these counties won't ring bells to people unfamiliar with Florida.
View attachment 333962

Now they can run his DNA against other victims and UIDs. I believe he committed other crimes because the pedophile brain doesn't stop at one. Perhaps Lora Ann will be the catalyst to solve other crimes this creep committed. Thank goodness this little one sent a sign!

 

[dotr]

Former Tampa Bay deputy ‘probable suspect’ in 1983 cold case killing of girl, 11 | #HeyJB on WFLA No - YouTube

 

[dotr]

Gone Cold: Taking a look back at Tampa Bay’s cold cases through the years

Mysteries, cold cases, and unsolved murders capture the minds of many. As we head into 2023, take a look back at some of Tampa Bay’s cold cases, solved, or still waiting for justice.

www.wfla.com

''Dec 29, 2022
Lora Ann Huizar, 11, was sexually assaulted and murdered on Nov. 6, 1983 in St. Lucie County. Decades after her death, the sheriff’s office announced a former deputy with ties to Tampa Bay was the only probably suspect in her abduction, assault, and death.

Former deputy James Howard Harrison was a deputy for the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office at the time of Huizar’s murder, but before that he had been employed by multiple other law enforcement agencies, including the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. Huizar was found in Harrison’s assigned patrol zone, according to St. Lucie deputies.

According to officials, Harrison had “exhibited a pattern of inappropriate behavior” toward young females. In 2008, detectives recovered unknown DNA from Huizar’s rape kit.


Due to degradation, it was unable to compare the genetic material to Harrison’s body after his death. Despite the DNA evidence, deputies said they were able to establish probable cause due to witness testimony placing him near the scene before Huizar’s body was found.

Harrison, deceased, reportedly worked for 10 different agencies in Florida since the 1960s.''

 

[dotr]

.