Laralee Spear - Volusia County, FL 30 YEAR OLD COLD CASE

[akeats94]

Laralee was a 15-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered after getting off the bus just a short distance from her house. Here is a great article about the case:

Who killed Laralee Spear? 27-year-old cold case murder continues to haunt DeLand - The West Volusia Beacon

The mysterious killing of DeLand High School student Laralee Spear in 1994 has left a community transfixed and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office puzzled. But new developments in technology, a big reward and renewed community interest all make detectives hopeful. The case On the afternoon of...

beacononlinenews.com

Volusia County Sheriff's are asking for the publics help for any clues and information anyone might have or come across in regards to this case. For some reason I feel a huge pull to this case - and I just hope and pray for justice to be served on belhalf of Laralee. She was only 15, and should have lived a much longer and happier life. If anyone is interested in researching this case, anyone/anything associated I would be ecstatic and would LOVE to work through details with a community of web sleuths like yourselves.

I think we've all had a case just smack them in the heart, and this one is doing that for me. I also live around the area, and I feel such an eerie sense that the person responsible is still out there.

 

[Rush4087]

Welcome to Websleuths @akeats94 !

 

[Rush4087]

Local cold-case murder featured on Nancy Grace show; reward for information increased

Laralee Spear, of DeLand, was murdered 30 years ago, and detectives hope a bigger reward and re-testing of old DNA will help them catch the killer.

www.news-journalonline.com

“The DNA from the rape kit has previously been tested and has eliminated 50 suspects from the case, the sheriff’s office said.”

Article also mentions FBI involvement and possible additional resources. Not sure what that could be - other than help with DNA and databases (were there any digital forensics ie phone back then?)

So, even if there was no DNA found on the twine-like rope or LS’s clothes (we haven’t heard yet one way or the other about either), there is DNA from the rape kit.

How good the DNA was, we don’t know, but usually rape kit DNA samples are typically much better than samples found via touch DNA, rootless hair fibers, etc.

A 2021 article linked in a previous post seemed to indicate that they had the rape kit DNA sample at that time. The article however only said that DNA testing had “recently been discussed”. Frustrating

I sure hope that at that time (or certainly by late ‘22 and into early ‘23 where advancements in testing were well known) they submitted the DNA to somebody like @othram.

Jmo

 

[cenazoic]

2007 article with additional details:

Spear2007

Clipping found in The Orlando Sentinel published in Orlando, Florida on 4/25/2007. Spear2007

www.newspapers.com

Spear2007p2

Clipping found in The Orlando Sentinel published in Orlando, Florida on 4/25/2007. Spear2007p2

www.newspapers.com