VA VA - Sharon Lake, 25, Deborah Frank, 23, Karen Scarborough, 17, Dale City, June 1978

[TedMac]

Fairfax County Police Closes in on 1989 Cold Case Murder

Fairfax County, VA – After more than three decades, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Elroy Neal Harrison, 65, of Stafford and charged him with the 1986 murder of Jacqueline L…

fcpdnews.wordpress.com

I wonder if this guy could be the killer? He has been arrested and charged with murder in another case and will probably be charged with another murder in Northern VA

 

[Soulmagent]

Fairfax County Police Closes in on 1989 Cold Case Murder

Fairfax County, VA – After more than three decades, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Elroy Neal Harrison, 65, of Stafford and charged him with the 1986 murder of Jacqueline L…

fcpdnews.wordpress.com

I wonder if this guy could be the killer? He has been arrested and charged with murder in another case and will probably be charged with another murder in Northern VA

This suspect would have been 19 years old or so in 1978.

There is supposedly a sketch of a potential suspect, but could not find it in any news reports. Here is what the Washington Post said regarding a suspect"

Quote: ... the suspect, a man in his late 20s with curly reddish or brownish blond hair and a medium build, was spotted driving away from the trailer where the women were killed, on June 24, the day 0f the crime. Police have said the women were each shot once in the back of the head sometime between 4 and 6:55 p.m. that day.

The suspect, wearing a white and green stripped pullover T-shirt with a collar, was driving a dark green subcompact car with a hatchback and white bucket seats...

A witness driving past the trailer, which served as a sales office for a Ryland Homes subdivision noticed the suspect pulling away from the trailer and turning around at the dead-end of Dale Boulevard The suspect did "something that stuck out in the witness's mind,"... Unquote.

LINK:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...layings/4bc6ddc4-79bc-487d-8677-4eb53ff1d9de/

The suspect description does not fit the guy arrested in those other cases

I have researched 12 cases that cross Fauquier, Loudoun, Fairfax, and Prince William County lines in Virginia that occurred between 1970 and 1991. I think there was a serial killer operating in the area in the 1970s and 1980s, and still lives in the area (now around 65-68 yrs old).

In this case, I believe one was the initial target of the serial killer (KS), and the other two women showed up unexpectedly, which led to this sad outcome.

There have been many murderers in those parts of Virginia that qualify as serial killers so I have to ask you which 12 cases your referencing?

I wish I had a concrete name. I got a name of Ms. Scarborough's ex-bf from high school, but I don't believe it is him. Michael Carl George is a name that pops up alot, but the crimes he was convicted of were against young boys-which doesn't fit the MO I'm tracking.

In some of the posts & articles I've sifted thru - LE had a strong suspect who was described as mid to late 20s, reddish/blonde hair, with description of his car/clothing. The description of the car doesn't help because I believe the perp switched cars pretty consistently. Facebook posts mention that LE believe they knew who was responsible, but did not have the evidence available to bring formal charges.

Does anybody remember a list of suspects from back then?

I feel the car description would help . I want to really understand your POV about the lack of meaning in your opinion on it's unimportance.
The suspect description does not line up with the arrest of photo's Elroy.

 

[TedMac]

This suspect would have been 19 years old or so in 1978.

The suspect description does not fit the guy arrested in those other cases

There have been many murderers in those parts of Virginia that qualify as serial killers so I have to ask you which 12 cases your referencing?

I feel the car description would help . I want to really understand your POV about the lack of meaning in your opinion on it's unimportance.
The suspect description does not line up with the arrest of photo's Elroy

As a resident of Northern VA., I am fully aware of the population and the number of murders in the area.

Do we know what Elroy looked like in 1978 at age 19?

Some serial killers start before the age of 19. This guy is charged with a 1986 murder and it appears he is going to be charged with a 1989 murder. So, he was 27 when the Jacqueline Lard was murdered.

The witnesses didn't get a great look at the guy seen leaving the area. The late 20's description was nothing more than a guess from the witness who had never seen the guy before. It is not easy to determine the age of someone by getting just one look at him. Someone aged 19 could easily appear to be older.

I am not saying that this guy is the killer, but simply asking could he possibly be the killer?

 

[Soulmagent]

As a resident of Northern VA., I am fully aware of the population and the number of murders in the area.

Do we know what Elroy looked like in 1978 at age 19?

Some serial killers start before the age of 19. This guy is charged with a 1986 murder and it appears he is going to be charged with a 1989 murder. So, he was 27 when the Jacqueline Lard was murdered.

The witnesses didn't get a great look at the guy seen leaving the area. The late 20's description was nothing more than a guess from the witness who had never seen the guy before. It is not easy to determine the age of someone by getting just one look at him. Someone aged 19 could easily appear to be older.

I am not saying that this guy is the killer, but simply asking could he possibly be the killer?

I would not doubt he has more victims. Like maybe Elroy is the man that murdered the lady at witches pond in Stafford.
I think he is an unlikely suspect in the triple homicide . Although Elroy could have went to high school with the youngest victim in that homicide .So who knows.

 

[dotr]

11 Unsolved Cold Cases in Northern Virginia

Local detectives continue to look for evidence and advancements in cold cases in Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, and Prince William counties.

northernvirginiamag.com

By Jill S. Devine July 30, 2025

Karen Rose Scarbrough, Sharon Inboden Lake, and Deborah Werner Frank​

Date of Incident: June 24, 1978

Known locally as “The Dale City Triple,” Karen Rose Scarbrough, 17, Sharon Inboden Lake, 25, and
Deborah Werner Frank, 23, were found dead in a Ryland Homes sales trailer in Woodbridge at 6:45 p.m. Autopsies revealed that all three women died from gunshots. Scarbrough was a recent high school graduate and was working her first job at the sales trailer. Lake lived in Dale City and was helping Frank — who was preparing for a move to the area — find a home.