Radio Podcast ‘Who Killed Roxanne?’ Sparks Break In Decades-Old Murder Case.

Northshore Media Group, the operator of radio stations in Louisiana and Mississippi, last month picked up a Prestige Award from the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters when its series “Who Killed Roxanne?” was named Best Podcast in a Small Market. But the real honor for the true crime series about a 1982 cold case murder may be about to come. Police in Louisiana have arrested four men, who now await trial for the crime.

On Feb. 12, 1982, the body of 16-year-old Roxanne Sharp was discovered in a wooded area near the St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds in Covington, LA. The initial investigation, conducted by the Covington Police Department, determined that Sharp had been raped, murdered, and her body was left in the area where she was later discovered. Due to a lack of physical evidence and limited public cooperation, the case remained unsolved for more than four decades.

In 2023, Louisiana State Police detectives took over the lead role in the investigation. Detectives conducted a comprehensive review of the original case file and physical evidence, while re-interviewing witnesses and potential suspects.

Then last year, in an attempt to generate new leads, detectives and AC “Lake 94.7” WYLK Covington, LA morning host Charles Dowdy produced the “Who Killed Roxanne?” podcast. Police say the series generated new information, leads, and witness cooperation previously unknown to investigators. That information, along with new DNA testing not available in 1982, allowed detectives to make significant progress in the case. That led the arrest of the four local men of the crime.

“The resolution of Roxanne Sharp’s case is a testament to what happens when dedicated law enforcement officers refuse to let a victim be forgotten,” said Covington Police Department Chief Michael Ferrell. For over four decades, he said they kept the case alive by revisiting evidence and following new leads. They say the podcast helped generate tips and piece together where Sharp was days before her death.

“Cold cases don’t close themselves,” Ferrell said. “They close because people show up, year after year, and refuse to quit. That is exactly what our agencies did, and today, Roxanne and her family finally have the justice they have waited so long for.”

The Louisiana 22nd Judicial District Court District Attorney’s Office has charged Perry Wayne Taylor, 64; Darrell Dean Spell, 64; Carlos Cooper, 64; and Billy Williams Jr., 62; of aggravated rape and second-degree murder in connection with the death of Sharp. Two of the men — Taylor and Cooper — were already in a Louisiana state prison on unrelated charges. Spell was arrested in Dayton, OH and is awaiting extradition to Louisiana. And Williams Jr. was arrested at his Covington home.

District Attorney Collin Sims acknowledged the role the podcast had in helping crack the case. “This case is a powerful example of what persistence, collaboration, and advancements in investigative technology can accomplish,” he said.