Crime25 April, 20266 min read
Louisiana State Police Arrest Four Men After True-Crime Podcast Solves Roxanne Sharp Murder
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Four men charged with aggravated rape and second-degree murder in 16-year-old Roxanne Sharp case. Tips from a true-crime podcast and investigative technologies helped arrest four suspects.
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Decades-Old Murder Solved
Louisiana State Police announced that a true-crime podcast helped solve the decades-old rape and murder of 16-year-old Roxanne Sharp, leading to criminal charges against four men.
“Sharp’s body was discovered on Feb. 12, 1982, dumped near the St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds in Covington, Louisiana.”
Sharp was killed in 1982, when her body was discovered on Feb. 12, 1982, dumped in a wooded area near Covington’s St Tammany parish fairgrounds in St. Tammany Parish, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of New Orleans.
Investigators said Sharp had been raped and strangled, and Covington police investigators determined that she had been raped and murdered before her body was left where it was later found.
The case went cold for more than four decades, with police struggling due to a lack of evidence and witnesses willing to come forward.
Louisiana State Police spokesperson Marc Gremillion credited the podcast with generating crucial tips from the public and prompting new witnesses to approach investigators, telling The Associated Press, “It helped our investigators piece together where Roxanne was days before to the time she died, to where we’re at now,” and adding, “It was a very large help with getting that message out to the public, and then, therefore, those witnesses getting back to us.”
The arrests followed after investigators reinterviewed witnesses and potential suspects, conducted an extensive review of the case file, and resubmitted original evidence for DNA analysis, before partnering with local media to produce the podcast “Who Killed Roxanne Sharp?”
How the Case Reopened
The breakthrough came after investigators revisited the Sharp case with new interviews and technology, then used the podcast to renew public attention. NBC News reported that in 2023, detectives with the Louisiana State Police’s Covington field office reinterviewed witnesses and potential suspects, conducted an extensive review of the case file, gathered additional evidence and resubmitted original evidence for DNA analysis. The Guardian described a similar sequence, saying that nola.com reported Covington police led the investigation until 2023, when state police investigators took over, conducting new interviews with witnesses and possible suspects and resubmitting earlier evidence for DNA testing while gathering additional materials.
The Guardian also tied the podcast to a specific timeline, saying that in early 2025, the Northshore Media Group released a podcast titled Who Killed Roxanne Sharp? and that it included a tip line for listeners to call in. The Guardian further said the podcast’s creators included local radio host Charles Down and the state police’s public affairs office, and that the podcast “generated new leads and witnesses that along with updated DNA testing technology helped investigators identify and arrest suspects in Sharp’s murder.” In the Associated Press account, Louisiana State Police spokesperson Marc Gremillion said the podcast helped investigators “piece together where Roxanne was days before to the time she died, to where we’re at now,” linking the renewed attention to investigative progress.
Arrests and Statements
Police charged four men with aggravated rape and second-degree murder in connection with Roxanne Sharp’s killing, and the arrests unfolded across multiple locations and dates. The Associated Press said that over the past few days, police charged four men with aggravated rape and second-degree murder: Perry Wayne Taylor, 64; Darrell Dean Spell, 64; Carlos Cooper, 64; and Billy Williams, Jr., 62, with Cooper and Taylor already in prison on unrelated charges and Williams and Spell arrested earlier this week. NBC News provided a more specific arrest timeline, saying that on April 21, Billy Williams Jr., 62, was taken into custody in Covington, and that Darrell Dean Spell, 64, was arrested at his home in Dayton, Ohio, and was awaiting extradition to Louisiana.
“Over the past few days, police charged four men with aggravated rape and second-degree murder: Perry Wayne Taylor, 64; Darrell Dean Spell, 64; Carlos Cooper, 64; and Billy Williams, Jr., 62.”
NBC News also said that Perry Wayne Taylor, 64, and Carlos Cooper, 64, both of Covington, were already incarcerated by the Louisiana Department of Corrections on unrelated charges and made contact with detectives on April 22. The Guardian added that each of the men faces charges of aggravated rape and second-degree murder and that they would receive mandatory life imprisonment if convicted of either charge. Covington Police Chief Michael Ferrell framed the case as a long-running effort, saying in a statement, “Cold cases don’t close themselves,” and that they “close because people show up, year after year, and refuse to quit.”
Voices From the Community
Beyond official statements, the reporting highlighted how residents and family members described the years of uncertainty and how the podcast reopened discussion across generations.
The Associated Press quoted St. Tammany Parish resident Justin Joiner, 39, who said his father, a Covington police officer, had been one of the first law enforcement to arrive at the scene of Sharp’s death and remained frustrated about the lack of closure for the rest of his life.
Joiner told the AP, “It’s been a big black cloud on the community,” and added, “Nobody would talk about it -- it was hush, hush, you talk about it in your house, not in public.”
Joiner said the podcast opened up discussion about the case across generations and throughout the community, describing how the renewed attention changed what people were willing to say.
The Associated Press also included a statement from Sharp’s niece, Michele Lappin, saying, “We appreciate the hard work and love that has been shown to Roxanne Sharp’s case,” and “We hope that with justice will come healing and closure for our family, her loved ones, and the community.”
Charles Dowdy, vice president of Northshore Media, described the podcast’s production process and the effect of public engagement, saying, “A lot of people stepped up and said they knew Roxanne, they remembered her, they were friends with her.”
What Happens Next
The arrest announcements set up the next stage of the criminal case, with prosecutors and investigators emphasizing accountability and the long wait for answers. NBC News said all four men are charged with aggravated rape and second-degree murder, and it reported that the arrests followed this month after the podcast and investigative work. The Guardian added that the men would receive mandatory life imprisonment if convicted of either charge, framing the stakes for the criminal proceedings.
“All four men are charged with aggravated rape and second-degree murder.”
District Attorney Collin Sims said, “For more than four decades, this victim and her family have waited for answers,” and that “Today’s arrests reflect our unwavering commitment to pursue justice — no matter how much time has passed — and to hold those responsible fully accountable.” In the Associated Press, Covington Police Department Chief Michael Ferrell repeated the theme that “Cold cases don’t close themselves,” and that they close when “people show up, year after year, and refuse to quit,” while also saying, “today, Roxanne and her family finally have the justice they have waited so long for.” The reporting also showed that the suspects’ legal status varied at the time of arrest, including Spell awaiting extradition to Louisiana and Cooper and Taylor already incarcerated on unrelated charges.