Podcaster helps lead to arrest of four suspects in cold-case murder from 1982

A podcaster has helped lead to the arrests of four people in the cold-case murder of a teenager from more than four decades ago.

“Cold cases don’t close themselves. They close because people show up, year after year, and refuse to quit,” Covington Police Department Chief Michael Ferrell said.

The body of 16-year-old Roxanne Sharp was discovered in a wooded area near the St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds in Covington, Louisiana, in February 1982.

Initial investigations conducted by the Covington Police Department found that Sharp had been raped, murdered, and her body was left in the area where she was later discovered. However, due to a lack of physical evidence and limited public cooperation, the case remained unsolved.

In 2025, in an effort to generate new leads, detectives, in conjunction with Louisiana State Police and local radio host Charles Dowdy, produced a podcast titled “Who Killed Roxanne.”

The podcast generated new information, leads, and witness cooperation previously unknown to investigators.

It led to the arrests of Perry Taylor, 64, Darrell Spell, 64, Carlos Cooper, 64, and Billy Williams Jr., 62. The four men, all from Covington, were all charged with aggravated rape and second-degree murder over the death of Sharp.

Williams Jr. and Spell were both taken into custody on April 21. Taylor and Cooper, who were already jailed within the Louisiana Department of Corrections on unrelated charges, were informed the following day.

“This case is a powerful example of what persistence, collaboration, and advancements in investigative technology can accomplish,” said District Attorney Collin Sims.

“For more than four decades, this victim and her family have waited for answers. Today’s arrests reflect our unwavering commitment to pursue justice—no matter how much time has passed—and to hold those responsible fully accountable.”

Police Chief Ferrell added: “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.

“For over four decades, the Covington Police Department and Louisiana State Police kept Roxanne’s case alive, revisiting evidence, following new leads, and carrying her name forward even when answers seemed out of reach.

“That is exactly what our agencies did, and today, Roxanne and her family finally have the justice they have waited so long for. We are proud of the work done by every investigator who touched this case and deeply grateful for the partnership that made this moment possible.”