Elroy Harrison: Virginia man arrested for cold case murders of two women found dead 3 years apart
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
STAFFORD COUNTY, VIRGINIA: Investigators have apprehended a suspect linked to two cold case murders dating back to 1986 and 1989, thanks to advancements in DNA forensics that led to his identification.
The Stafford County Sheriff's Office revealed that Elroy Harrison, 65, was indicted on Monday, March 4, facing charges of first-degree murder, abduction with intent to defile, and aggravated malicious wounding in connection to the death of Jacqueline Lard, 32.
Timeline of Jacqueline Lard's mysterious murder
According to the sheriff's office's Facebook post, Lard was last seen on November 14, 1986, while working at Mount Vernon Realty in the 300 block of Garrison Road. Despite the office closing at 9 pm that night, the victim never made it home. The following morning, employees preparing to open neighboring businesses discovered a disturbing scene at the realty office, indicating a horrific struggle.
Lard and her vehicle were missing, prompting detectives from the sheriff's office, along with the Virginia State Police Crime Scene Unit and the FBI, to process the scene and collect evidence, including blood. On November 16, 1986, two juveniles playing in a wooded area in Woodbridge, Virginia, made a grim discovery under a pile of discarded carpet – the body of Lard.
Stafford's detectives, alongside the FBI and Prince William detectives, processed the scene, bringing a sense of closure to the tragic incident. The missing vehicle was found on December 18, 1986, in Fairfax County, providing additional evidence for investigators to process. Despite exhaustive efforts by multiple agencies, the case went cold with no leads to the identification of a suspect.
Jacqueline Lard's murder connected to unsolved killing of Amy Baker
As forensic investigative genetic genealogy advanced, Stafford County Sheriff DP Decatur, Jr, and Detective DK Wood seized the opportunity to identify the killer. Collaborating with Parabon NanoLabs, which specializes in DNA phenotyping, Wood analyzed the DNA found at the crime scene, linking Lard's murder to the unsolved killing of Amy Baker in Fairfax County in 1989.
Stafford and Fairfax County investigators joined forces to bring the murder suspect to justice. On December 14, 2023, they successfully obtained a name. Following leads generated by modern technology, investigators secured a search warrant to obtain DNA from Harrison. In February, the Department of Forensic Science confirmed that the DNA was a match.
Prosecutors aim to bring Elroy Harrison to trial for the 1989 murder of Amy Baker
Harrison was indicted by a Stafford County grand jury, leading to his arrest. He is currently held without bond in the Rappahannock Regional Jail. The Fairfax County Police Department is collaborating with prosecutors to establish charges against Harrison for Baker's murder.
Baker, 18, was last seen leaving a relative's house in Falls Church on the night of March 29, 1989. Her car was found on the side of Interstate 95 later that night, and her body was discovered on March 31, 1989, in a wooded area off the same interstate.
