Baltimore HSI Provides Key Manpower, Resources to Solve 44 Year Cold Case
There is an arrest in a 44-year-old murder case, thanks to the partnership between federal and local law enforcement, and new DNA technology.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore played a critical role in helping the Charles County, Maryland Sheriff’s Department, track down the suspect for the 1979 murder of 26-year-old Vickie Lynn Belk of Suitland, Maryland, whose body was found on the side of a road in Charles County.
HSI provided the expertise and resources necessary to locate and arrest the suspect, 63-year-old Andre Taylor of Washington, DC.
“Our partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies are essential to ensuring safer neighborhoods for Maryland residents,” said HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris. “In this case, we were able to provide valuable resources and expertise to our partners in Charles County, Maryland, for a case they had been working for more than four decades.
HSI’s Help Locates Suspect
In early 2022, authorities took another look at the case, reevaluating evidence and submitting Belk’s clothing for testing using new technology. A profile was also entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a national DNA database.
Once the results came back, authorities closed in on Taylor, but needed HSI’s help in locating the suspect.
HSI Baltimore was able to locate Taylor by discovering a trail of federal assistance income that Taylor had been receiving.
The Charles County Sheriff’s Office and Washington, DC Metropolitan Police used evidence collected by HSI Baltimore to locate and interview Taylor. He was served with a warrant for a DNA swab, which matched DNA evidence on Belk’s clothes.
Taylor is currently being held without bond and faces charges of murder and rape.
HIS Baltimore was assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service’s Capital Area Regional Task Force, the U.S. Secret Service, and state and local officials. The DNA analysis was partly funded by the Department of Justice’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.
“This arrest serves as a reminder of our commitment to doing everything we can to solve crimes. We never give up. We never stop seeking justice for victims,” said Charles County Sheriff Troy D. Berry.