“I Accept the Death Penalty.” — Virginia 1986 Cold Case Solved

“I Accept the Death Penalty.” — Virginia 1986 Cold Case Solved

On the evening of November 14, 1986, Jacqueline Lard, 40 years old, in Stafford County, Virginia, closed the real estate office, walked out to her car, and drove away and she never made it home. Three years later, on the evening of March 29, 1989, Amy Baker, 18 years old, was driving home from her aunt's house in Falls Church when her car ran out of gas on Interstate 95. She also never made it home. Authorities investigated both cases for decades, collecting DNA from both scenes, but found no suspect and the two investigations in two different counties stalled with no one knowing they were looking for the same perpetrator.

1. Man Arrested in Woman's 1986 Cold Case Murder, Linked to 2nd Murder from 1989 — ABC News
ABC News reported the March 2024 arrest of Elroy Harrison, 65, of Stafford County, Virginia, charged with the 1986 murder of Jacqueline Lard. Genetic genealogy technology via Parabon NanoLabs identified Harrison after DNA from Lard's crime scene was matched to the 1989 murder of 18-year-old Amy Baker. Harrison was held without bond.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-arrested-womans-1986-cold-case-murder-linked/story?id=107841547

2. Fairfax County Police Closes In on 1989 Cold Case Murder — Fairfax County Police Department (Official Government Source)
The official Fairfax County Police Department press release confirms that forensic DNA evidence linked Elroy Harrison to Amy Baker's March 29, 1989 murder. In 2021, cold case detectives submitted evidence to DNA Labs International, developing a profile that matched the ongoing Stafford County investigation of Jacqueline Lard's 1986 killing.
Source: https://fcpdnews.org/2024/03/05/fairfax-county-police-closes-in-on-1989-cold-case-murder/

3. Virginia Man Tied to Unsolved Killings of 2 Women in the 1980s — NBC News
NBC News detailed how a Stafford County grand jury indicted Harrison on first-degree murder for Lard's 1986 killing, and how genetic genealogy — after decades of failed DNA database searches — finally identified his family name on December 14, 2023. Stafford County and Fairfax County detectives then joined forces to pursue both cases.
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/virginia-man-tied-unsolved-killings-2-women-1980s-rcna142169

4. Jury Finds Stafford County Man Guilty in 1986 Murder of Jacqueline Lard — WTOP News
WTOP reported that after a June 2025 jury trial, Elroy Harrison was convicted of second-degree murder, abduction with intent to defile, rape, aggravated malicious wounding, and breaking and entering. DNA from both the Lard and Baker crime scenes matched Harrison. Sentencing was set for October 10, 2025.
Source: https://wtop.com/stafford-county/2025/06/jury-finds-stafford-county-man-guilty-in-1986-murder-of-jacqueline-lard/

5. Man Sentenced to 3 Life Terms in 1986 Murder Also Linked to Teen's 1989 Death — Virginia man arrested after DNA links him to 2 women's cold case murders from 80s — CBS News
CBS News reported how Stafford County and Fairfax County detectives used Parabon NanoLabs and forensic genetic genealogy to identify Elroy Harrison after decades of failed DNA database searches. In 2021, Fairfax cold case detectives resubmitted Amy Baker's 1989 evidence to DNA Labs International — the resulting profile linked both murders and led to Harrison's March 2024 arrest.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/virginia-man-arrested-elroy-harrison-dna-cold-case-murders-80s/

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