A Charles County cold case has been solved 44 years later
BALTIMORE -- In Maryland, authorities in Charles County say they have finally solved a 44-year-old murder mystery.
They used new forensic DNA technology to make the arrest.
The victim's family is finally getting the answers they've been seeking for decades.
They attended a press conference Thursday to thank those involved in making the arrest and honor the life of Vickie Belk.
Belk was a hard-working single parent from a well-known family in Alexandria. She had a son, Lamont Belk.
Her mother had been a plaintiff in a lawsuit that led to the desegregation of Alexandria Public Schools.
Her great-grandparents founded Oakdale Baptist Church.
"I remember being disciplined, but I also remember she was always working," Lamont Belk said. "In fact, when we last saw her, she was going to work."
And then she was gone.
Her body was found in Charles County the next day. She had been raped and shot.
For the past 44 years, the person who did those things to her remained a mystery.
Her family never forgot. A foundation was created in her name. It has awarded scholarships to more than 100 students.
Vickie Belk's sister, Judy Belk, says that the murder has always hovered over the family like a cloud.
"I view Vicky's death as a marker: before/after," Judy Belk said.
Now, there's a new marker: an arrest with a name and a face.
New DNA technology has linked 63-year-old Andre Taylor to Belt's death.
Taylor has been charged with murder and rape, which has allowed law enforcement officials to solve the cold case.
"I think it's very comforting to know that, that someone is going to potentially be held responsible for this and that it wasn't someone that she knew or that we knew," Lamont Belk said. "The grief will always be there, but I think the healing is just a little bit more progressed."
Taylor is currently being held without bond at the Charles County Detention Center.
It's not his first time being locked up.
He was charged with murders in 1980 and 1989.