43 years later, indictment handed down in Miramar's oldest cold case
MIRAMAR - An indictment has been handed down in the oldest cold case in Miramar to be solved.
With a tear in his eye, John Bamforth wants punishment for Ronald Richards.
"I'm not a vindictive person, but I would certainly like to see justice for Evelyn," he said wiping away a tear.
Richards is the man who now stands accused of raping and murdering Bamforth's wife Evelyn, nearly 43 years ago in Miramar.
Bamforth lives in England and spoke to Miramar police about the indictment.
"I don't believe in this closure thing," he told police. "One never has closure, you never have closure, but certainly justice for Evelyn is the most important thing," he said.
In January of 1980 investigators believe Richards climbed through the window of Evelyn's trailer at the Haven Lakes Estates mobile home park near the turnpike and Red Road. She was raped and then bludgeoned to death.
Richards lived just 12 doors down from her. "Half of the bed was soaked with blood," Bamforth recalls.
Detective Jonathan Zeller cracked the case after resubmitting DNA from 1980. "I think this is a serial killer," Det. Zeller said.
He tells us they first suspected Richards early on, after helping Volusia County arrest him for a similar crime.
"They were arresting him for rape and attempted murder and it was same MO as our case as well," he said.
Now, Richards sits in prison in Ohio for killing a former girlfriend.
Miramar police are working to get Richards moved to Broward County to face the charges.