Decades after the unsolved murder of Karen Umphrey, a Port Huron man finds himself behind bars, charged with a cold-case crime dating back to 1980. Anthony Harris, 63, was arrested this past Tuesday and is now facing open murder charges, the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office reported. Harris, the second individual implicated in the 40-year-old mystery, joined the first accused, 70-year-old Douglas Laming, who was charged in December, as reported by the clickondetroit.
When the morning of November 2, 1980, unfolded, it unveiled the grim discovery of 21-year-old Umphrey's body in the State Game Area in Beards Hills; her case has haunted the quiet contours of St. Clair County ever since, prompting police departments across the span of four decades to sift through evidence and chase leads, some blooming promising and others wilting upon touch, CBS Detroit details the perseverance that led to Harris's arraignment on February 7 with a bond set at a steep $2,000,000. Advancements in DNA testing gave the cold case fresh legs, revealing Laming's DNA, which initially escaped the grip of forensics more than four decades ago, according to a statement by the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office acquired by CBS Detroit.
The Sheriff's Office, in collaboration with the Prosecutor's Office, stated that they "conducted an extensive amount of investigating, research and interviewing to make these arrests," underscoring the tireless efforts that led to this pivotal turn in the case. The bond for Harris was determined by Judge Mona Armstrong, reflecting the severity of the allegations against him, while Laming is already being held at the St. Clair County Jail with his next court appearance penned for February. 20, as noted by The Detroit News.
Crucial to solving the cold case was the partnership with Othram, a company specializing in forensic genetic genealogy. Detective Ed Silver highlighted the collaborative effort, stating, "Working with the Michigan State Police and Othram, information was uncovered that previously would have been impossible to find." This announcement, made last December, brought renewed hope for justice in St. Clair County, as reported by ClickOnDetroit.
