After nearly three decades, the Flint Police Department has made an arrest in the unsolved 1998 murder case of Shannon Holihan. According to ABC12, Eric Dukes, now 53, faces charges of felony murder for the crime that occurred on Flint's south side 26 years ago. Holihan's body was discovered behind a business on South Dort Highway with indications of blunt force trauma, his 1994 Chevrolet Corvette also missing.
The breakthrough came from the Flint Police Department's newly established cold case unit, which was made possible through funding from ARPA and a Mott Foundation Grant. A tip to Crime Stoppers on another case inadvertently provided leads that brought investigators to Dukes. "This case proves that a tip that may seem insignificant can lead to justice and closure for those grieving families, even decades after their loss," the Flint Police Department posted on Facebook.
Flint Police Chief Terrence Green highlighted the importance of the specialized funds, expressing that these resources are specially used for cold case investigations. Additionally, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton stated that the nature of the interaction between Dukes and Holihan, who were believed to have met at Club Triangle – a former LGBTQ bar – before the murder, suggests that this could be a hate crime. Leyton added, "We believe this is a hate crime. The ethnic intimidation did not exist at the time of the crime," which indicates challenges in prosecuting such acts under historic judicial frameworks, as per ABC12.
Genesee County's cold case team proceeded with painstaking inquiries leading to the suspect, building on evidence from various investigators over the years and recent advancements in DNA technology. "This case went through several detectives throughout the years. Investigators from our staff, who also works cold cases for the city of Flint, learned this year that the MSP crime lab had a hit on DNA," Leyton told ABC12. Should Dukes be convicted, he could face life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
The Flint Police Department continues to urge the public to come forward with any information that might aid in resolving other cold cases. Tips can be reported to the cold case unit at 810-237-6935 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-422-JAIL.
