A St. Clair County jury has found 71-year-old Douglas Laming guilty of first-degree murder in the 1980 slaying of Karen Umphrey. After deliberating for an hour following a three-day trial, the verdict was announced just before the day's end on Thursday. The murder, which went unsolved for nearly 44 years, drew to a close as new DNA testing technologies and continued police work culminated in the charges and convictions of Laming and another man, Anthony Harris.
Umphrey's demise in 1980 had left her family and the community seeking justice for decades, her body was discovered with two gunshot wounds to the head in the State Game Area in Clyde Township. According to The Detroit News, advancements in forensic science allowed for a genetic link to be established, identifying Laming as a match for a semen sample found on Umphrey's clothes.
During the trial, testimony divulged that Umphrey was abducted and assaulted by both men, before being killed. Harris, as reported by The Times Herald, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder the day before he was to stand trial alongside Laming. Harris admitted to abducting Umphrey and later testified that he saw Laming shoot her after the sexual assaults.
In statements obtained by The Voice, St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King expressed hope that the convictions brought some measure of peace to Umphrey's family, relaying a family statement that thanked the relentless efforts of detectives and the prosecutor's office. "After 44 years of wondering what happened to our beautiful sister, we finally have our answer thanks to the detective work of Detective Ed Silver and the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office," the family said.
The case's resolution however, was not without its concerns. During the trial's closure, Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Lane underscored juror safety, indicating that some jurors were scared for their safety after learning someone had sought out their personal information, a story reported by The Times Herald.
Laming is due for sentencing on Nov. 18 and could potentially spend the remainder of his life behind bars, as he faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Similarly, Harris is slated for sentencing on Nov. 12 and also faces a potential life sentence.
