The lead investigator in the five-year-old murder case of Marshall University student Leah Hickman says the case remains “gut-wrenching.”
Lt. John Williams spent Friday’s anniversary of Hickman’s death answering questions about the status of the investigation.
“We still feel we have evidence in the case which has not been fully processed due to technology at this point,” Williams said Friday on MetroNews Talkline.
Hickman, 21, was strangled and put in the crawl space of the house she rented on 4th Ave. in Huntington.
Williams says he speaks with Hickman’s family monthly.
“I’m giving them updates, consoling them, dealing with their concerns. It’s just gut-wrenching that you can’t bring closure to this whole thing for them,” he said.
Hickman, who was a journalism major at Marshall, was strangled on Dec. 14, 2007 and her body found a week later.
Lt. Williams says the crime had no witnesses and police have had very few leads that have panned out.
“As years have gone by those have tapered off to nothing,” he said.
Williams believes the crime will eventually be solved. He says the person responsible needs to be off the streets.
“Because this individual may feel the need to commit this type of crime again. That’s one of the major concerns,” Lt. Williams said.