Detectives later obtained arrest warrants for aggravated rape and second-degree murder for four men:
- Perry Wayne Taylor, 64, of Covington
- Darrell Dean Spell, 64, of Covington
- Carlos Cooper, 64, of Covington
- Billy Williams Jr., 62, of Covington
On Tuesday, several Louisiana law enforcement agencies executed search and arrest warrants at Williams’ home before he was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail.
At the same time, agents with the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation arrested Spell at a home in Dayton, Ohio. He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and is awaiting extradition to Louisiana.
The following day, detectives contacted Taylor and Cooper, who were already incarcerated in the Louisiana Department of Corrections on unrelated charges.
“This case is a powerful example of what persistence, collaboration, and advancements in investigative technology can accomplish,” 22nd Judicial District Attorney Collin Sims said. “For more than four decades, this victim and her family have waited for answers. Today’s arrests reflect our unwavering commitment to pursue justice.”
Covington Police Chief Michael Ferrell said the case showed what can happen when investigators refuse to let a victim be forgotten.
“Cold cases don’t close themselves,” Ferrell said. “They close because people show up, year after year, and refuse to quit. That is exactly what our agencies did, and today, Roxanne and her family finally have the justice they have waited so long for.”
