44-Year-Old St. Tammany Cold Case Solved as Four Men Arrested in 1982 Murder of Teen

44-Year-Old St. Tammany Cold Case Solved as Four Men Arrested in 1982 Murder of Teen

A murder case that haunted St. Tammany Parish for more than four decades has now been closed, according to authorities.

Louisiana State Police announced multiple arrests in connection with the 1982 rape and murder of 16-year-old Roxanne Sharp, whose body was found on February 12, 1982, in a wooded area near the St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds in Covington.

Investigators said Roxanne had been sexually assaulted, killed, and left in the area. Despite years of effort, the case remained unsolved due to limited physical evidence and a lack of cooperation at the time.

That changed in 2023 when Louisiana State Police detectives in Covington reopened the investigation, reexamined evidence, and reinterviewed witnesses and possible suspects.

In 2025, the “Who Killed Roxanne” podcast was launched to generate new leads. Authorities say it worked, bringing in fresh information, witness participation, and momentum that ultimately led to arrest warrants for four men.

Those arrested or charged are:

Perry Wayne Taylor, 64

Darrell Dean Spell, 64

Carlos Cooper, 64

Billy Williams Jr., 62

Williams was arrested in St. Tammany Parish on April 21. Spell was arrested the same day at his Ohio home and is awaiting extradition. Taylor and Cooper were contacted while already incarcerated in Louisiana on unrelated charges.

Covington Police Chief Michael Ferrell called the case resolution a result of investigators who “refused to let a victim be forgotten.”

After 44 years, Roxanne Sharp’s family is finally getting long-awaited answers.

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