On the day Lora Ann Huizar vanished, St. Lucie County Deputy James Howard Harrison reported seeing an adolescent girl walking in the area where Huizar was last seen. As reported by Law & Crime, Harrison noted in his report that the girl was walking away from the gas station and appeared to be carrying a bundle of clothing. Chief Deputy Brian Hester said he questioned why Harrison did not offer the girl a ride. However, it was reportedly assumed that she was a runaway.

When Harrison arrived at the scene of the murder, he asked the witnesses who found the body and called authorities to leave the area. According to Law & Crime, several other deputies arrived approximately 20 minutes later. In addition to identifying the deceased at Huizar, authorities confirmed she had been sexually assaulted prior to her death. According to TC Palm, the coroner determined her cause of death was asphyxiation. 

Although detectives collected evidence from Huizar’s body, DNA testing was not yet available, and there were few other leads in the heinous crime. Authorities did not identify a suspect in the case until 2020 and were unable to solve the case until 2022. Although it took nearly 40 years, TC Palm reports that the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office ultimately concluded Huizar was abducted, sexually assaulted, and killed by former Deputy James Harrison. However, by the time they solved the crime, Harrison had been dead for 25 years.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).