Nearly 40 years after the brutal murder of a young woman in Virginia, law enforcement has made a significant breakthrough. Authorities have arrested a suspect in the decades-old cold case.
Charles Berry, a 66-year-old resident of Newington, Connecticut, was apprehended on Monday. He faces charges related to the 1986 rape and murder of 22-year-old Roberta Walls, according to a statement by the Newington Police Department.
The arrest was the result of a collaborative effort with the Virginia Beach Police Department, which had previously issued an arrest warrant in connection with the tragic homicide.
The case dates back to May 15, 1986, when the body of Roberta Walls was found in a field behind Old Donation Elementary School. This discovery launched an investigation that would span nearly four decades.
For those with additional information, the police encourage tips to help further the investigation.
Roberta Walls’ murder on May 15, 1986, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is a case that has haunted the community for years, as noted by the Virginia Beach Police Department.
Authorities previously said 22-year-old Walls was found “with obvious signs of trauma due to a violent assault.”
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She suffered multiple stab wounds and had been raped during the attack, WAVY-TV reported.
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Charles Berry, 66, of Newington, Connecticut, was taken into custody Monday in connection with the 1986 rape and murder of Roberta Walls, the Newington Police Department said in a statement. (Newington Police Department)
Police previously revealed she was last seen alive at the Bayside Public Library the night before her murder, which is located across the street from where her body was discovered.
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Roberta Walls’ body was discovered in a field behind Old Donation Elementary School, according to the Virginia Beach Police Department. (Google Maps)
Walls reportedly was an employee at the library and was leaving work to meet with friends when she disappeared.
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In 2017, authorities received funding to use DNA samples preserved from Walls’ body to compile a composite image of a person of interest, the outlet reported.
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Following his arrest, Berry was transported to the New Britain Superior Court in Connecticut on Tuesday as he awaits extradition, according to authorities.
He was subsequently indicted by a grand jury “in connection to Robert Walls’ [murder],” FOX 61 reported. His bail has been set at $2 million by the Connecticut court.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Virginia Beach Police Department for comment.
