The Athens-Clarke County Police Department has solved a 16-year old cold case. Police arrested 34-year old Abdus Salaam Laroche in the 2002 homicide of Pamela Crisler case. Department spokesperson Epifanio Rodriguez says DNA led to the arrest.
“We received what’s commonly known as a CODIS hit, or a DNA hit on a 2002 cold case murder that occurred off West Broad Street,” according to Rodriguez. “Detectives began to look into that CODIS hit and it came back from, the victim’s name was Pamela Crisler, a 49-year old white female. The original call was of a deceased woman; our officers went to the scene an d her body was sent to the GBI at the time and the manner of death came back as a homicide. The method was she had received multiple stab wounds.”
Detectives received new information in November of 2017 and detectives have been working the case for the past six months, with assistance from the DeKalb County Probation Office, GBI, and FBI. Laroche was arrested in Clayton County. Rodriguez says police never stop working murder cases.
“We’re going to continue to work those cases, we’re going to continue to look into those cases. There are several high-profile ones in Athens that we’re looking at and continuing to work and hopefully one we’re able to do press releases on finding the murderers of those people as well.”
Laroche was taken into custody without incident. He is being charged with murder.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Sgt. David Norris at 706-613-3888, ext. 556.