The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and the Tenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office on Tuesday announced the arrest of a suspect in a drive-by shooting death 7 years to the day after the crime.
John Luther Cody Murphy, 32, of Anderson, was charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of Timothy Rambo Ramsey on Sept. 10, 2012. The charge carries up to 30 years in prison.
Ramsey died after he was shot while sitting with another person were inside a home at on Smith Drive, near Old River Road, deputies said. Elane Nabors said the two were close cousins. Nabors said her family never thought they would get answers in her cousin's death.
"It’s a hard thing to go through especially when you’re so close to somebody," Nabors said. "I wasn’t going to rest until I did find out something.”
Nabors said Ramsey was just 25 years old. He became an organ donor and his family said he saved five lives when he was killed.
“We are grateful for the diligence of Sheriff (Chad) McBride and his Investigators, particularly lead Detective Scotty Hill, for working in consultation with my office to see this cold case was solved,” said Solicitor David Wagner. “This case required extra dedication and effort to crack, and Sheriff McBride made sure his office gave this case the additional attention it needed.”
“I am proud of the dedication that has been displayed by our detectives working on this case. At times it may seem that an unsolved homicide case could be forgotten about, but in reality our detectives are always trying to find new evidence or leads that can bring justice to the families of the victim(s),” McBride said.
This is the second cold case solved in Anderson County during McBride and Wagner’s first terms in office, according to a release from the sheriff's office.