The Gist: Over five decades after 9-year-old Debbie Lynn Randall vanished just half a block from her Marietta home, new DNA evidence has identified her killer.
The Details: On Jan. 13, 1972, Debbie Lynn Randall failed to return home from a local laundromat. Her mysterious disappearance prompted what would become known as “Operation Debbie,” mobilizing about 4,000 volunteers, ham radio operators, and local civil defense forces in a citywide search. Her body was eventually discovered on Jan. 29, 1972, south of Windy Hill and Powers Ferry Road, but her killer remained unidentified.
The case that once puzzled the community and haunted law enforcement has now been solved. On Sept. 18, Cobb District Attorney Flynn D. Broady Jr. announced that DNA analysis had conclusively identified William B. Rose, a then-24-year-old Mableton resident, as Randall’s killer. Rose died by suicide in 1974.
By The Numbers:
- 9: Age of Debbie Lynn Randall when she was killed.
- 4,000: Approximate number of volunteers involved in the original search.
- 51: Years the case remained unsolved.
In Context: The case was assigned to the Cobb County Cold Case Unit in 2015. Evidence was sent for modern DNA testing but initially came up short. Advances in genetic genealogy, however, eventually led to the identification of a familial DNA profile. After exhuming Rose’s body, tests confirmed him as Debbie’s killer.
Both of Randall’s parents died without knowing what had happened to their daughter. Her mother, Juanita, died in 2018, and her father, John, died in January 2022.
Why It Matters: The announcement brings some measure of closure to a community that has carried the weight of Randall’s unsolved murder for decades. It also serves as a testament to the progress of forensic science, allowing investigators to solve cases that once seemed insurmountable.
Who Helped Solve The Case: The Cobb District Attorney’s Office highlighted the contributions from multiple departments and individuals, including the original Marietta Police detectives, Cobb County Police Department, Morris Nix of the retired Cobb Sheriff’s Office and Kennesaw Police Department, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, DNA Labs International, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sorensen Forensics, and the families of both Debbie Lynn Randall and William B. Rose.
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