Kent County officials say an arrest has been made in a cold-case murder that dates back almost 30 years ago
Authorities say 29-year-old Sharon Hammack was raped and murdered in Caledonia Township back in 1996, and for the nearly three decades since, detectives have been looking for those responsible.
The Kent County Sheriff’s office and the Kent County Prosecutor’s office said Monday however, that the search is over for Hammack’s killer, as authorities announced that 64-year-old Florida resident Garry Dean Artman had been arrested and charged with her murder.
Speaking at a press conference, Sheriff Michelle Lajoye-Young told Hammack’s family that while it had taken 26 years, justice was finally coming.
“Sharon’s case was never forgotten, Sharon’s case was always worked, and it was worked by this team because she mattered to us,” Lajoye-Young said. “And I know she mattered to you.”
According to the prosecutor’s office, the arrest came using advancements in DNA technology that linked Artman with another rape and murder in Maryland.
Artman has a history of criminal sexual violence and recently spent 11 years in prison. He is currently being extradited to Michigan from Mississippi where the arrest was made.
