Revisiting Onslow County's cold cases

Turn on the news any given night and you're likely to see unfortunate and tragic stories about homicides.

While many do end with arrests, the FBI says almost 40-percent of such cases in the U.S. do not, and that includes here in eastern Carolina, where we're taking a closer look at Onslow County's cold cases.

Colonel Donnie Worrell with the Onslow County Sheriff's Office says, "You become attached to the cases. You want to have some sort of closure for the family, friends, the loved ones of these people."

Worrell has been in law enforcement for 28 years -- 26 of which -- have been with the Onslow County Sheriff's Office.

He can make a list of homicides that have gone without arrest or prosecution, saying, "I come up with a collection of approximately nine."

One case that remains unsolved -- and before Colonel Worrell's time is the case of 39-year-old taxi driver Irene Bennett.

Detectives say Bennett was found strangled to death, sexually assaulted and nude inside her taxi, after taking a fare to the Catherine Lake area.

Worrell says, "She was found off of Coston Road in the Richlands area. We've, several times, we've reopened that case, because we've had a suspect in it, we've sent evidence to labs for DNA, and we've just gotten nothing back on it."

In some cases -- it's not a matter of a DNA match -- it's a matter of no prosecution.

Investigators say in 1990 Karen Lanham was raped, beaten and buried in a wooded area off of Piney Green Road, but no one has ever been charged.

Worrell says, "We believe we know who killed Karen Lanham, we were lead to her grave. Some of the key witnesses in that case have died. That hurts us. And whether or not they'll ever prosecute on that case, I have no idea."

Worrell says while all these unanswered cases bother him -- there's one in particular that's puzzling.

Back in 1991 skeletal remains were found in the Bear Creek area near Stewart Point Road. At the time of the discovery -- it was estimated the woman, who still hasn't been identified, had been deceased for two to three years.

But there's more recent cases where no one has been charged with murder.

Worrell says, "Deandre and Tyler Gilbert, the brothers that were found in the Maple Hill area. We're still actively looking for leads with that. The governor has just authorized another $10,000 reward money."

Cold cases do sometimes bring about arrests. Worrell says, "1979 case, we've made an arrest on. That was the Karen Johnson case. It was a Midway Park case. Young, dependent female."

Johnson was just 20 years old and found beaten and strangled to death in her home.

In 2016 Roger Pollard was arrested in connection with her death and has since been indicted..

For all of these cases -- with answers or none yet -- Sheriff Hans Miller says his team works hard to follow the investigative process, fighting for those who no longer have a voice.

Worrell says, "Law enforcement, the judicial system, we have to speak for those victims.

If you have any information that can help with any of the cold cases you can call the Onslow County Sheriff's Office and remain anonymous. That number is 910-455-3113.