Investigators in Morgan City solve a murder from a quarter century ago and didn’t have to go far to find their suspect.
The body of Amber Lynn Jenkins Garcia was found on October 8th, 1998, behind Youngs Park.
Evidence collected at the time failed to yield a suspect; but at the start of this year, investigators resubmitted evidence to the Acadiana Criminalistics Lab.
That led investigators to John Willis Pittman Jr.
“Over the years with technology and advancement in this field, results yielded that DNA collected from the scene linked Pittman to Ms. Garcia’s death,” says Chad M. Adams, Morgan City police chief.
Pittman is already serving a 40-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to an unrelated 1998 murder – that of Jennifer Vedol, whose body was found on Duke Street.
“Pittman, who is still incarcerated at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center for the homicide of Ms. Vedol, will now be charged with the death of Ms. Garcia,” says Chief Adams.
Adams says Garcia’s family is relieved and very grateful that her murder has finally been solved.
“They were excited,” said Adams. “They thought the case had went cold. And they were excited when our investigators went to visit them and give them the announcement that they had made an arrest.”
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