Police Holds 64-Year-Old Man in Custody for Death of Mother, Daughter in 1994

The NYC mother-and-daughter strangulation case of 1994 is now making progress.

The NYPD Bronx Cold Case Squad recently arrested 64-year-old Larry Atkinson.

The mother, Sarah Roberts, 57, and her daughter with special needs, Sharon, 25, were strangled to death in Harlem almost 30 years ago.

Atkinson, who is still residing in Harlem, was wheeled out to the police station while wearing an oxygen mask and seated in a wheelchair.

After his arrest, the alleged murderer, who reportedly has cancer, was transferred to a hospital, where he was eventually treated and discharged from the facility.

1994 mother and daughter strangulation in NYC

According to NBC New York, the mother and daughter were discovered strangled to death inside their Grant Houses public housing complex flat on February 20, 1994, yet the case remains unresolved.

The report from 1994 stated that Sarah Roberts was found on her bed, and her daughter was on the floor with a woolen stocking wrapped around her neck.

Aside from the gruesome killing of the two, according to the authorities, a tape video recorder and several hundred dollars in cash were also taken.

Detectives used DNA evidence from the 28-year-old crime scene to link the murders to the suspected killer, including cigarette butts and fingernail clippings.

As per Wane, Sarah Roberts, according to one of her neighbors, had emphysema. Atkinson was dating a home healthcare worker who looked after Sharon Roberts, a developmentally handicapped woman, and was still living with her.

A longtime resident of the Grant Houses public housing complex who found out that Atkinson had been detained voiced his relief that the police had already made an arrest.

This renter has lived in the building continuously since 1981 and is friends with the younger victim.

The renter even mentioned being scared since he had heard a lot about the event. He remembered that many officers were on the floor and everyone else in the building was terrified.

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Larry Atkinson's arrest

Celeste Cornelius, the health aide, supported her partner when the arrest was made.

According to the New York Post, outside their Harlem apartment, Cornelius stated that she believes that Atkinson did not commit the crime.

She was made aware that the police ran a forensic DNA test on the evidence left in the mother and daughter strangulation case, and all the results matched those of her partner.

However, she still believes that he couldn't do it and that the DNA results could have been messed up.

After a house attendant witnessed the terrible act and phoned 911, the original investigation that was conducted in 1994 indicated that the police officers found no trace of forced entry in the flat that was located on the sixth floor.

It is unknown why Atkinson is suspected of killing the mother and daughter or how he gained access to their flat during the purported murders.

Upon investigation, it was revealed that Larry Atkinson is an ex-convict who previously served his time behind bars on different criminal charges.

Atkinson was imprisoned for two years on offenses linked to drug use. Atkinson has 13 prior arrests to his name, making him a convicted felon. He was found guilty on five separate occasions and served his time in prison under various identities.

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