Indiana Police Arrests Iowa Man for Killing a Teen in 1998

Indiana police authorities have charged an Iowa man for murdering a 19-year-old girl in 1998.

Clinton Mackey, 33, a native of Vinton, Iowa, was arrested without bond at the Vigo County Jail on Friday. Erika Case's murder case was reopened by the police six months ago, the Vigo County Sheriff's Office said, reported the Associated Press.

"A lot of hard work 15 years ago was done...(It's) been a 15 year process," Sheriff Greg Ewing told a news conference Friday. He also said that Mackey was on the suspect list for a long time, WTHI-TV reported.

More than 30 people were questioned in connection with Case's death in November. According to the sheriff's department, the intensity of the latest investigation led to Mackey's arrest. He confessed of the crime later, reported WIBC.

Case was found dead on September 6, 1998, in a West Terre Haute home. She was housesitting for her friends. According to the Tribune-Star, Mackey was the last person to see her alive. I

However, the police are still gathering the evidence and interviewing the witnesses. "We want a solid case, a confession alone in a case is not enough," Vigo County prosecutor Terry Modesitt said.

According to WTHI-TV, Mackey's acquaintance said he confessed the crime to her. She also said he claimed he found blood on his hands and bloody clothes in his closet the morning after the murder. He said he was high on drugs on the night of the murder.

Ewing said the TNT program 'Cold Justice' proved helpful tin putting pressure on Mackey as it investigated her killing for a segment set to air February 14, reported the Associated Press. "Cold Justice gave us that avenue. ... We ramped this case up, went back and went through the entire case from the beginning," he told WTHI-TV.

Case's brother, Jury Case Jr., said he and his family were thankful that they finally got closure.

Real Time Analytics