A Texas City man who died in April may have been tied to the 1981 killing of Lois Marshall, a cold case that has remained unsolved for nearly 45 years, according to Galveston police.
On Sept. 11, 1981, Marshall, 22, was found dead in her home in the 2300 block of Avenue O, with injuries and signs she was sexually assaulted. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head and asphyxiation.
Investigators worked for more than four decades to pin down Marshall’s killer using biological evidence collected from the scene.
Investigators resubmitted fingerprints found at Marshall’s residence to the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory in Houston, and a fingerprint match came back as belonging to William Clifford Lawrence, 70, of Texas City, Galveston Police Sgt. Derek Gaspard said during a Monday news conference. Investigators attempted to interview Lawrence about their evidence at his home, but he refused to speak on the matter, Gaspard said.
After collecting more DNA samples from Lawrence and matching them with DNA found at Marshall’s home, investigators were able to tie Lawrence to the sexual assault, according to a release by Galveston Police.
In April, probable cause was established to charge Lawrence with capital murder, however he died of natural causes on April 19 before charges could be filed.
Police said Lawrence lived in numerous locations over the years, including Galveston, Austin, Alice, Victoria, Kerr County, Houston, Baytown and parts of Louisiana.
“This was a brutal crime that took place,” Gaspard said. “It took time and preparation. And William Clifford Lawrence was the only suspect.”
Galveston police officially cleared the case after Lawrence’s death.