The brutal murder of Sheryl Warner took place 20 years ago in Culpeper County, and despite the lapse in time, investigators remain committed to finding the person responsible.
The Dec. 18, 2005, crime left three children without their mother and shocked the rural Virginia community.
According to police, Warner was alone in her residence on James Monroe Highway when someone knocked on her door asking to use her phone. Warner was on the telephone with her father and told him that the person wanted to call for help.
After she hung up, her family could not reach her again and called law enforcement.
When deputies arrived, they found Warner dead from a gunshot wound to the head. She had been hung in the basement, and according to investigators, her body had been set on fire.
With advanced technology, DNA has been developed in the case, but it is insufficient for an automatic computer comparison.
Detectives are asking the community for help solving the cold case.
“Regardless of how insignificant you think your information might be, or even if you think we already are aware of it, please let us assess the relevance of your tip,” said Culpeper County Sheriff Timothy Chilton.
“We remain committed to finding the person responsible for the brutal and senseless murder of Sheryl Warner.”
If anyone has information that may lead to the identification of a suspect, you are asked to contact the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office at (540) 727-7900 or [email protected]
There is a financial reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of an offender(s).
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