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Cold case: Prince William County murder suspect arrested after 14-year investigation

Crystal Graham
cold case crime
(© blende11.photo – stock.adobe.com)

The Prince William County Police Department appears to have cracked a case dating back to 2010 and have charged a Florida man with murder and burglary.

Timothy Sean Hickerson, 43, of Palm Coast, Fla., was arrested by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 17. He will remain in custody until he is extradited to Virginia.

The 2010 case involves a missing person, Shane Ryan Donahue, 23, who is presumed dead, according to police.

Detectives reactivated the investigation this spring, examining every detail of the case from scratch and looking at digital evidence again due to advances in analytical technology and modern police investigative practices.

The suspect was connected to a burglary at the victim’s residence om Nokesville days prior to the victim’s disappearance. The victim and suspect were last seen on March 22, 2010, leaving the victim’s parents’ home together and then returned to the victim’s home. The victim was never seen or heard from again.

Following the investigation this year, Prince William County detectives obtained arrest warrants for the accused, Hickerson, who would have been 28 years old at the time of the victim’s disappearance.

Anyone with information that can aid investigators in this ongoing case is asked to contact Prince William County police at (703) 792-6500 or submit a tip online at pwcva.gov/policetip.

Search “cold case” on Augusta Free Press.

 

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.