On a quiet Labor Day morning in Opelika, Alabama, a daughter's concern for her mother led to the grim discovery of a violent crime that would leave a family shattered and a community on edge. On September 4, 2000, after being unable to reach her mother by phone, Charlotte Powell went to the home of 75-year-old Mary Elece Rice Rearden on 2nd Avenue. What she found there was a scene of unimaginable horror.
Her mother, a woman who had spent the weekend working at her daughter's store and enjoying time with her family, lay deceased in the hallway, surrounded by a significant amount of blood. The initial shock gave way to the brutal reality that Mary had been the victim of a violent struggle.
Responding officers from the Opelika Police Department began the difficult task of piecing together the events that led to Mary Rearden's death. The evidence at the scene painted a harrowing picture of her final moments. She had suffered multiple defensive stab wounds to her right forearm, indicating a desperate fight for her life, as well as stab wounds on her back. Investigators believe the assailant gained entry to her home by climbing through her bedroom window before ambushing her in the living room. Despite the violent nature of the attack, it did not appear that anything had been stolen from the residence, a puzzling detail in a case that was quickly ruled a homicide. An autopsy would later confirm that the cause of death was blunt force trauma and strangulation. Neighbors reported that Mary's home had been burglarized a couple of times prior to her murder, though it remains unclear if these incidents were connected to her death.
In the years that have passed since Mary Rearden's murder, the Opelika Police Department has diligently pursued every possible lead in their quest for justice. Detectives have conducted numerous interviews with individuals associated with Mary and have repeatedly submitted evidence for DNA testing. Various persons of interest have been thoroughly investigated, but to date, no definitive suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made. The case has become a painful cold case, a source of enduring grief for Mary's family and a lingering mystery for the community. Despite the passage of time, law enforcement remains hopeful that someone will come forward with the crucial piece of information that will finally bring closure to the family and hold the person or persons responsible for this senseless act of violence accountable. A reward of $10,000 has been offered by the State of Alabama for information leading to an arrest, a testament to the ongoing effort to solve this tragic and unsolved crime.
