A man is found shot to death in a wooded area in York County, VA In the winter of 1984, the quiet community of York County, Virginia, was unsettled by a grim discovery. On February 11th, the body of James Franklin Harris, a 44-year-old white male, was found in a wooded area. An investigation into his death determined that he had been the victim of a homicide, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound from a small caliber weapon to the back of his head.
For many years, the case of who was responsible for his death remained a mystery, with no arrests made and no suspects publicly identified.
The investigation into the murder of James Franklin Harris became a cold case, but it was not forgotten by the Virginia State Police. Decades after the initial investigation, authorities were able to make a significant breakthrough. Though the specific details of how they arrived at their conclusion have not been widely publicized, investigators were eventually able to identify the individual they believe was responsible for Harris's death.
Despite identifying a suspect, there would be no day in court or a trial to bring closure to the case in the traditional sense. The person who had been identified as the perpetrator in the shooting death of James Franklin Harris was also deceased. Consequently, the Virginia State Police officially closed the case, citing an exceptional clearance due to the death of the offender. While this determination brings an official end to the investigation, the identity of the suspect and the specific circumstances that led to the resolution of this long-standing case have not been publicly released.
