Edward Keith Renegar has been identified as the lead suspect in the February 2, 1990 rape and murder of 32-year-old Pamela Felkins in Greenbriar, Arkansas. The case has been cleared by exception due to the death of Renegar.
Felkins was working the night shift at a video store, and she may have been kidnapped as she finished her shift. Felkins’ husband came to the store to pick her up just before closing time at 9:00 pm, but she was already gone. Her body was found the next day dumped at a trash site off Clinton Mountain Road. She had been cut and beaten and she died from a blow to the head.
A DNA profile was obtained from the sexual assault kit taken at Felkins’ autopsy. The FGG investigation was conducted by Parabon Nanolabs. In this case, Renegar’s daughter voluntarily provided a DNA sample to investigators to confirm her father’s identity. She also noted that he had been abusive towards his female partners, one of whom had a protection order against him.
Renegar died of natural causes in 2002 at the age of 44. At the time of the murder, he lived very near where Felkins’s body was found. He had been convicted of a sexual assault in July of 1994, for which he served a 10-month sentence. He died of natural causes in 2002 in Salt Lake City.
Over the years, numerous suspects were brought in for questioning, or had their DNA compared to the crime scene.
Sources:
Clement, Katie, and Matthew Mershon. “Evidence Resubmitted in 1990 Murder of Pam Felkins, Person of Interest Image Created.” KATV News and ABC 7 News, March 5, 2018. Accessed December 27, 2020. https://katv.com/news/local/evidence-resubmitted-in-1990-murder-of-pam-felkins.
Jones, Janine. “Murder Mystery – Primary Suspect: Solving the Pamela Felkins Murder.” About You Magazine, February 21, 2019. Accessed December 27, 2020. https://www.aymag.com/murder-mystery-pamela-felkins/.
THV 11 Digital News. “Primary Murder Suspect Named in 28-Year-Old Cold Case Thanks to DNA.” THV11 Digital News, October 29, 2018. Accessed December 27, 2020. https://www.thv11.com/article/news/crime/primary-murder-suspect-named-in-28-year-old-cold-case-thanks-to-dna-evidence/91-609238775.