Julius William Hill Jr. has been identified as the lead suspect in the April 7, 1978 rape and murder of 47-year-old Carolyn Cox Rose in Escambia County, Florida. The case has been cleared by exception due to the death of Hill.
Cox was a realtor who met a potential buyer to show him a house. She was found later that day in the bedroom of the home. She had been bound and her underwear wrapped around her neck.
The FGG investigation was conducted by under the joint leadership of CeCe Moore of Parabon Nanolabs and Lori Napolitani of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
Ray died in prison in California in 2007 while serving a 30-year sentence for robbery.
Sources:
Forensic Magazine. “Parabon Helps Solve 42-Year-Old Cold Case in Florida.” Forensic Magazine, June 15, 2020. Accessed December 22, 2020. https://www.forensicmag.com/565329-Parabon-Helps-Solve-42-Year-Old-Cold-Case-in-Florida/.
Legacy.com. “Julius William ‘Butch’ Hill Jr.” Salisbury Post (Obituary), April 22, 2007. Accessed December 22, 2020. https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/salisburypost/obituary.aspx?n=julius-william-hill-butch&pid=87402933.
United States v. Julius William Hill Jr., A/k/a Butch Hill, 995 F.2d 1064 (4th Cir. C.A. 1993).
Warren-Hicks, Colin. “‘42 Years of Holding My Breath’: Family of 1978 Murder Victim Finally Exhales as Case Closes.” Pensacola News Journal, June 15, 2020. Accessed December 22, 2020. https://www.pnj.com/story/news/crime/2020/06/15/carolyn-cox-rose-murder-1978-family-speaks-out-cold-case-closes/5344663002/.
Warren-Hicks, Colin. “ECSO Closes 42-Year-Old Cold Case Murder of Escambia County Realtor.” Pensacola News Journal, June 9, 2020. Accessed December 22, 2020. https://www.pnj.com/story/news/crime/2020/06/09/ecso-closes-42-year-old-cold-case-murder-realtor-carolyn-cox-rose/5330036002/.