Four Charged in 1982 Murder After Podcast Aids Case

New Orleans, Louisiana (AP) - Louisiana State Police announced on Friday that four men have been charged in the 1982 assault and murder of 16-year-old Roxanne Sharp, crediting a true-crime podcast with revitalizing the cold case and leading to key witness tips after more than four decades.

Sharp was found dead in the woods of St. Tammany Parish, about 30 miles north of New Orleans, following what investigators now describe as an abduction from a nearby street. The case had long stalled due to scarce evidence and reluctant witnesses, but a six-part podcast series titled "Who Killed Roxanne Sharp?," produced by Northshore Media and aired last year, reignited public interest. Authorities approached the local media company to help generate leads, and the effort paid off as new information emerged.

"It helped our investigators piece together where Roxanne was days before to the time she died, to where we are at now," said Louisiana State Police spokesperson Marc Gremillion. "It was a very large help with getting that message out to the public, and then, therefore, those witnesses getting back to us."

The suspects, all in their early 60s, face charges of aggravated assault and...