DAYTON, Ohio — The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) has reopened the investigation into the 2009 homicide of Army Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) North Woodall, according to an announcement from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Woodall, an 85-year-old Dayton resident and decorated veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, was killed on July 27, 2009, inside his Walton Avenue home.
Despite initial evidence collection, including fingerprints and DNA samples at the scene, the case went cold, and no suspects were identified. Fifteen years later, the Dayton Police Department, in coordination with BCI’s Cold Case Unit, is conducting a full case review to reexamine the evidence with updated forensic methods.
As part of the renewed efforts, DNA collected from the crime scene has been submitted to the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) in hopes of finding a matching profile. The case’s revival comes at a time when many in the community are reflecting on Veterans Day and Woodall’s service.
“All murders and deaths are tragedies, but this one in particular considering what Mr. Woodall had been through in his life, having served our country,” said Dayton Police Maj. Brian Johns. “Especially around Veterans Day, I would love to solve this case for Mr. Woodall, and for his family.”
The collaborative investigation between the Dayton Police Department and BCI Cold Case Unit aims to bring closure to the case for Woodall’s family and the Dayton community.
Earlier this year the Guardian broke the story of a similar cold case involving a local veteran, murdered in his home on Chillicothe’s East Side. The Chillicothe Police Department and Ross County Prosecutor’s Office have failed to pay the cost for DNA testing, which could lead law enforcement to suspects in that case. Currently, detectives have a list of possible suspects in the case but no forensic evidence to lead to an arrest.