Husband of woman killed in '93 cold case: 'I just want to know'

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It took about an hour to remove the remains of Judith McMurry from what should have been her final resting place at the Rose Hill cemetery near Lawndale.  SBI agents recorded the exhumation.

This all happened with approval from McMurry's husband who recently spoke with one of the lead investigators.  Kenneth McMurry told us, "I told him, 'Good luck, cause I couldn't do anything about it.'"

He found his wife's body 21 years ago.  "She was a good wife.  A good mother."

Judith McMurry was late coming home from her job at a mobile home sales center in Shelby.   Kenneth went to her office and found her stabbed to death.  The killer then set a fire to try and cover up the crime.  Investigators never made an arrest.  Kenneth McMurry has gone 21 years wondering who killed his wife and why.

"I just want to know", he told us, "It's been too many years."  A cold case team started looking into the murder last year and believe the killer's DNA may have been with Judith McMurry's body this whole time.

The Cleveland County Sheriff Alan Norman would not reveal the new information that led them to take the rare step of exhuming a victim's body.  Norman told us, "in 30 years of law enforcement I know of one other case where this has occurred."

The sheriff said investigators have a person of interest.  Someone with a criminal background and possibly a violent nature.  "Hopefully we will be productive," Norman said, "to where we can bring closure to the family and to the community."

Investigators will not reveal the name of that person of interest.  We are waiting to learn how long it will take to determine if that person's DNA was found on Judith McMurry's body.

Read more: Body exhumed; family wants justice after 21 years

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