DEVAUGHN PLEA

A cold case in Starkville is solved and the suspect is now headed to prison for the rest of his life.

A cold case in starkville is solved.

And, the suspect is now headed to prison for the rest of his life.

Michael devaughn plead guilty late this afternoon to the murder of betty jones of starkville.

A second charge of the sexual battery of kathryn crigler was dismissed for the deal.

Devaughn has agreed to life in prison without parole.

This is closure for family members who have waited 30 years for justice.

Our cash matlock was at today's hearing... he joins us live from the lowndes county courthouse with more.

Cash?

That's right aundrea..

It was an emotional day for everyone involved in this case... from the victim's families to the investigators who've been working to solve this for the past 30 years.

One of the victim's grandaughters telling me... she just wanted an opportunity to look michael devaughn in the eyes..

And tell him she forgives him.

It happened in a small home on old highway 82 in starkville on labor day weekend in 1990.

Betty jones was killed.

Kathryn crigler was left for dead.

It would be almost 30 years before an arrest was made.

At the time of his arrest in michael devaughn of prentiss county was 51 years old.

Critical evidence collected by the detectives at the scene and dna from a sexual assault kit led spd investigator bill lott and others to devaughn.

It is believed devaughn went into kathryn crigler's home on september 3rd, 1990.

Crigler's friend.... betty jones..... was visiting at the time.

Police believe jones answered the door.

That's when devaughn made his way inside, killing jones.

He then went into the bedroom and sexually assaulted crigler leaving her for dead.

However...she was able to call for help.

Last october, investigators finally got the break they've been looking for and were finally able to crack this cold case... starkville investigators, used new resources like ancestry.com, and dna science, at parabon labs in virginia ,and at the scales dna lab ,in jackson, to find devaughn.

First look stinger first