Vince is a true public servant and spent 22 years as a homicide detective in Atlanta s. Read more. "You give her an inch, she's going to take a foot.". This is like an APD greatest hits LP for us, Quinn said in a recent interview. It brings back all these feelings, the pain the families went through. GBIs forensics technicians were able to extract DNA from that piece of evidence, and they uploaded it into the system to come up with a match for a man already identified as a person of interest. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. Some defense attorneys have voiced concerned that Willis has strayed beyond the law's intended use and targeted speech protected by the U.S. Constitution. McKibbins uttered an obscenity to himself, then said, "You got me." At no point in this press conference have we uttered this suspects name, Woolfolk said. Arnold died in August 2021 in Fulton County, where both his accused crimes were committed. })(); Copyright 2020 Interactive One, LLC. Georgia's racketeering law is more far-reaching than its federal counterpart, enabling charges against "corrupt organizations" if the prosecution can show they engaged in a pattern of criminal activity including two or more separate offenses. 6 years ago, @Reuters You know how I hurt. ATL Homicide Season 3 Premiere Airs Monday, Jan. 25 at 9/8C "With a bigger focus lately on police reform, we hope ATL Homicide can continue to show a different side of law enforcement . He could follow all the rules [to remain hidden] and not break them. Vince Velazquez from TV One's 'ATL Homicide' took to social media to share his t [EXCLUSIVE] Look Into The ALL NEW Season of ATL Homicide. Though the shooting happened months ago in February, the case has recently started making nationwide headlines mostly due to the release of the video that shows the intense final moments of Arberys life. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor leading the criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat, is also weighing. Velazquez, a 52-year-old security consultant, is the Spock of the operation, more analytical and more apt to use technology to advance a case. Just like a computer, weve got to get to them early and reprogram their thinking.. Protests have popped up all over the country and #JusticeforAhmaud is circulating social media to bring attention to the case and hopefully Justice for Ahmaud and his family. I want somebody else to hurt the same way I hurt and Im going to leave it right there, he told Newell. "It was almost like he was tired of running.". Velazquez said they went to Knoxville, Tenn. where the re-enactments were shot and hung out with the actors. . The case was aired on the national TV show Americas Most Wanted. Investigators were even able to narrow down the eventual suspect as a person of interest. You dont want to make the wrong arrest., And since this is Hollywood, the actors who play Quinn and Velazquez (local residentAngelo Diaz and Christopher Diazrespectively, no relation) are"absolutely better looking than we are," Quinn said. He was advanced in his technique. TV One's new series ATL Homicide takes veteran homicide detectives David Quinn and Vince Velazquez of Atlanta PD, retired detectives with impressive careers, and gives them a chance to. Credit: Photo provided by Ceciley Pangburn. The retired Atlanta detective shared two videos on Instagram titled My analysis of the Ahmaud Arbery homicide. After watching footage from the February 23rd shooting, Velazquez wanted to provide commentary from the perspective of a trained homicide investigator. ATLANTA - Atlanta police say detectives believe they have identified the man responsible for the 1995 cold case rape and murder of Nacole Smith and a 2004 East Point sexual assault. Create your own feed Loading. While police had a DNA match to the suspect, they had not identified them. News. As a result of that, another profile was obtained, and we have a forensic match., This has been a part of my life that I have hidden for a while because I just did not want to live in that pain anymore, she said. He says he has been helping young people for decades. "He was very selective about what he did and when he did it.". znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr); And in the heart of Atlanta's wealthiest neighborhood, a man is brutally beaten and shot to death. Id say,Why are we being such [expletives] about this? "And we stayed out in the woods (the night of Smiths death) digging holes looking for evidence all of that night. They carry the story and do a great job.". Many other activists, celebrities, and community leaders have been speaking out and demanding immediate arrests of the McMichael men. var zergnet = document.createElement('script'); The suspect, 49-year-old Kevin Arnold, died of liver and kidney failure while in hospice care in Aug. 2021 in Fulton County. For Nacole Smith's mother, knowing her daughter's suspected murderer was dead was bittersweet. Vincent Velazquez said he thought the reason Robbins was beheaded and the rest of his body cut into nine parts "was more for transportation purposes" than to send a. Nacole Smith disappeared June 7, 1995, as she walked to school, Velasquez said. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. . We got word just after Christmas that the GBI forensic lab was able to match his DNA profile to the DNA profile obtained in Nacole's investigation and in the unsolved rape of the victim from East Point, Demeester said. Some of her big cases to date have included charges against teachers who cheated to improve the standardized test scores of their students to get cash bonuses and promotions and charges against a rapper accused of gang activity. An indictment of the former president would be of a different magnitude for a local prosecutor whose office typically focuses on violent crime and wrongdoing in the Atlanta area. "That's how they solved the Golden State Killer murders. The former vice president has become the Democratic front-runner with primary victories across the country. "I never imagined this person would be deceased, so many unanswered questions I had for him that I can never ask and get answers, but I would never say it was closure for me because I will live for this pain for the rest of my life," she said. #ATLHomicide #DavidQuinn #VinceValazquez #AtlantaPD #TVOneVeteran Homicide Detectives David Quinn and Vince Velazquez of the Atlanta Police Department talk about their experiences and the third season of \"ATL Homicide\" on this episode of #SpecMagShorts. "If you violated the law, you're going to be charged. A $100,000 reward will be given to an unidentified person who helped authorities catch McKibbins, who was being held in the Fulton County jail, according to Lewis. Brian Mitchell. The retired Atlanta detective shared two videos on Instagram titled "My analysis of the Ahmaud Arbery homicide." His body parts were found in February 2002. "It doesn't matter if you're rich, poor, Black, white, Democrat or Republican," Willis, who is Black, told CNN last year. ", Sketch of suspect Kevin Arnold in the 1995 murder of Nacole Smith. "She will tell why she agrees or disagrees and will back off cases," Steel added. Atlanta Police Department pulled out all the stops.. "It doesn't matter if you're rich, poor, Black, white, Democrat or Republican," Willis, who is Black, told CNN last year. Host - Reality Check on PeopleTV, Martinis & Murder. Thats when officers say Eppinger pulled out a gun and shot the veteran officer multiple times near an apartment building off of Old Hapeville Road. We as a community can do something. McKibbins and five associates were charged with killing Robbins, whom they accused of stealing a kilo of cocaine from their drug operation. In the teachers case, a jury convicted 11 of 12 defendants who went to trial in 2015 of racketeering and conspiracy. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. He's always thinking several steps ahead." 2023 Cox Media Group. "I would not have been able to do what I did without a lot of help from a lot of people," Demeester said. Robbins' body parts were found Feb. 27 in plastic bags in a shallow grave on Constitution Road in southeast Atlanta. For me, being a retired law enforcement officer detective, to see an officer shot multiple times, clinging to life, its saddens me., [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]. So, using genealogy and ancestral databases, we developed him as a suspect, Demeester said. To assist with the Trump investigation, Willis retained private Atlanta lawyer John Floyd, who wrote a guide on prosecuting state racketeering charges and worked with Willis on the teacher case. Contact. Vince Velazquez's Phone Number and Email Last Update. Some of the cases are really gut wrenching. THE LIST:Georgia crime cases featured on true-crime shows and podcasts. He said his program was designed to try to keep all of the young kids away from the gang activity, the street life., [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]. This investigation was massive, Velasquez said. ATLANTA After an Atlanta police officer was shot Monday afternoon by a man police say is a known gang member, many community activists want to put an end to gang violence. REUTERS/Linda SoReuters, (Reuters) - Fani Willis, the district attorney in Georgia's Fulton County who is pursuing a criminal investigation of Donald Trump over his contacts with state officials concerning the 2020 U.S. election, has been described as a "pit bull in the courtroom.". McKibbins was on trial for cocaine trafficking charges in 1999 when he asked to use the restroom and never returned to the courtroom. Thats why Im upset, Griggs said. Police went to McKibbins son's football games and practices, hoping that the drug trafficker's love for his son would be his undoing. "He's real calculating," Lewis said. It is possible no charges will arise from the investigation. 2 hours ago, @JimCantore And he added a little bit of science and ingenuity inspired by the 2020 conviction of Joseph James DeAngelo, a former police officer called the Golden Gate Killer who was linked to more than a dozen murders, nearly 50 rapes and more than 100 burglaries between 1974 and 1986 in northern California. Every investigator who touched the murder case remained involved with it in some way, retired Atlanta Police Detective Reginald Boone said. But I'm here. There was a suspect that seemed super obvious who wasnt the actual killer. TV One's hit true-crime show \"ATL HOMICIDE\" airs on Monday, February 15 at 9 P.M. ET/8C. Series about Vince Velazquez' cases as a homicide detective. The New Season Will Highlight Some of ATL's Grittiest Murder Investigations Solved by Veteran Atlanta Homicide Detectives Vincent Velazquez and David Quinn. On Monday, an APD officer was attempting to arrest a man when he pulled out a gun and shot him several times. Unfortunately, this perpetrator is dead, so hes not going to have his day in court, said retired Atlanta Police Department homicide Detective Vincent Velasquez. 11/1/2022 12:47 AM. "An apology wd be fine, but those people are yesterday's men. ", Trump, who in November announced another run for the presidency in 2024, has denied wrongdoing and has called Willis a "Radical Left Prosecutor.". Categories. The #BlackLivesMatter movement has been a defining moment in history, reinforcing that Black people are actually people that deserve respect and deserve to live. Robbins, who police said was a member of McKibbins' drug operation, was reported missing by his wife in November 2001. The man accused of raping and murdering a teen in 1995 has been identified. There are so many unanswered questions that I had for him that I can never ask or get answers to. Sketch of suspect Kevin Arnold in the 1995 murder of Nacole Smith. Willis worked from 2001 to 2018 in the Fulton County prosecutor's office, then won election as county prosecutor in 2020, defeating her former boss, Paul Howard. In 2004 we get a call, Velasquez said. The mother of the teenage victim said she can't get closure, but is happy to see the case resolved. Bruce Griggs is the Founder and Executive Director of Operation Correct Start of America, Inc. He was convicted and sentenced in abstentia to 20 years in prison. Three were acquitted of murder, but one still faces kidnapping charges because a jury could not agree on guilt or innocence on that offense. zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true; "The guy is good," Lewis said. Demeester said the GBI forensics lab told police just after Christmas that their person of interest match the DNA profile in the 1995 murder and 2004 rape. (Reporting by Andrew Goudsward in Washington and Tom Hals in Wilimington, Delaware; Editing by Will Dunham, David Bario and Noeleen Walder). Her body was found on Childress Drive. https://t.co/6WBnqyy3ct. Willis, a Democrat, has taken an aggressive approach in the Trump investigation, subpoenaing some of his allies including Republican U.S. Not only were we in constant contact with Nacole Smiths mother, but we were also in constant contact with the victim from East Point. Atlanta police homicide Detective Vincent Velazquez spoke about the investigation Thursday. He turned and glared at the victim's mother, grandmother, cousins and aunts, who were seated behind prosecutors. Police said he later was tortured and killed Nov. 19 or 20. Griggs, you know where I live. I get a little emotional, he said. At the time of Robbins slaying, McKibbins was already running from authorities. $25. Trump has accused her of targeting him for political gain and criticized her handling of violent crime in Atlanta, Georgia's largest city and part of Fulton County. All Rights Reserved, Detective Vince Velazquez Weighs in on The Killing of Ahmaud Arbery, Source:Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images, Continue reading Detective Vince Velazquez Weighs in on The Killing of Ahmaud Arbery, A post shared by Vince Velazquez (@vincevelazquez). Smith. It's back! "It's been a long time coming," Crews said. 1 hours ago, @paulwaugh Willis told a judge on Jan.. You can find the AJC's coverage of other "ATL Homicide" cases here. Two retired Atlanta Police Department homicide detectives David Quinn and Vince Velazquez recount past criminal cases on camera as narrators while two actors play younger versions of themselves solving the crimes back in the day. City of Atlanta Police Department is at City of Atlanta Police Department. Atlanta Homicide Det. His capture came just a few weeks short of the three-year anniversary of Demetrius Robbins' slaying for allegedly stealing a kilo of cocaine from McKibbins and his drug enterprise. ATLANTA - There are new efforts to find the man who raped a murdered and 14-year-old girl in 1995. . In both instances, she employed an anti-racketeering law meant to break up organized crime. 1 hours ago, @AFP Quinn - a 53-year-old coach to younger APD detectives - describes himself as an old-school beat cop, capable of speaking just as comfortably with a homeless guy as he is with a CEO. The student, who was not identified, also was taken into custody. M.J. Lewis. It is possible no charges will arise from the investigation. The campaign spans across the metro to prevent and reduce violence among youth. But they needed an ID to tie both the matching samples to. The missing head of a top international model was found in a soup pot, police said on Sunday, as they charged two former in-laws with her murder. In both instances, she employed an anti-racketeering law meant to break up organized crime. Graphic video that showed the shooting of a Black man whose only apparent crime was jogging with brown skin in Georgia leaked on Tuesday in the latest chapter of the ongoing saga to bring his killers to justice. Ahmaud Arbery was jogging in Glynn County near Brunswick, Georgia when he was chased down, shot, and killed by Gregory and Travis McMichael. So its not that hard for us to piece together these stories from memory.. True crime stories are like kudzu on the TV screen with entire networks and production companies catering to the ceaselessly popular genre. I never imagined that this person would be deceased. Velasquez retired in 2017 but continued to stay in touch with Nacole Smiths mother, Acquenellia Smith. . He would have people relay messages. 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