CHICAGO (CBS) — A Tennessee man has been arrested and charged in the murder of a woman and her 4-year-old daughter in Gary nearly three decades ago.
Victor Lofton, 57, of Humboldt, Tennessee, was charged with two counts of murder in Lake County, Indiana Superior Court last Tuesday. He is accused of killing Felicia Howard, 21, and her daughter, DenNisha, 4.
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Felicia Howard (Credit: FBI)
DenNisha Howard (Credit: FBI)
The mother and daughter were found shot to death in their second-floor apartment at 3804 Washington St. in Gary on July 15, 1992.
The charges against Lofton come after the FBI’s Gang Response Investigation Team reopened the case beginning in February 2019.
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Detectives said Lofton was born in East Chicago, Indiana, but moved to Tennessee at an early age. He was interviewed by investigators in September of last year, but he denied knowing either victim or being in Indiana at the time, detectives said.
But DNA technology and witness interviews provided evidence that pointed to Lofton, detectives said.
Lofton was arrested in Jackson, Tennessee on Friday and was awaiting extradition back to Indiana on Monday.
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“This case should serve as notice to those committing violent crimes in Northwest Indiana that the tireless investigators of the FBI’s GRIT Task Force will never rest to ensure justice for those who have been victimized, even if it’s 29 years later,” FBI Indianapolis GRIT Task Force Supervisory Special Agent Michael Peasley said in a news release.
