DAVIE, FL – A decades-old murder case has been revitalized by the discovery of DNA evidence, bringing new hope to the family of Marilyn Decker. Nearly 40 years after Decker was tragically found stabbed and floating in a canal, police have identified a potential suspect through strands of hair left at the scene.
On October 22, 1987, the body of 28-year-old Decker was discovered in a canal near Flamingo Road. The case remained unsolved for years, leaving her family in anguish. “It just makes me very angry. How dare you take my sister away from me?” said Gail Deore, Decker’s sister, in a past interview.
Recent advancements in DNA technology have allowed Davie police to connect the evidence to Donald Lawless, a man with a criminal history dating back to the 1940s. Lawless, who was in his 60s at the time of the murder, passed away in 1995, but the investigation into his possible involvement continues.
Authorities are now examining the possibility that Lawless may have been a serial killer. Similar cases involving women found killed in a comparable manner have emerged in areas such as Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood.
The police have not disclosed any motive or details on how Decker and Lawless might have known each other. For Decker’s family, the news is bittersweet, as her parents did not live to see the case solved. “It infuriates me that my sister’s murderer was left unpunished,” Deore expressed.
Davie police are collaborating with other local agencies, including those in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, to investigate further. They are also exploring connections in other cities where Lawless lived, such as Chicago.
This breakthrough offers a glimmer of justice for Decker’s family, who have waited decades for answers. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities seek to uncover more about Lawless’s potential involvement in other unsolved cases.