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Westland police praised for solving 46-year cold case; SRO honored at council meeting
Summary
The council recognized SRO Jabril Johnson with a regional School Resource Officer award and commended Evidence Technician Nicole Headley and Detective Sergeant Todd Gradwell for breakthroughs that closed a 1978 homicide through DNA evidence, per the police chief's summary.
At the start of the July 14 meeting the council recognized three Westland Police Department employees for recent achievements. Chief Mahuna described how department staff reexamined evidence from a 1978 homicide, submitted previously untested material to the state lab and confirmed through DNA that a previously identified person of interest was the suspect.
Chief Mahuna told the council that the identified suspect, David Lawrence Atkinson, died in 1989 and that the Clackamas County District Attorney would have indicted the suspect if he had been alive today. The chief said the work “proved instrumental in advancing this case and ultimately led to key breakthroughs through DNA.” The council then presented awards to SRO Jabril Johnson and to evidence and investigative staff for the cold-case work.
