The New Jersey State Police have linked deceased inmate Larry Burney to the 1982 stabbing death of William Jenkins through DNA and genetic genealogy testing. Jenkins was found bound and stabbed in his East Orange apartment on April 20, 1982, and the case subsequently went cold. A 2024 cold-case review that included evidence submitted to Othram, Inc., narrowed suspects to three brothers and identified Burney as the primary suspect; a DNA reference sample confirmed the match. Burney died in prison in 2005 and had previously received a life sentence in 1984 for an unrelated 1982 robbery.
DNA and Genetic Genealogy Link Deceased Inmate to 1982 East Orange Stabbing
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State investigators have identified a deceased New Jersey inmate as the prime suspect in the 1982 fatal stabbing of William Jenkins, resolving a case that had been cold for more than four decades.
According to a New Jersey State Police news release, DNA evidence and genetic genealogy testing tied Larry Burney to the April 20, 1982, killing. Officers who responded to an apartment on the 200 block of Halsted Street in East Orange found Jenkins lying face down beside his bed with his hands and feet bound; he had been stabbed multiple times.
The murder was originally investigated by the East Orange Police Department but eventually went cold. In 2024, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office contacted the New Jersey State Police Cold Case Unit through the Garden State Cold Case Network to reopen the investigation.
As part of the renewed probe, state police submitted a key piece of evidence associated with an unknown male DNA profile to Othram, Inc., which produced a genetic genealogy profile for investigative testing. In June, investigators narrowed potential suspects to three brothers with ties to Essex County and Newark. Subsequent investigative work identified Larry Burney as the primary suspect.
Authorities later obtained a DNA reference sample linked to Burney that confirmed a match to the DNA recovered from the crime scene. Burney died in 2005 while incarcerated at South Woods State Prison. Records show he had been sentenced to life in prison in 1984 after a separate 1982 robbery in which a sawed-off rifle was used.
Jeanne Hengemuhle, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said: "The recent identification of a suspect in a 1982 murder case stands as a powerful reminder that the pursuit of justice never has an expiration date. Advancements in DNA testing have played a crucial role in uncovering new leads and bringing long-overdue closure to families who have carried the weight of uncertainty for generations."
The identification does not replace the fact that Burney is deceased and cannot be prosecuted; however, authorities say the result underscores how modern forensic techniques and persistent investigative work can resolve decades-old crimes and offer answers to victims' families.
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