A Virginia man was arrested and charged with the murder of Shane Donahue, 23, who vanished 14 years ago, authorities say.
On Tuesday night, Timothy Sean Hickerson, now 43 years old, was placed in custody by Flagler County Sheriff’s Office based on an arrest warrant from Prince William County Police Department in Virginia. However, authorities still don’t have a body.
"yes, yes, yes. I've been waiting a long time for this to happen," stated Donahue’s mother, according to Inside Nova.
Donahue was declared missing on March 22, 2010, after he left his parents’ home on the 12000 Block of Aden Road. His phone had been turned off, which was the last time anyone had seen the victim. At the time, authorities zeroed in on Hickerson as a person of interest since he was the last person seen with Donahue. The two men left Donahue’s family home and headed towards the victim’s residence nearby.
According to prosecutors, Donahue had been paid $5,000 that day for a contract to install ceiling tiles and had paid Hickerson $1,000 to assist with the job. To date, Donahue’s body has never been found.
Over the years, investigators have followed up on several leads, but there was no evidence to tie the defendant to the crime. Since Donahue went missing, Hickerson had served four years in federal prison after breaking into two Northern Virginia gun stores.
With advancements in analytical technology, investigators revisited the case and reviewed all "digital evidence from scratch in greater detail, reported CBS News. Hence, they established that Hickerson was connected to a burglary at Donahue’s residence before his disappearance.
Hickerson was also charged with burglary and is awaiting extradition to face a jury trial in Virginia.
If anyone has information that could aid the police in the ongoing case, please contact the Prince William County Police Department at 703-792-6500 or submit a tip online at pwcva.gov/policetip.
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