WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — In Warner Robins, the police department needs your help solving another homicide.
On January 23, 2001, someone beat and strangled 48-year-old Clarence Darnell Hardison. Warner Robins Police Department's Sergeant Justin Clark says the case was unusual.
"It's not a very common method. The death was actually ruled a homicide by asphyxiation, so the strangulation was the cause of death," Hardison said.
It happened at his girlfriend's home on Sun Valley Drive, not too far from Robins Air Force Base.
"I was in the security business and I was out working, but my wife was home," Jay West said.
West lives just around the corner from the original crime scene. He did not know Hardison, but he says he remembers the town talking about it.
"You know, it bothered us. That was something pretty rare back then," West said.
Clark says they found Hardison dead in the hallway, just after 6 p.m. in the evening. They also noticed a few items, including cash, missing from the home.
"We can tell from the way the scene was whenever officers entered that it does appear that robbery was going to be the motive for it, so I think that plays into his cause of death," Clark said.
Clark says Hardison lived there with his girlfriend. They'd been in a relationship for more than 10 years. She was not a suspect.
"Naturally, you'd want to catch whoever did that. I am sure the family would like some closure on that case," West said.
"Mostly what we would like to ask just anybody who either still currently lives in the neighborhood or maybe lived here back when it happened, if they noticed any suspicious vehicles or if they noticed any suspicious persons in the area -- stuff that wasn't not normal to see -- if there was something out of the ordinary, we would hope someone would notice and maybe remember and call," Clark said.
Clark says they are currently looking into two persons of interests. They believe Hardison knew his attacker. Hardison was a construction worker by trade.
If you have any information you can call the Warner Robins Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 478-302-5380.
There is an $8,000 reward. The reward money is offered by the Houston County District Attorney's office through Macon Regional Crimestoppers.