Cold Case Unit Solves 12-year old Murder/Rape

Defendant Pleads Guilty to Crime

A 1996 murder and rape case that went unsolved for 12 years--- today has come to a close. Fulton County District Attorney, Paul L. Howard, Jr. announces the conviction by guilty plea of 42-year old Tommy Porter, Jr. in the death of Rebecca Ewanda Gray, age 30.

On July 11, 1996 a maintenance crew found Ms. Gray's partially clothed body behind an apartment building in Grant Park. She had been strangled. An autopsy determined she had also been raped. In June of 2001, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation got a positive DNA hit matching the defendant's to DNA found inside the victim's body. At the time, Porter was serving time in prison for robbery.

The District Attorney's Cold Case Unit picked up the case in 2005 and got to work locating witnesses from 1996 and conducting additional DNA testing. Today, Porter pled guilty to rape and voluntary manslaughter. Superior Court Judge Wendy L. Shoob sentenced him to 30-years in prison. He is not eligible for parole.

Senior Assistant District Attorney Sheila Ross prosecuted the case. The lead investigator was Lt. Glenn Martin of the Fulton County Police Department. Martin is also assigned to the District Attorney's Cold Case Unit.

Media Contact: Yvette Brown, 404-224-0560/404-392-8867, yvette.brown@fultoncountyga.gov