BRONX, NY — Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced the indictment of an Ohio resident, James Devore, 54, for the 2005 murder of his ex-girlfriend, linking him to the crime through advanced DNA analysis. Devore was arraigned in Bronx Supreme Court today on charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
The breakthrough in the cold case came from DNA found under the victim’s fingernails and on a cigarette butt discarded by Devore. The forensic analysis was possible due to significant advances in DNA technology over the years. “The defendant thought he successfully escaped responsibility for this heinous act,” said District Attorney Clark, highlighting the meticulous work of the investigators.
The murder occurred on November 22, 2005, in the Bronx, where Erica Robertson, 29, was found stabbed in her apartment, a scene discovered by her daughter the following morning. Devore, who had been romantically involved with Robertson until 2004, had moved to Ohio shortly after the incident.
A cold case unit revisited the case in 2020, utilizing new DNA testing methods on the existing evidence, which led to the indictment voted by the grand jury on May 22. U.S. Marshals apprehended Devore in Mansfield, Ohio, on May 29, and he was extradited to the Bronx on June 5.
The case has brought a measure of relief to the victim’s family, with the victim’s daughter expressing profound gratitude to the prosecutors for their efforts to bring her mother’s alleged killer to justice. Devore is remanded in custody and is due back in court on June 18.