A Miramar, Florida murder that had gone unsolved for 37 years has been solved after investigators reopened the file and found a DNA sample that linked it to the killer.
The Miramar Police Department said in a Facebook post that 28-year-old William “Billy” Halpern was “brutally” murdered in his Miramar home on Oct. 21, 1986.
The former firefighter worked at a gym in Hollywood, Florida, and was an avid bodybuilder.
In January, investigators discovered there were several partial DNA profiles that could be analyzed and reopened the case.
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Billy Halpern was murdered on October 21, 1986 in Miramar, Florida. (Miramar Police Department)
Miramar Police Detective Danny Smith, who was leading the investigation at the time, said at a press conference that they had DNA samples but needed people to come forward with names and information about the incident.
The department announced the incident on Tuesday after issuing an appeal to the public for help.
Smith received numerous tips from local residents and identified Harry Collier, now deceased, as one of Halpern’s killers.
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Billy Halpern was murdered on October 21, 1986 in Miramar, Florida. (Miramar Police Department)
“If Harry Collier were alive today, the Miramar Police Department would be charging him with the murder of Billy Halpern,” police said on Facebook.
Police added that they believe Halpern was killed because someone inadvertently knew information that they did not want made public.
WSVN in Miami reported that Collier was killed in a murder case linked to two other murders, including one that happened near Halpern’s former gym.
Dozens of leads submitted to Smith reportedly matched Collier’s DNA as well as evidence linked to a double homicide that occurred around the same time in Tamarac.
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Billy Halpern was murdered on October 21, 1986 in Miramar, Florida. (Miramar Police Department)
“The layout of the Tamarack murder scene was very similar, if not exactly the same, to the Halpern murder scene,” Smith said.
Police believe Halpern’s death is the first of two homicides linked to the gym, the station reported.
The gym’s owner, Gil Fernandez, was a former Miami-Dade County police officer and bodybuilder with Mafia ties.
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Billy Halpern was murdered on October 21, 1986 in Miramar, Florida. (Miramar Police Department)
Fernandez was initially considered a suspect in Halpern’s murder, but DNA testing cleared him of any involvement, and he was convicted of a separate murder and sentenced to life in prison.
The investigation into Halpern’s death led detectives to believe he knew something he was not supposed to know or ask.
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Collier has been named as one of the perpetrators, but the case is not yet closed as there are other connections and more arrests are possible.
“We are looking for anyone who was at the scene, anyone who may have ordered this murder, any accomplices,” Smith said, according to the station. “We are not going to stop investigating.”
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Anyone with any further information about this incident is asked to contact Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.
