JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Nearly 41 years after losing their loved one, Leslie McCray’s family finally heard the word they had waited decades for: “guilty.”
David Nelson Austin is now convicted of first-degree murder, armed sexual battery and other charges in the 1985 death of the 17-year-old girl.
“Verdict as to count 1, I find the defendant guilty of first-degree murder as charged in the indictment,” Judge Meredith Charbula said in Duval County Court.
As soon as the judge delivered the guilty verdict, McCray’s family could be heard crying in the courtroom.
In 1985, McCray and her roommate were tied up by an intruder inside their Jacksonville apartment. The intruder then abducted the 17-year-old, sexually assaulted her, stabbed her multiple times and dumped her body on the side of a road.
The case went cold. But in 2019, McCray’s family asked the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit and Project Cold Case to re-examine the evidence.
In 2021, DNA evidence linked Austin to the crime and ultimately led to his arrest. He was already serving life sentences in another state for unrelated crimes.
“I was excited we now had some information, you know, somebody was going to be held accountable for doing what they did to her, for taking her from us,” said Joey Bray, McCray’s cousin.
Bray said the verdict was decades in the making.
“I wanted to jump out when she said guilty on the first charge and just shout ‘hallelujah,’” Bray said.
Prosecutors praised McCray’s family for their persistence in wanting to solve the case.
“It’s a huge message to never give up, to push the investigators, especially if there are things that can be re-examined or re-investigated,” said Assistant State Attorney Lauren Anderson.
Bray also shared a message for McCray: “I love you. And I miss you like crazy.”
The attorney representing the surviving roommate sent Action News Jax a statement following the verdict:
“I am thankful to the attorneys and detectives who never gave up in the pursuit of justice for Leslie. For more than 40 years Leslie’s family and I have all lived with a mystery and now finally have closure and justice.
“I am grateful for the evidence that led to this guilty verdict and that the killer will finally be held accountable for this terrible crime.”
Austin’s sentencing is set for Nov. 18 at 10 a.m.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
