PITTSBURGH — Target 11 has learned that Pittsburgh police have recently reopened a 22-year-old murder case involving a teenage girl.
Investigators hope new DNA technology can be used on old evidence to provide clues in the death of Demetria “Mia” Holland, 15.
“She had a kindred spirit, always happy, always found the rainbow in someone else’s cloud,” said her best friend Cyrene Bey.
Holland was found strangled behind a warehouse in Point Breeze on May 27, 1992.
“I miss her so,” she said “It's been 22 years without the phone calls, the check-ins, the smiles. That's been 22 years but the memory of her face is like yesterday“
“I would normally walk her home and that’s the part that haunts me,” said her friend Andrew McDonald.
McDonald is the last friend to see Holland alive.
They had gone to get some fast food in East Liberty.
He said on the way back to his home, Mia met a guy.
McDonald didn’t know him but didn’t think twice about it.
Channel 11 investigator Rick Earle asked McDonald if the thinks that guy may have had something to do with this.
“It's always crossed my mind. I wish I would have paid closer attention,” he said.
“I remember she had farmer jeans on. Ii can still remember that today,” said retired Pittsburgh police Sgt. Paul Marraway.
Marraway worked the Holland case.
Earle sat down with him and detective J.R. Smith as they reopened the case file.
“I feel if we solve one, we can probably solve the other,” Marraway said.
He believes her death is connected to the murder of 23-year-old Michelle Moore.
She was found a week before Holland, strangled and dumped over a hillside in Larimer.
Police are now hoping several hairs found on Holland may lead them to the killer.
“We've been working with the D.A.'s office and reaching out to a lab in State College so maybe with some more info we can continue doing that, doing some more comparison testing,” said Detective Smith.
Bey and McDonald just want justice.
“I pray to this day that someone somewhere will say ‘oh, I remember her. I remember that young lady and will come forward and speak the truth about what has gone on,’” she said.